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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Comments
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Can you substitue sugar with honey?
Sorry, Ana, it won’t work in this recipe.
Excellent recipe. My husband can’t get enough of these (and I’m having to try to resist them). Love this easy and quick recipe for the best roasted nuts. I add more cayenne because we like heat.
I think the recipe was okay, but also, I didnt’ have kosher salt so I used pink salt. Would that make a difference? It tasted way too salty. I usually don’t use very much salt, so do you think it was the salt I used or maybe I will use half next time.
Hi Marcia, So sorry you found the nuts too salty. Re. the pink salt, it depends on how fine the crystals are; if they are fine like table salt, it would definitely make the nuts too salty.
Hi! I only have salted pecans. Can I use those? I’m assuming you used unsalted pecans. What should I cut the salt down to or should I add salt at all? Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth, Yes, I would just omit the salt. Taste them once cool; you can always add a little more salt if necessary at that point.
These are absolutely amazing! I found your site by googling Sweet and Salty Nuts. The ingredients were odd, but I decided to give it a try and am pleased. I now have a new recipe that will be in heavy rotation. Would this work with almonds & pecans? Thanks so much for sharing this marvelous recipe!
Hi Naomi, Almonds will work, but I have tried the recipe with all sorts of nuts and pecans are definitely my favorite because the syrup sinks into all the crevices.
Hi Jenn,
Thanks so much for responding and for your advice on the nuts. I never buy pecans, but I will for now on!!! Be blessed.
I made these for New Year’s Eve and they were an immediate hit. I let them cool as instructed but many of them stuck to the parchment and I couldn’t get them off without tearing and little pieces of paper sticking to the bottom of the half pecans I used. Where did I go wrong? Should I have sprayed the parchment?
Hi Karen, Glad you enjoyed the nuts but sorry you had trouble with the parchment. I’m surprised b/c they should release easily. What brand of parchment paper are you using?
RMC counterfold waxed paper …. I’ve had it for over 5 years…it looks like parchment and I’ve used it that way for a long time, but now that I’ve read the box it came in, it says it’s “ideal for handling meats and cheeses and great for wrapping sandwiches and fries”….aha!
Seems like I’ve gotten away with using it for baking in the past. I’ll buy some real parchment for the next batch, though my husband said he barely taste the paper! Hee. Great recipe, thanks!
I am not a pecan person but these were amazing. Couldn’t stop eating them. My guest loved them also. Very easy to make.
Thank you so much for the great recipe.
So quick, easy, and delicious!! Thank you..will definitely make again! (Maybe half the cayenne because I am very heat wimpy,lol)
Just made these and substituted Hot Damn cinnamon schnapps for the water. Oh.My.Gawd. Seriously seriously GREAT, easy and fast too! Thx!!!
This is a great recipe. I decided to make it knowing, Ha, that I had all the ingredients, however I forgot I used my Cayenne Pepper on an attempt to dispatch some critters in the spring and did not replace it. So I pulled a package of crushed red pepper out and chopped it up a little more and it worked great. Also I saw the comment concerning too salty so I only used 1/2 t of Kosher salt.