Candied Pecans
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This candied pecans recipe is an absolute must for the holidays! Sweet, salty, and crunchy nuts are perfect for serving with cocktails and appetizers, topping salads, or just snacking by the handful.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
These sweet, spicy, and salty candied pecans are madly delicious. They’re perfect for serving with cocktails or just keeping on hand as a snack during the holidays. They also make a fabulous homemade gift, and the simple ingredients come together in just minutes. Pair them with a cheese board for a delightful pop of sweet flavor and crunch, or use them to jazz up roasted vegetables, salads, or grain bowls. They’re almost like candy but packed with protein, so you can totally justify grabbing a handful (or two!). The best part? You only need four ingredients and 15 minutes to make them. What are you waiting for?
“I made these just as written and they are PERFECT!! I plan to make another batch to take on a car trip next weekend. I’ll need to pack them in the trunk so I don’t eat them all before I get there!”
What You’ll Need To Make Candied Pecans
- Confectioners’ sugar: Combined with water, it creates a syrupy glaze when baked, coating the pecans evenly and caramelizing the exterior. Do not substitute granulated sugar or brown sugar.
- Kosher salt: Adds a savory balance to the sweetness of the sugar.
- Cayenne pepper: Provides a subtle kick. While the candied nuts aren’t spicy at all, you can omit the cayenne or replace it with ground cinnamon if you prefer. Alternatively, if you want to up the heat, you can add a little more cayenne to the glaze mixture.
- Water: Mixed with the sugar and seasonings, helps create a syrupy consistency to coat the pecans evenly.
- Pecan Halves: Pecans make wonderful candied nuts because their crevices absorb the flavorful glaze during baking. While smooth nuts like almonds and cashews can work, walnuts make the best alternative to pecans.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the Confectioners’ sugar, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and 4 teaspoons of water in a medium bowl.
Whisk until combined.
Add the pecans to the sugar mixture and stir until evenly coated.
Place the nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the nuts are crusty on top and caramelized on the bottom.
Slide the parchment off of the baking sheet onto a countertop; this stops the nuts from overcooking on the hot baking sheet.
When the nuts are completely cool, use your hands to break them apart. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and serve.
Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions
The nuts will keep nicely for a few weeks stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Feel free to store them in the refrigerator for a slightly longer shelf life.
Video Tutorial
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Candied Pecans
This candied pecans recipe is an absolute must for the holidays! Sweet, salty, and crunchy nuts are perfect for serving with cocktails and appetizers, topping salads, or just snacking by the handful.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Confectioners' sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 teaspoons water
- 2 cups pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Confectioners' sugar, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and water.
- Add the pecans to the sugar mixture and stir until the nuts are evenly coated.
- Transfer the pecans to the prepared baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Do your best to make sure the nuts are evenly spread out (if they are clumped together, they won't cook evenly). Scrape out every last bit of glaze from the bowl and drizzle over the nuts. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pecans are caramelized and the caramel on the baking sheet is a rich brown color but not burnt. (The nuts around the edges will darken first; watch closely so they don't burn.)
- Immediately slide the parchment off of the hot baking sheet and allow the pecans to cool completely on the countertop (this stops the cooking process and prevents the nuts from burning). Once cool, remove the pecans from the parchment, breaking apart any clusters if necessary, and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
- Note: If the nuts are sticky after cooling, that means they are a bit undercooked. Pop them back in the oven for a few minutes and let cool again.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 217
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 178 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I have made this for years as a party snack and everyone loves it. I get nervous about cooking, but Jenn’s instruction style has a way of helping my confidence and making it easier than I think.
Simple and delicious. I cut the cayenne a little and subbed with a little smoked paprika. Love, love. It’s a keeper!
Love the taste but side down is golden perfect side up is sugary beige looking! Should I be turning over?
Hi Tish, That’s just how they come out so it doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong (and you don’t need to flip them over). Once you crumble them up, you shouldn’t notice the different colorations.
I love how shiny they are in your photo. Is there a trick to making them come out that way? That glaze would suit me better than “sugary-beige”. Thank you.
I’m sure it’s a 5 star recipe but since I haven’t made them yet I’ll include a rating later.
The nuts actually come out relatively shiny (though I do touch up my pictures a bit so the sheen that you see may be a little enhanced by my touching up). Hope you enjoy if you make them!
I’ve made these twice now and, while they are delicious, I have had the problem with them sticking to the parchment and bits of parchment coming off with them😐. Should I spray the parchment before laying them out? I ended up throwing 1/2 away. Ideas?
Hi Bev, What brand of parchment are you using? You shouldn’t need to spray it — are you sure it’s parchment and not wax paper?
Ohhhhh, ok, I thought wax paper was the same as parchment😐
This has become my go-to recipe for flavored nuts! It is SO easy and good. I’ve made it with pecans, walnuts, and, just now, with cashews. All have been delicious. Thank you for such a useful recipe.
Is the cooking time the same if you use raw pecans?
Yep – hope you enjoy!
We couldn’t gobble these up fast enough…great for gifts too.
Would this work for cashews as well?
I like this with pecans because the glaze gets into the nooks and crannies, but it will work with cashews as well. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Love this recipe! Simple, but so delicious. I added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, as one reviewer suggested and only used 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper.
Thank you, Jenn. These are the absolute best candied pecans.
Jenn, Thank you so much for the pecans. They were
wonderful and were perfect in my pineapple spinach salad. I couldn’t believe how easy they were.
Family loved these as is, but I can’t have much real sugar. So lately I’ve been switching it up using 1/2 sugar substitute and 1/2 brown sugar substitute in place of the powdered sugar. I’ve also been using peanuts, cashews and almonds instead of the pecans. Very tasty treat!
These are delicious! (Except, the water ratio listed is incorrect). With additional water this recipe is perfect! Once these cooled, I had nothing but crumbs left. Perfect! Thanks
I love making these. For a crunchie glaze, I skip the water and swap in 2 egg whites whipped until soft peaks. Then I take brown sugar instead of powdered sugar, fold it together with the spices, coat the pecans, and bake as directed.