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Candied Pecans are the sweet, crunchy, cinnamon sugar snack that vanishes off the pan before they even cool, and I made my first batch on a chilly fall afternoon when Maddie wanted something to munch on while we decorated for the holidays. They fill the whole house with a warm bakery smell, lean on one bowl and a whisk, and taste just like the candied nuts at the mall, only better. If you love a sweet, sugary bite, our candied grapes scratch the same itch.
Five simple ingredients and a low oven turn plain pecans into a crackly, sugar coated treat you will want to keep all season.
Candied Pecans Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 16 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 116kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, warm, and cinnamon spiced with a crackly sugar shell
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our candied grapes
Quick Answer
Whisk one egg white until foamy, toss in raw pecan halves until coated, then mix in a blend of brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet tray and bake low and slow at 225 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. The egg white sets into a crackly sugar shell as the nuts cool, giving you sweet, crunchy Candied Pecans in about 70 minutes total.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Low and slow baking. Baking at 225 degrees for a full hour dries the coating gently so the sugar sets into a crisp shell instead of scorching.
- Egg white binder. A frothy egg white is the glue that makes the cinnamon sugar cling to every pecan, no butter or candy thermometer required.
- Brown sugar over white. Brown sugar brings a soft molasses note and helps the coating caramelize into that classic candied flavor.
- Stirring every 15 minutes. Frequent stirring keeps the pecans from clumping and coats them evenly so each one gets the same crackly finish.
- One bowl, pantry staples. The whole recipe leans on six ingredients you probably already have, so it comes together with almost no cleanup.
- They cool into the crunch. The real magic happens off the heat, the coating hardens as the pecans cool, so patience is the only trick you need.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Five minutes of hands on work gets you a homemade holiday gift or party snack that tastes like the candied nuts from the mall kiosk.
- They make your whole kitchen smell like cinnamon and the holidays, which is half the fun. If you love that cozy vibe, you will adore our cinnamon sugar pecan toffee bars.
- Totally make ahead and giftable, they keep for two weeks in a sealed jar so you can batch them now and snack all season long.
Key Ingredients
These are the players that turn plain pecans into a crackly cinnamon sugar treat. Here is what each one brings to the bowl.
- Pecan halves: Use fresh, whole halves so they stay crunchy and toast evenly. Stale nuts taste flat, so give yours a quick sniff first.
- Brown sugar: The base of the coating. Its molasses gives the candied shell a deeper, caramel like flavor that white sugar cannot match.
- Egg white: Whisked until frothy, it acts as the binder that glues the cinnamon sugar to every nut and crisps up as it bakes.
- Ground cinnamon: The warm, cozy backbone of the flavor. Reach for a fresh jar for the boldest aroma.
- Vanilla bean paste: A splash rounds out the sweetness with a bakery quality depth. Plain vanilla extract works just as well.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Once you have the basic candied pecans down, here are easy ways to make them your own.
- Holiday spiced: Add a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, or pumpkin pie spice for a warmer, more festive flavor.
- Sweet and salty: Bump the salt to half a teaspoon or finish with flaky sea salt for a salted candied pecan.
- A little heat: Stir a pinch of cayenne into the sugar for sweet and spicy nuts that shine on a salad.
- Swap the nut: The same coating works beautifully on walnuts, almonds, or cashews.
- Maple twist: Replace the vanilla with a teaspoon of maple syrup for a fall forward flavor.
How to Make Candied Pecans
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt, then set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white until light, foamy, and frothy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla, add the pecan halves, and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle in the cinnamon sugar and stir until every pecan is covered.
- Spread the pecans in a single layer on a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let them cool completely so the coating hardens, then serve. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Whisk the egg white until truly frothy. You want soft peaks of foam, not just a few bubbles, so the coating clings to every nut.
- Spread them in a true single layer. Crowding the pan steams the nuts and keeps the sugar shell from crisping.
- Stir every 15 minutes without skipping. This is what keeps the pecans from fusing into one big candied clump.
- Let them cool all the way. They feel slightly tacky out of the oven and crisp up as they sit, so resist taste testing too early.
- Line the tray with parchment. The sugar coating welds nuts to a bare pan, and parchment saves both your sheet tray and your sanity.
- Double the batch for gifting. The recipe scales perfectly, just use two trays and rotate them halfway through baking.
- Store them bone dry. Keep them in an airtight jar at room temperature, since moisture is the enemy of that crackly shell.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These candied pecans are a holiday season multitasker. Pile them into little cellophane bags tied with ribbon for an easy homemade gift, or set a bowl out at a party next to our peppermint white chocolate Chex mix and dipped chocolate peanut butter pretzels for a sweet snack spread.
Beyond snacking straight from the jar, they are fantastic chopped over desserts and salads. Scatter them across a fall salad, swirl them into ice cream, or use them to crown our chocolate turtle cake or a slice of old fashioned caramel cake for instant bakery flair.
They also pair beautifully with a cheese board or a warm mug of cider. If you are building a whole dessert table, add a batch of our candied grapes for a fruity, sugary contrast that disappears just as fast.
Candied Pecans FAQs
They almost always crisp up as they cool, so give them a full 30 minutes off the heat before you judge. If they are still soft after that, the coating needed more drying time, so pop them back into the 225 degree oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they stay fresh and crunchy for about two weeks. Keep them away from humidity, which is what softens the sugar shell.
Yes. Once they are fully cooled, freeze them in a zip top bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature and they crisp right back up.
You can. Swap the egg white for two tablespoons of melted butter or a tablespoon of water. The coating will be a little less crackly but still sweet and delicious.
Snack on them straight, bag them up as gifts, or chop them over salads, oatmeal, ice cream, and cakes. They add a sweet crunch to just about anything.
The low 225 degree oven dries the sugar coating gently so it hardens into a crisp shell instead of scorching. Higher heat browns the nuts too fast and can turn the sugar bitter.
Looking for more cozy, crunchy treats? Make our cinnamon sugar graham cracker crack with pecan toffee next, it is another sweet, snackable crowd pleaser.
That brown butter, salty sweet magic shows up again in our brown butter rice krispie treats.
Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 Cups pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225°F, in a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.1/2 Cup brown sugar
- Place egg white in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk until light, foamy and frothy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Add the pecans and mix until they are coated evenly. Add the sugar mixture and evenly coat the pecans.1/2 Cup brown sugar
- Place in a single layer on a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool completely, serve and enjoy! Store in an air-tight container.1/2 Cup brown sugar
Video
Notes
- You can substitute vanilla bean paste with vanilla extract 1:1.
- These make great holiday gifts, wrap up in a clear gift bag and give in goodie baskets,
- They are great in a lot of different dishes including topping ice cream, all the way to salads.
- Make sure before storing, they are completely cool, they do freeze, see my notes above
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Excellent recipe and so easy! K I made some for Thanksgiving and they were a hit. Made more today for a little Christmas cheer.
Easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Can’t wait to try!!
I just now made these as part of Christmas baskets for my neighbors. So good and simple. Thank you for the recipe. I’ll make another batch for family.
LOL, thank you! Now I need to make another batch, you got me drooling!
This is the most amazing best Cinnamon Roasted Pecan recipe ever…I have made it so many times this year (that’s when I saw it on Facebook) and still I can’t go to my kids house without a container full!
The cinnamon and brown sugar with all that vanilla is oooh my goodness phenomenal…Thank you …Thank you!!
Just made these tonight. Turned out good, but they’re soft… is it possible to harden them up somehow?
Oh my – I feel like these would be a great gift for neighbors, teachers and friends over the holiday season! What a great post!
Yum is right!! These look delish!