You won’t believe how easy it is to make homemade candied pecans! Just toss them in a bourbon-spiced blend and bake on a sheet pan until the exteriors develop a sugary crust. This tasty snack is great for salad toppings, charcuterie boards, or as a holiday gift.
Recipe Science
- Whipped egg whites form a sticky foam that helps sugar and spices adhere evenly to the pecans.
- I sweeten the pecans with equal parts granulated and light brown sugar, adding pure sweetness with a touch of molasses.
- Baking at 300°F gently candies the nuts by melting the sugar and evaporating moisture, leading to a hard, brittle coating.
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Why It Works
Get ready to make a big batch of crunchy candied nuts using this simple oven method. A large baking sheet works perfectly for caramelizing the sugars and creating a crispy crust, requiring minimal effort. You’ll instantly smell the sweet, warm spices filling the room. This candied pecans recipe is a great addition to any dish or cheese board. Package them into bags or jars for edible presents.
This recipe uses pecans, which are naturally sweet and buttery. I infuse some aged bourbon into the egg whites to enhance the flavor further. A tiny amount goes a long way but leaves no lingering boozy taste. There’s just a hint of oaky and caramel notes for dimension. It’s delicious!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Nuts: Pecans are shelled nuts, and I recommend purchasing about 1-pound of pecan halves for the recipe. This amount will make a large batch, about 4 cups yield. To switch things up, you can also try candied walnuts.
- Egg: Egg whites are crucial for binding the sugar and spices to the pecans. They create a sticky foam that ensures the coating adheres evenly when whipped.
- Water: Help to dilute the thick egg white, making it easier to foam when whisked.
- Sweeteners: I use an equal ratio of granulated sugar and light brown sugar to sweeten the nuts. This combination gives a pure sweetness and lingering molasses notes.
- Flavoring: Vanilla extract adds warm baked notes. Bourbon adds an oaky dimension. Salt balances and enhances the sugars.
- Spices: Bold spices like ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg add an incredible flavor and aroma.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This recipe for candied pecans is easy to customize! Try these tasty suggestions:
- Sugars: Try using dark brown sugar for a more intense caramel taste. Coconut sugar can be used in place of granulated sugar.
- Spice Options: Try adding pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice. Add allspice, cloves, or cardamom for intense spices.
- Make it Spicy: Add cayenne pepper or chili powder if you like a little heat.
- Flavoring: Add almond, caramel, or banana extract instead of vanilla. Try adding different types of whiskey, aged tequila, dark rum, or Grand Marnier. Feel free to omit the alcohol.
How to Make Candied Pecans
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Start by placing your oven rack in the center position, which allows for even heat distribution—key for perfect candied pecans. Preheat your oven to 300°F (149°C). This gentle temperature helps the sugar slowly caramelize without burning.
While the oven heats up, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This simple step makes cleanup easy and prevents the pecans from sticking, ensuring they turn out beautifully crisp.
Step 2: Make the Candy Coating
Mix the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. Once everything is well combined, set it aside for later. This blend will give your pecans a perfect balance of sweetness and warm, spiced flavors.
Step 3: Prepare the Binder
The pecan halves have a large surface area and a smooth texture. I use an egg white coating to ensure the sugars stick and cover them well. The albumin egg white proteins are very sticky and act like glue. Diluting them with some bourbon and vanilla extract makes them easier to disperse. The key is to whisk the mixture until medium peaks form. Visually, this will look white and foamy.
Ingredient Chemistry: When the egg white mixture is tossed with the nuts and baked, the trapped air bubbles create hollow pockets of hardened sugar for a super crackly and crunchy texture.
Step 4: Coat the Pecans
Gently toss the pecans in the frothy egg white mixture, ensuring they’re well coated.
Next, transfer the coated pecans to the sugar and spice mixture. Use a spatula to toss them until they’re evenly coated, making sure each pecan is covered in the sweet and spicy blend.
Step 5: Bake
Spread the nuts evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the pecans at a moderate temperature of 300ºF (149ºC). The gentle heat gradually melts the sugars, developing caramel flavors with a candy-like coating. The process of transforming the sugars into a hardened and brittle candy coating takes about 45 minutes.
Tips for Perfect Execution: Stir every 15 minutes to ensure even evaporation of moisture, browning, and drying. Make sure to visually check, as sugars burn at temperatures over 350ºF (177ºC). They will get charred if you leave them in the oven too long.
Step 6: Cool
The candied nuts will be very hot out of the oven. To check for doneness, the sugar coating should feel dry to the touch. Cool them on a baking sheet. The residual heat will gently drive off any last drops of moisture. They will be very crunchy and packed with rich flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whisked egg whites for binding the sugar mixture, sugar, water, salt, and spices if desired for flavoring. It’s baked at 300-degrees until the coating hardens and becomes crispy.
Glazed pecans are a type of candied nut. It’s typically a mixture of sugar, water, butter, and corn syrup. The mixture cooks on the stovetop until a caramel color and aroma form. Then the nuts are coated in the glaze. Spread on a baking sheet and either dry in the oven or at room temperature. Once cooled down, the nuts should have a shiny, hardened glaze.
The oven is excellent for trapping and circulating hot air around food. In this case, set to 300-degrees to gently candy the nuts. The heat melts the sugar and drives off excess moisture. Baking helps to concentrate and dry the sugars enough to make them hard and brittle, called the hard crack stage. This is the perceived candy-coated crunch with each bite.
If the sugar glaze is made on the stovetop and not brought to the proper temperature, between 300 to 310ºF (149 to 154ºC) for a hard crack, it will be soft and sticky when it dries.
Store candied pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Serve This With
If you tried this easy Candied Pecans Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon bourbon, or water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound unsalted pecan halves, (4 cups)
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Place the oven rack in the center position—Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Make the Candy Coating – In a medium bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Prepare the Binder – In a large bowl, whisk egg whites, bourbon, and vanilla until very frothy medium peaks form. If egg whites lose volume and have liquid on the bottom of the bowl, lightly whisk again before adding the nuts.
- Coat the Pecans – Toss the pecans in the frothy egg white mixture. Transfer the coated pecans to the sugar and spice mixture, and use a spatula to toss until evenly coated.
- Bake – Spread pecans on the lined baking sheet. Bake until the surface is dry and crisp, about 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Cool – Allow the pecans to cool completely on the sheet pan until hardened.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: 4 cups
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Storing: Store candied pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Recipe Resources
Pantry Staples
15 Common Types of Nuts
Health Notes
5 Health Benefits of Nuts
Ingredient Guides
JJ says
Wow; this looks like a delicious idea for holiday gifting. What’s the best way to jar these up and keep them dry until opened? Vacuum pack? What is your suggestion for an ‘expiration’ date to add to the label? Can’t wait to try these!!
Jessica Gavin says
I would say 3 weeks at room temperature. A glass jar or plastic container works well. I also have gifted them in cellophane bags, they didn’t last long!