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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A favorite! I use cinnamon instead of cayenne. My daughter loves them; so she made recipe and made Christmas gifts and in-laws couldn’t stay away from them.
Delicious! Simple to make and came out absolutely perfect. I added unsweetened dried cherries from the health food store to the batch once it cooled. Best snack. Giving up processed foods but this is hand made. Thank you!
I made these over the holidays, and we loved them. I did cut the cayenne pepper in half because my husband can’t eat much spice. They were perfect and hard to stop eating. Thanks for a great recipe.
Oh my -took these to a Christmas Eve drinks party and they went down an absolute storm. Added bonus they are so easy.
I’ve made 3 batches of these pecans in the past couple of weeks. I’ve gifted them, snacked on them, and added them to my salads. So delicious!
I make these every year for Christmas. They come out perfectly every time. So good. Thanks for another great recipe!
I have made these pecans before using Confectioners’ sugar, they are wonderful! I want to make them again for Christmas Eve but can only find “powdered sugar – 10 x Confectioners’ sugar”. Are they the same? Can I use the powdered sugar? Thank you for any help you can give!
Hi Ann, They are the same. Enjoy!
I made 5 batches of these pecans one day last week for gifts. They were yummy, but they were sticky. When they came out of the oven, they felt “dry” and not sticky; however, after they cooled, they were quite sticky. I put each batch back in the oven. Again, they were dry when they came out but sticky after they cooled. The excess that I had poured over the top (as directed) was a sticky mess, too, with a Jolly Rancher consistency. It was difficult to break the nuts up and bag them because they were sticking to everything. My oven temp is accurate. The only thing I can think of is that it was a very rainy day. Is this a dry day activity like Divinity?
Hi Lindsey, Sorry you had a problem with these! I don’t think the rain would’ve caused the problem. You mentioned you made 5 batches — did you bake each batch on its own baking sheet? If not, that would explain it because these really won’t come out right unless they have plenty of room so they don’t overlap.
Hi Jenn, I did make each batch on its own, and took care to try and separate the pecans. It was really odd how each batch went from dry to sticky. They still tasted great though. Just not the presentation I was hoping for.
Hmmm… that’s a bit of a head-scratcher. The only other thing I can think of is that your oven temp may be a bit off. You may want to check it for accuracy. Here are some tips for how to go about it.
Thank you.
The stickiness was could have been caused from the humidity from the rain.
Wonderful nuts! I have made as written, and gave cut the cayenne pepper down to a quarter of the amount, then use cinnamon for the rest. I also add in 1tsp orange zest, use 2 tsp bourbon or water & 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. I typically bake for 2-3 minutes longer than stated. Fantastic! Thank you for another fabulous, easy recipe. And I also use the sugar crystals on ice cream!
Great recipe. I am making them for the third time in the same month!
I make huge quantities of these every year over the holidays. There’s always a collection of spicy sugar crystals left on the parchment after separating the nut and transferring to gift bags. I keep trying to come up with a use for those delicious spicy sugar crystals. Any suggestion?
Sounds very resourceful! You could sprinkle them over ice cream or roll cookie dough balls in it before baking. If you decide to do any of those things, I’d love to hear what you think!
I tried the sprinkles on ice cream. It was amazing. We called them ice cream crystals. If you could bottle them, im sure they would sell. Making more nuts mainly just to have the crystals.
LOL — sounds like a hit!