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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We are pros making anything pecan. Why? Because we’re pecan growers in Southern Indiana!
We decided to try this recipe as we’re almost out of our homemade maple syrup and have an abundance of powdered sugar right now.
After reading many reviews we decided to try a little trick. After baking them for 13 minutes in our new aluminum Nordic Ware sheet pan we IMMEDIATELY pulled them off the parchment paper on to another clean piece of payment paper on the quartz counter top.
Although they were pretty sticky when removed from the oven, all that extra sticky was on the first piece of parchment paper. Pecans perfect!
This is a family favorite that is a must-have at Thanksgiving and Christmas! It’s so much easier than recipes using egg whites. The cayenne pepper kick is a nice touch!
Hi Jenn, can I use walnuts instead of pecans?
Sure!
I make these all the time and everyone loves them. Just wondering: can they be made ahead and frozen in an airtight container? Thanks!
So glad you like them! Unfortunately, I don’t they’d freeze well, though — sorry!
Hi Jenn,
I made these before and they turn out amazing! I have a question. I want to make them for a friend that’s coming over, but don’t have any cayenne powder. Could I use the red chilli flakes, or Aleppo chilli flakes instead? I don’t want to drive to the grocery if I don’t have to!
Thanks so much
Hi Sandy, I’ve never used chili flakes here. While they may work, they may not adhere as well to the nuts — if you try it, I’d love to hear how they come out. Alternatively, you can either omit the cayenne or add another spice in its place – a lot of readers have commented that they’ve replaced the cayenne with cinnamon.
I made these this morning with the chilli flakes and they came out delicious! No problem with them not sticking to the glaze and pecans. I cooked mine for 16 minutes and they were crispy and not sticky at all. I do think for folks that have had issues, perhaps it could be the type of cookie sheet used that made the difference? I used the Nordic Ware aluminum cookie sheet which conducts the heat better and stays hotter. I don’t think the insulated or thicker cookie sheets would work nearly as well for this recipe. Also the Nordic Ware half sheet is larger than some others, so you can spread the pecans around better. Anyway that’s my two cents for what it is worth!
Thank you for all of your great recipes, and the amount of detail you provide, and how kind you are to respond to questions.
So glad they came out well with the chili flakes — thanks for reporting back! 😊
I made this several times over the holidays, bringing it to parties, serving on a charcuterie platter, in a bowl for snacking. Everyone loves them! It’s so easy and I can make it in a pinch.
Best candied nut recipe I’ve tried. I love the shine on the nuts instead of a big gloppy mess of dull, gritty sugar. I’ve tried other recipes that turn out at the other end of the spectrum, too, with very little taste or texture. These were the “mama bear” ones….just right!
I found these to be amazing and so did the friends I gifted them to. I have never had so many requests for a recipe. I made a few changes that worked for me.
I often use a more slightly heaping 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and substitute the Cayenne pepper with McCormick’s Chipotle Chile Pepper.
When they come out of the oven, I pick up the corners of the parchment paper and roll the nuts around in the syrup to get as much on them as possible.
Have never made a bad batch. Great recipe!
Do I use raw pecans?
Yep 🙂
I loved them, but my family didn’t like the spiciness, so I made a second batch substituting 4 tsp. bourbon, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, a pinch of allspice and a dash of cayenne, plus the 3/4 tsp. salt. They were a smashing success. It’s such an easy recipe and easy to tailor to one’s own tastes. Thank you!