Easy Candied Pecans

These slightly spicy, sweet and crunchy, Easy Candied Pecans are made on the stovetop in less than 10 minutes. A quick and fuss-free way to make glazed pecans that are perfect for gifting, snacking, adding to salads, cheese boards, ice cream, and so much more!

Let’s make candied pecans on the stovetop! Why on the stovetop? Because they take less than 10 minutes to make and turn out beautifully shiny with a candy-like crunchy texture. Making the candied pecans on the stovetop also eliminates the need for using an egg white which makes them a fabulous vegan treat.

With the holiday season upon us, these dairy-free, gluten-free candied pecans are great to have around for enjoying as snacks or for topping salads, side dishes, and desserts. They are also great for adding to charcuterie boards or for gifting someone a lovely homemade treat.

Fair warning, it is almost impossible to stop devouring these slightly spicy, sweet, crunchy delights. Make a double or triple batch or you may find they are all gone by the time your festivities roll around.

What You Will Love About This Recipe

• USES SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – This candied pecan recipe makes a delightful treat that requires just a few simple ingredients. Aside from the pecans, you will likely have everything else on hand.
• DAIRY AND EGG FREE – Most candied pecan recipes made in the oven call for egg whites to make the pecans crunchier. When you glaze the pecans in a pan, they stay perfectly crunchy, eliminating the need for the egg white. No butter is needed here, either. These candied pecans are wonderfully delicious without it.
• PERFECT TREAT FOR THE HOLIDAYS – All nuts are a little pricey right now but it’s nice to splurge a little for the holidays. These are the best candied pecans and they will feel like a wonderful treat no matter how you use them.
• MINIMAL PREP AND COOK TIME – So often during the holidays we find ourselves with very little extra time. These stovetop candied pecans come together in a flash so you can whip them up any time you need them.

Ingredient Notes

This is a great recipe to get you started with making candied nuts. Feel free to play around with the spices to suit your taste. I enjoy them sweet and salty with just a hint of spice and cinnamon flavor.

For this easy candied pecans recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• Pecans – You will need 2 cups of raw pecan halves for this recipe. I sometimes add an extra cup of pecans without changing the rest of the ingredients and they turn out a little less sweet but just as delicious.
• Brown sugar and water – To coat the pecans in a sweet glaze, we use light brown sugar with a tiny bit of water. You can use white sugar if you prefer but brown sugar gives the pecans an almost caramel-y flavor. Dark brown sugar will also work. I haven’t made them with maple syrup but I’m sure that would be fine.
• Ground cinnamon – The aromatic sweet scent of cinnamon is prefect for adding warmth and cozy flavors to these candied pecans.
• Kosher salt or sea salt – Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and make all the flavors pop.
• Vanilla – Sweet and floral, vanilla works beautifully as a background flavor in these candied pecans.
• Cayenne pepper – Optional, but teamed with the cinnamon, a pinch of cayenne pepper lends a subtle sweet and spicy note to this treat that I find irresistible.

How To Make Easy Candied Pecans

Here is a quick overview of the recipe. The full recipe with measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. It is imperative to have a baking sheet ready BEFORE you start glazing your pecans. They can go from golden brown to burnt in seconds so you want a landing spot to pour them out of the pan quickly once they are done. You will also want to spread them out so they don’t stick and a baking sheet makes this easy.

Make the glaze. In a medium skillet, combine the sugar, water, cinnamon, salt and cayenne (if using). Stir to combine, then cook, undisturbed but watching closely, until mixture starts bubbling, about 1 minute.

Add the pecans. Using a rubber spatula, aggressively stir the pecans in the pan until they’re completely coated in the glaze, about 2 to 3 minutes. At this point, they can be removed to the baking sheet but if you want them to have a really shiny glaze, continue to stir the pecans for another minute or two. If at any time the pan is getting smoky, remove it from heat, keep stirring, then place it back on the heat until done.

Transfer to sheet pan. As soon as the pecans look glossy, with no large visible clumps of sugar remaining, transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Use two forks to spread them out and separate them as much as possible. As soon as they are cool enough to touch, use your hands to break them apart. Then store them out of your sight immediately so you don’t eat them all 🙂

Frequently Asked Questions

Ways To Use Candied Pecans

Aside from snacking on these crunchy delights straight out of the jar, there are so many ways to use your delicious candied pecans. Here are some of our favorite:

• Add to salads: A little bit of crunch is always welcome in a salad. They are wonderful in this Winter Chopped Salad or this Wild Rice Citrus Salad with Persimmons
• Chop them up and fold into cookie dough: They would be a great addition to these Gingerbread Biscotti, or these Gingerbread Miso Cookies.
• Add to a cheese or charcuterie board: Place them in a few little bowls around your charcuterie board and watch them disappear.
• Use them in granola or oatmeal. Stir them into your morning oatmeal, this fabulous granola or this baked oatmeal—yum!
• Ice cream! Chop them up and top your favorite ice cream.
• Use them to top this Butternut squash gratin or some roasted sweet potatoes.
• Gift them. These easy candied pecans make the perfect homemade gifts. Place them in a mason jar with a ribbon and delight whoever you gift them to.

How To Store

TO STORE: Candied pecans can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 1 week. You can refrigerate them if longer storage is needed, but they will soften a bit.

TO FREEZE: Place pecans in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature.

More Holiday Recipes To Love

I hope you love this Easy Candied Pecans recipe as much as we do! If you give this recipe a try, please let us know in the comment box below. Your review and rating is very helpful to me and other readers. Thank you!

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Easy Candied Pecans

Author: Sandra Valvassori

These slightly spicy, sweet and crunchy, Easy Candied Pecans are made on the stovetop in less than 10 minutes. A quick and fuss-free way to make glazed pecans that are perfect for gifting, snacking, adding to salads, cheese boards, ice cream, and so much more!

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 6 Tablespoons brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
• pinch cayenne pepper, optional
• 2 cups pecan halves

Instructions 

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• Place a 10 or 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar, water, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and cayenne (if using). Stir to combine, then cook, undisturbed but watching closely, until mixture starts bubbling, about 1 minute.
• Add the pecans and using a rubber spatula, aggressively stir the pecans in the pan until they're completely coated in the glaze, about 2 minutes. At this point, they can be removed to the baking sheet but if you want them to have a really shiny glaze, continue to stir the pecans for another minute or two. If at any time the pan is getting smoky, remove it from heat, keep stirring, then place it back on the heat until done.
• As soon as the pecans look glossy, with no large visible clumps of sugar remaining, pour them onto the prepared baking sheet. Use two forks to spread them out and separate them as much as possible. As soon as they are cool enough to touch, use your hands to break them apart.

Notes

TO STORE: Candied pecans can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 1 week. You can refrigerate them if you’d like them to keep longer. 

 

TO FREEZE: Place pecans in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Keywords: Candied pecans recipe, stovetop candied pecans, easy candied pecans

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