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Simple sugared pecans are coated in a brown sugar and cinnamon mixture and then slow roasted until they are perfectly crunchy and candied.
Candied Pecans
You can bet I make a Costco run and double or triple this recipe because candied nuts are so versatile! Here are just a few reasons I keep these in the freezer year-round:
I love to make candied nuts as appetizers or an easy dessert at holiday get-togethers.
You can also bag or box them up and hand them out as gifts.
Chop them up and serve them on salads or in yogurt
Ingredients and Substitutions
The list of ingredients needed for sugared pecans is pretty short. There are a few swaps that can be made to switch things up.
Pecans. Pecans are perfect for coating with brown sugar and cinnamon, but so is pretty much every other nut! Try using walnuts or almonds too.
Brown sugar. I love the caramel flavor of brown sugar, but white sugar works well too.
Cinnamon and nutmeg. These add a little extra flavor to the pecans you can't beat. Out of either or looking to switch it up? Try ¾ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
Egg white. Used to get the sugars and spices to cling and stay on the nuts. To get the volume you need to coat all the nuts, you'll need to whip the egg white until it's foamy. Egg substitute will not do this, so do not substitute it.
MONEY SAVING TIP: If you have a bulk store membership, consider buying your nuts there. In my area, they are regularly about 30% cheaper than grocery stores.
How to Make It
Make the sugar and spice combination: grab a small bowl and stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set that mixture aside.
Beat the egg white: In a medium sized bowl, add the egg white. Vigorously beat the egg with a whisk until it becomes foamy and triples in volume.
Coat the pecans: Add the pecans to the bowl with the egg white and toss the pecans to fully coat.
Add the sugar mixture: pour the sugar mixture over the pecans and stir them to coat with the sugar. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the coated pecans in an even layer.
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Cooking Time and Temperature
Roast the sugared pecans in a 250˚ Fahrenheit oven for a full hour. Stir the nuts every 15 minutes. Don't be tempted to shorten the time. The full hour is needed to get the brown sugar to really crisp and turn into a candy coating.
Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the pan for 10-15 minutes before serving or storing.
Storage
Store the candied nuts in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
To make these last longer, freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months!
PREP: Preheat the oven to 250˚F. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
MAKE SUGAR MIXTURE: In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
COAT THE NUTS: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white until it is foamy. Add the pecans and toss to coat in the egg mixture. Add the sugar mixture to the nuts and toss again to coat with the sugar.
BAKE: Spread the nuts in an even layer on the baking sheet and bake in the prepared oven for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving or transferring to a container to store.
How long will candied pecans keep? They will keep for up to two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, at least three weeks in the refrigerator, or up to two months in the freezer. No matter where you store them, keep in a tightly sealed, airtight container.
Either you used raw nuts, or you added them before the sugar had a chance to fully caramelize. Why is the sugar all crystallized and grainy looking? It means that the sugar has crystallized before caramelizing.
Under-cooking the pecans is the likely cause of stickiness, but the risk is low when they're oven-baked. After the sugar-coated nuts have darkened and turned very fragrant, about 20 minutes in the oven, stir the pecans and separate any pieces that have stuck together. Continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Wet pecans allow the salt to stick easily to the nuts. Plus, soaking nuts helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which can harm your digestion, and reduce phytates, which decrease nutrient absorption. Just submerge your nuts in water while the oven is heating up and you'll be good to go.
Want to know the secret to keeping your pecans fresh? It's simple. Just keep your pecans in airtight containers and store them in the refrigerator or freezer. When you are ready to serve, you can bring them up to room temperature or cook with them right away, no thawing necessary.
Sealed plastic bags are best for storing pecans in the freezer. In-shell pecans can be stored in a cool, dry place for 6 to 12 months. They can be refrigerated up to 18 months and frozen for about three years.
If after they have cooled down, the pecans are still sticky, this means that the sugar mixture never reached a high enough temperature when on the stove. To fix them, place the nuts back into the skillet and cook a bit longer. (Watch closely when you do this to prevent the nuts from burning.)
sometimes I have no idea why they won't harden. But if your pralines are still gooey after 30-40 minutes, you may have to scrape them back into the pan and heat them again. Add a tablespoon of milk, melt the sugar, and as before, stir constantly while you bring them to a boil.
Pecans have two sources of bitterness -- naturally occurring tannins in the kernel and pieces of corky material from the inside of the nut which can adhere to the kernel. Some of the tannin and all of the corky material can be removed by washing the kernels before cooking.
Usually if the almonds are soft after candying it means that they weren't cooked for long enough. However, this recipe cooks all of the water out of the sugar syrup and then takes it a step further where the the sugar then re-caramelizes allowing the almonds to harden.
Scab infections of the shucks may also produce “stick tights,” a condition in which the shuck does not separate from the nut during harvest. Symptoms of powdery mildew are most obvious when the nuts become covered with a white, fuzzy growth on the surface (Figure 3).
Your oven is also a great tool for toasting pecans. For this method, preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake until they begin to brown and become aromatic, making sure to toss halfway through, 7 to 10 minutes.
Boiling pecans before cracking them can actually help prevent the shell from shattering. Here's how to boil them to loosen the shell but not cook the meat: ● Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil ● Add the pecans and let cook for 10-15 minutes ● Drain and let cool ● Get to cracking!
Drain, Rinse, and Roast - After soaking your pecan nuts for about 8 hours, it's time to drain and rinse them. Once you're done with that, spread them over a baking sheet or dehydrator evenly to get them ready for roasting.
Ba-dum-dum. Okay, all bad dad jokes aside, these candied walnuts will last quite a while. All nuts do go rancid eventually, but as long as you cool them completely and then store them in an air-tight container, they should be good for about a month. You might also like our Candied Pecans recipe or Candied Almonds!
When protected by their natural shells, pecans generally last longer. Around room temperature, in-shell pecans can last for up to 4 months. At chillier temperatures, they can last for much longer. Frozen, in-shell pecans can remain good for several years.
In-shell pecans can be stored at room temperature for a short period of time. Keep in a refrigerator, if so desired, to keep for longer than 4 months. If pecans need to be stored for more than a year, either in the shell, cracked, or shelled, they have to be placed in the freezer.
If stored correctly in an airtight container or resealable bag, the sweet candied nuts can last up to two weeks at room temperature, or even up to a month in a dark, cool environment, so it's worth making a big batch. However, it comes with a warning: they may not last longer than a week, as they make easy snacking!
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