I LOVE adding pecans to all sorts of recipes. With just a light toasting they have a wonderful nutty crunch that adds a great depth of flavor to almost any dish. But when you candy them there’s a whole new level of indulgence that’s basically impossible to resist.
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
Cinnamon: I often enjoy adding more spices to this recipe than just cinnamon. Try 1/4 tsp allspice, cardamom, and/or nutmeg.
Brown Sugar: you can use light or dark brown sugar.
How to Make Candied Pecans
1. Add sugar, spices, salt, and water to a large pan.
2. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
3. Add pecans to the hot sugar mixture then stir in to coat with sugar then cover and cook for about a minute or until the color darkens and the mixture thickens.
4. Working quickly, transfer the pecans onto a sheet of parchment paper a few at a time and separate the pecans with some forks. Allow to cool completely before handling.
Pro Tips for this recipe
- Give your nuts a light toast in the oven before using for maximum flavor. 4-5 minutes at 350F will be great.
- Make sure your nuts have cooled completely before storing them.
- To avoid sticky nuts make sure your sugar solution has reached the hard crack stage 300F.
- Try adding 1/4 tsp of cardamom, allspice, or nutmeg for some spice!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you toast nuts before candying them?
I suggest giving the pecans a light toasting before using. They will be further cooked in the sugar mixture so you don’t want them to toast too much in the oven. You can definitely use raw pecans in this recipe if you’d like to save some time.
Can you make them without brown sugar?
You can definitely use white sugar to candy pecans. Heat the mixture up until it comes to a boil. Add the pecans in and cook until the sugar is a golden brown. Make sure to stir occasionally while they cook, then follow the same steps below.
How Long do they Keep For?
Stored in an airtight container, candied pecans will last about a week at room temperature, a month in the refrigerator, and in the freezer for up to two months.
Why are my pecans sticky?
If your sugar doesn’t reach the hard crack stage (around 300F) it will be a bit sticky.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this candied pecan recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Candied Pecans
Equipment
- large pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 cup pecans halves
Instructions
- Add the brown sugar, spices and salt to a large pan. Pour in water and gently mix.
- Place pan over medium-high heat and cook until mixture boils.
- Add pecans and mix to cover completely. Cover and cook for about a minute or until the mixture thickens up and darkens in color.
- QUICKLY begin transferring the pecans to a sheet or parchment paper or silicone mat using forks to separate them. The residual heat in the pan will keep the pecans from setting right away but you do need to work with speed.
Video
Notes
- Give your nuts a light toast in the oven before using for maximum flavor. 4-5 minutes at 350F will be great.
- Make sure your nuts have cooled completely before storing them.
- To avoid sticky nuts make sure your sugar solution has reached the hard crack stage 300F.
- Try adding 1/4 tsp of cardamom, allspice or nutmeg for some spice!
AWESOME recipe! Turns out great, every time for me and tastes great alone and on cakes. Thanks for the recipe!!
Congratulations! This might just be my favorite Preppy kitchen post to date!