Easy Candied Pecans – A couple cooks

This Candied Pecans recipe is easy with classic flavor: sweet, tangy, and a little salty! They store well and are versatile.

They’re crunchy, irresistibly sweet and salty, and utterly classic: try these homemade ones Candied pecans recipe! This classic American recipe is ubiquitous for a reason: These sweet little morsels are just that good. This is our master recipe that makes perfectly crunchy, sweet candied pecans with little effort: no food thermometer required. It’s got just the right amount of cinnamon and sweetness, and it takes a lot of willpower to stop eating them once you’ve made a batch. Throw them on salads, over ice cream or just eat them on their own!

Ingredients for candied pecans

Candied pecans are pecans that are coated in a crunchy layer of sugar. They are usually coated in egg whites, sugar and spices and then baked until crisp. Glazed pecans are similar, but they have a smoother, shiny exterior. What you need for this recipe:

• Half pecans
• granulated sugar
• Light Brown Sugar: A mixture of brown and white sugar gives the best, most developed flavor
• Cinammon
• Ground Ginger
• vanilla
• protein: Egg whites help the sugar and spices stick to the nuts, giving a shiny, firm finish
• Salt

How to make candied pecans

This Candied Pecans recipe is no-fuss, classic, and totally error-free, in our opinion! After much research, we ended up with the baked method as the easiest option. You can use a pan method for candied pecans, but you’ll need a candy thermometer to measure the candy temperature. We have found that a 325 degree Fahrenheit oven is the most reliable and easiest way to make candied pecans.

While it’s not as quick as glazed pecans, the baked method is more reliable because there’s no risk of sticky nuts like the skillet method. 30 minutes baking time for a perfect result is worth it! Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe below):

• Mix: Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, then toss with the pecans.
• Spread on a baking sheet: Spread the nuts out in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet.
• Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes, stirring once. When you stir the nuts for the first time, they will look very foamy: that’s ok! Give them a good stir and then continue to cook them until they are light brown and hard.

Also try: Candied walnuts!

Storage info: how long do they last?

These candied pecans keep well and are crunchy for the entire storage time! Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• How Long Do Homemade Candied Pecans Last? Store at room temperature up to 2 weeks and frozen up to 2 months. Store in a sealed plastic bag or jar.
• Be sure to cool them completely before storing. They will cool in about 10 minutes, after which you can eat them! Before you store them, let them cool for 45 minutes so they don’t have any residual moisture.
• Store in lidded jars for Christmas gifts. These candied pecans make great DIY Christmas gifts. Be sure to indicate on the jar to keep for up to 2 weeks.

A faster alternative

Want a really quick way to make candied pecans for a salad? You can make this Glazed Pecans recipe on the stovetop. They’re not as reliably stored (as they can get sticky), but they work if you’re trying to make a quick salad garnish.

Ways to use candied pecans

Candied pecans are extremely versatile and go well with everything from salads to desserts. Here are some of the main ways to use them:

More pecan recipes

Do you love this tasty nut? Here are a few more pecan recipes to enjoy: