Cinnamon-Sugar Candied Pecans
These easy, oven-baked candied pecans are the salty, sweet snack you need in your life right now. Perfect for snacking, tossing into salads, or gifting to others, these baked nuts can do it all! With just a few simple ingredients you can quickly whip up a batch of these pecans in no time.
What could be better than a salty and sweet snack? How about one with minimal prep time, pantry staple ingredients, and endless uses?
These candied pecans are extremely worthy of sharing, in fact, I urge you to make these immediately. Put them on the appetizer and desserts tables for Thanksgiving, throw them in your salad, put them in jars for Christmas gifts, eat them by the handful… just make sure you have a good hiding place for them because once you start eating them, you won’t be able to stop!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pecans: I like to use fresh, raw pecan halves to make these addictive candied pecans (see notes below on selecting pecans).
- Cinnamon sugar mixture: A blend of cinnamon, sugar, and salt coats the pecan halves to make a sweet brittle candy coating when they bake.
- Egg whites + Water: Binds the cinnamon sugar to the pecans while also hardening out the candied pecans during the baking.
- Vanilla: Added for a splash of flavor!
Notes on Pecans
When it comes to picking pecans the choices are numerous. You can buy whole, halved, chopped, roasted, sweetened, salted, the list goes on and on. For candied pecans, here is what I recommend when you are shopping for the pecans:
- Buy unsweetened and unsalted pecan halves. They will typically be labeled raw.
- Check the freshness date to ensure they have not been sitting on the shelf beyond their expiration.
- Look for plump, golden brown, uniform-looking pecan halves.
- If you are buying them in advance and plan to make the candied pecans later, store your pecans in an airtight container.
- Keep shelled pecans in the refrigerator for up to 9 months or in the freezer for up to 2 years.
Ingredient Swaps
- Nuts: This recipe can be made with a variety of nuts, not just pecans. Feel free to change it up and use walnuts, almonds, cashews, or a mix of your favorites.
- Spices: Other spices like nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, clove, a pinch of cayenne, apple pie spice, or even pumpkin spice would be delicious on these candied nuts!
Step-by-Step Directions
While I’ve seen candied nut recipes that require actual candy-making, i.e. using a candy thermometer and being very precise, these cinnamon-sugar pecans couldn’t have been easier.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 250°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the cinnamon sugar: In a large zip-top bag, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
- Mix liquid ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, water, and vanilla extract.
- Coat pecans in egg white mixture: Add the pecans to the bowl and stir them into the egg white mixture with a rubber spatula, making sure they are all moistened.
- Transfer to cinnamon-sugar: Using a slotted spoon, remove the pecans from the egg white mixture and drop them into the bag with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Once all of the pecans are added, seal the bag, and shake it to coat all of the pecans.
- Spread out on baking sheet: Using a clean slotted spoon, remove the pecans from the bag and place them onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake + stir: Bake for 1 hour, stirring them every 15 minutes.
- Cool + store candied pecans: Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
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Storing + Shelf-Life
- Counter: Your candied pecans will last up to 2 weeks at room temperature in an airtight container.
- Gifting: Place some of the pecans in a cellophane treat bag or glass jar, label it and share with loved ones.
- Fridge: To keep the pecans longer, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container.
- Freezer: In a freezer-safe container, these will stay fresh for 2 months in the freezer.
How to Use Candied Pecans
I love going after a bowl of these pecans for a sweet snack as well as gifting them at the holidays for others. Some other ways you can use these candied pecans are:
- Use them to top my signature salad.
- Swap these in for the plain pecans in this shaved Brussels sprout salad.
- Garnish a delicious carrot cake with sweet candied pecans.
- Chop them up and mix them into your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Fast FAQs About Candied Pecans
Are pecan pralines the same as candied pecans?
While both are made with pecans and are sinfully delicious, pecan pralines and candied pecans are slightly different. Pralines are coated in a melt-in-your-mouth caramel mixture while candied pecans are baked into a brittle cinnamon-sugar coating.
Why are my candied nuts sticky?
One of the main reasons your pecans might still be sticky after baking is that the sugar didn’t fully cook. Pop the tray back in the oven until they are more crispy, about 5-10 minutes.
Pecan Recipes You’ll Love:
- Bourbon Pecan Praline Recipe
- Oatmeal Muffins with Dates, Cranberries, and Pecans
- Pecan Tassies
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- Chunky Pecan Pie Bars
Watch the Recipe Video:
Sinfully delicious, these candied pecans are the perfect salty and sweet treat! Seven ingredients, minimal prep time, and endless uses, these oven-baked nuts are sure to be a hit!
If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1 pound (453.59 g) pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large zip-top bag, combine the sugar, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, water and vanilla extract. Add the pecans to the bowl and stir them into the egg white mixture with a rubber spatula, making sure they are all moistened. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pecans from the egg white mixture and drop them into the bag with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Once all of the pecans are added, seal the bag, and shake it to coat all of the pecans.
- Using a clean slotted spoon, remove the pecans from the bag and place onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 1 hour, stirring them every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. The pecans can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Nuts: This recipe can be made with a variety of nuts; try it with walnuts, almonds, cashews, or a mix of your favorites.
- Spices: Other spices like nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, clove, a pinch of cayenne, apple pie spice, or even pumpkin spice would be delicious on these candied nuts!
- Storage: Candied pecans will last up to two weeks at room temperature in an airtight container and up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
- Gifting: Place some of the pecans in a cellophane treat bag or glass jar, label it and share with loved ones.
- Freezer: You can store the pecans in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Dee Frances
I have made this recipe and given these as Christmas gifts for the past few years. They are always a hit!
I made these candied pecans to include in the Signature Salad. I have only encountered 2 problems: 1) I won’t have enough left for the salad if I don’t stop eating them! 2) I will not be able to test their storage life because there will be none left for the test! These were simple to make and as you can tell by my review–yummy. These will be a new staple in my nibble cupboard.
These are easy and absolutely addictive! A friend gave us some for Christmas and they were gone in a flash. I immediately asked her for the recipe!
Absolutely delicious and so easy! I make them every single Christmas! Several batches, as a matter of fact, because they are always a huge hit.
Delicious and so easy to make!
I am an idiot. Read 250 º and set my oven. In 15 min, everything was burnt. My oven is in Celsius, so 250 º is 482 ºF. Just want to share my stupidity so no one else (hopefully) makes the same mistake.
I am going to clean up the mess I made now. All the best!
Delicious!! Our sweet neighbors made them for our Christmas gift!
I have made these every year for at least 7 years & taken them to parties & given to friends & neighbors. Everyone loves them!
These walnuts are delicious! Perfect for Christmas gifts.
Would these stay crunchy added to ice cream?
These are absolutely scrumptious!!
If you substitute 2 tablespoons of Chickpea juice from a can of Chickpeas for each egg white, you have Vegan Sugared Pecans.
And they are even more delicious that the original recipe.
Go Vegan.
Save the animals.
Great nuts. I find putting them on a new sheet of parchment half way through makes it easier. Thanks for great recipe.
I got in BIG trouble for giving to many away!
Sounds like a yummy addicting treat, can you do this to Peanuts also?
Placed a few on top of the pumpkin pie whipped cream at Thanksgiving – a big hit with everyone!!
Love this recipe , it is so quick and simple.
Love these! Unfortunately, whenever I make them, everyone eats them immediately so I never get to save them!
Love pecans, thanks for the recipe Michelle.
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
myhusband has been asking for cinnamon sugar coated raisins, said he loved them when he was a kid. how do you think i should vary the recipe since raisins are kind of sticky?
Hi Cindy, Oh that sounds interesting! I’ve not made them, but I might think after being coated, you’d be able to separate them a bit?
I’ve made these for a couple years now. Gotta say, we can’t make them very often and only when we have neighbours to give them out too. They’re dangerous to keep in the house!
I do end up doing varied nuts instead of just pecans. Turns out great! I find a strainer and leaving the nuts sit for a bit to even out the egg whites as well.
Tasty, but not nice looking. Too much egg whites and sugar sticking to the nuts. I tried shaking some off the nuts as I placed them on the rimmed pan but they still have too much coating.
I made these today and they are absolutely delicious! Bonus for yummy smells in the kitchen too. I’ll be making more soon, experimenting with variety of nuts too. Thank you!
So easy to make and highly addictive! I’ll be making this recipe again and giving away as gifts.
I did make these and I am so excited to share these with my family. You literally can not stop eating them. Such an easy but a decadent snack. I will be sharing this with all my friends and family, that is if there are any left.
After receiving these as a Christmas gift years ago, I have made them every year for the holidays and everyone raves about them! I make 6 lbs of pecans for work and home. I make 2 double recipes but add 3lbs of pecans (instead of 2) for each double recipe, and they still turn out wonderfully.
I’ve made something very similar to these for years, and yes, the are addictive! Try a tiny dose of orange flavoring to replace the vanilla; heaven! Note- you can also include any of the warm spices, like ginger or nutmeg. Such a great recipe!
I love candied nuts and will add this to my recipe collection. I also like ones that add a dash of cayenne to balance the sweet. Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe Michelle! I love these nuts! I normally get them at a Christmas Crafts fair yearly. Due to the virus the fair has been cancelled for this year .
I’ve tried a few different recipes for cinnamon nuts, and these are by far the best! I’m making them for the third time since quarantine started. So addictive!