Get ready to sweeten up your snack game with a family favorite that’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser—candied pecans! This recipe isn’t just a treat; it’s a trip down memory lane, wrapped in a sweet, crunchy glaze that makes these nuts utterly irresistible. Perfect for gifting, garnishing, or simply gobbling up by the handful, these candied pecans are as easy to make as they are to love.
We eat these by the handful for a fun treat, but you can serve them on salads, as a topping to ice cream or cheesecake, or sprinkled over oatmeal! The options are nearly endless.
Why You’ll Love These Cinnamon Sugar Pecans
- Minimal Ingredients: Only seven items!
- Easy to Package: Making it ideal for gift giving.
- Great Snack: We reach for this whenever we are snacking but still need a little sweet treat.
Going to toot my own horn here. This happens to be the easiest candied pecans recipe. Seriously. It takes practically no time to get them into the oven and produces an insanely delicious treat.
This is a lower sugar version of the ones you find in the store. Still sweet, but plenty of pecan flavor shines through. A touch of cinnamon sends these over the top!
Ingredients You’ll Need
The great thing about this recipe is that it only uses a handful of ingredients! Everything should be pantry staples which means you can get started on this candied pecans recipe ASAP.
- Pecans: I use halved pecans and chop them to bite sized pieces.
- Sugar, salt, and cinnamon
- 1 large egg white
- Water
- Vanilla extract
Making Candied Pecans
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside.
- Whisk the sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small dish or bowl. Set aside.
- Add the egg white, water, and vanilla extract to a small measuring cup. Whisk with a fork until frothy, roughly 2 to 3 minutes. Pour over the pecans and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the pecans. Stir until evenly covered.
- Spread the pecans into a single layer on the baking tray. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Cool completely and keep stored in an air tight container.
Helpful Tools
Expert Recipe Tips:
I have made this recipe dozens of times. Here are some quick tips that have helped me out throughout our baking adventure.
- Use parchment paper on your baking tray. The pecans get sticky and can make a real mess on the pan. Parchment helps them from sticking.
- Lightly chop the pecans, but not too small. You want them bite sized, but too small and they will burn.
- Feeling more festive? Add a tiny pinch of nutmeg!
- This recipe does not need to be refrigerated. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs:
Quick and Simple Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lb pecans lightly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside.
- Whisk the sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small dish or bowl. Set aside.
- Add the egg white, water, and vanilla extract to a small measuring cup. Whisk with a fork until frothy, roughly 2 to 3 minutes. Pour over the pecans and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the pecans. Stir until evenly covered.
- Spread the pecans into a single layer on the baking tray. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Cool completely and keep stored in an air tight container.
Notes
Nutrition
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Related Recipes:
- Butter Pecan Syrup
- Caramel Pecan Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Pecan Pie
- German Chocolate Cupcakes
- Cinnamon Crunch Granola
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Comments & Reviews
Barbara says
I really want to try this, but I’m lost. How much sugar, salt, and cinnamon do you use? How much water and Vanilla extract do you use?
Jesseca says
Hi Barbara, if you scroll towards the bottom of the post there is a recipe card with all of the measurements you’ll need.