Easy Candied Pecans (Just 5 Minutes and 4 Ingredients!)
~ These deliciously easy candied pecans are so lightning-fast! You’ll be making them all the time … for snacks, on salads … even as last-minute gifts! ~
This Recipe Is: • Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Make Ahead • Vegan (and Vegetarian) • Gluten Free •
We’re going nuts here today, friends! Wanna join us!?!?!
Nuts for salads, nut for snacks, nuts nuts nuts …
(Well … pecans, to be exact. But “we’re going pecans” just doesn’t sound the same.)
If you wanna take a quick peek before reading on, here’s a little video tutorial to give you an overview of how easy this Candied Pecan recipe is to make!
Video Tutorial
When it comes to creating healthy and delicious recipes (which is what we’re ALL about here at THK!), we adore nuts for lots of reasons, and we use them often in our recipe developing.
From a nutrition perspective, nuts are loaded with protein and healthy fats. But of course, they also have tons of great crunch and flavor, which means they’re a yummy addition to all sorts of recipes, too. Total win!
A handful of nuts is a stellar snack to help curb your hunger on a busy afternoon. And nuts are a fantastic salad topper, without the nutritional pitfalls of things like fakey-bacon bits, partially hydrogenated chow mein noodles, and white-carb (sneakily artificial) flavored croutons.
Nuts are just … better!
Want to pump up nuts’ yumminess quotient even more?
How about … candied nuts?!? (Well … candied pecans, to be exact!)
Unfortunately, store-bought versions of glazed, candied pecans often include additional, less-healthy ingredients. And homemade candied pecan recipes don’t always solve the problem – so many of those recipes involve loads of butter and added fats, and sometimes also loads of sugar or corn syrup. *SIGH*
Does it feel like you just can’t win?!?!?
Oh, but you can!
We’ve got an outstanding glazed, candied pecan recipe you’ll love!
You don’t even have to fire up your oven with this one … and we’re gonna get it done with just 4 ingredients (not including the water … ‘cuz who counts that?!?!)! Whoop! Whoop!
Too good to be true? Nope! But it is waaaaaaaaay too good! So, so good!
These pecans are quickly toasted to bring out a little extra flavor, and then tossed with just enough sweet-salty candy coating!
They’re deeee-lish as a salad topper, with just the right amount of sweetness to compliment other salad ingredients without being overpowering. We actually specifically developed this candied pecan recipe as a perfect, crunchy topping for our Salad with Goat Cheese, Pears, Candied Pecans and Maple-Balsamic Dressing.
They’re also are a fantastic snack, and perfect when you’re on the go! Our kiddos love ’em (when they can grab a handful before we eat them all ourselves)! And we love knowing that it’s a snack loaded with protein … and only a teensy bit of added sugar.
And pssssssst … if you’re ever in a jam, realizing you forgot to carefully select the most fan-tab-u-lastic hostess gift for a dinner party … know what you can do? Uh-huh … you guessed it! With just 5 minutes and a quick tango with a pretty jar and some ribbon, you’ll be granted most favored houseguest status! Yay, you (you savvy problem-solver)!
So while you’re at it … you just might wanna make two batches! These go fast!
Or, if you’re just in a nut-makin’ kinda mood, try our recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spiced Candied Pecans, too! They showcase a different cooking method, and are dressed up in favorite holiday flavors that make them perfect as party appetizers or easy hostess gifts! Mmmmmm … you’ve got options!
Easy Candied Pecans (Just 5 Minutes and 4 Ingredients!)
These deliciously EASY Candied Pecans are so quick and simple! Whip up a batch for a yummy snack, to top a salad ... even as a last-minute, homemade gift!
• Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Make Ahead • Vegan (and Vegetarian) • Gluten Free •
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons water
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup pecan halves
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, water, vanilla, and kosher salt, stirring to combine (don't worry that the sugar and salt won't all be dissolved). Set this at-the-ready, next to your stove, as this recipe goes really quickly.
- In a medium-large saucepan over medium heat, toast pecans for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When you begin to smell a lovely, nutty aroma, they're done.
- Quickly drizzle the sugar mixture into the pan, on top of the pecans, stirring the nuts as you drizzle. Stir constantly for about 15 seconds, until the pecans are thoroughly coated in the sugar mixture. Immediately remove from heat so they don't burn.
- Spread the pecans on a piece of parchment to cool. Once cooled, you can break the nuts apart, if needed.
- Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container. The pecans will be slightly sticky at first, but the coating hardens further within a few hours.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 servings Serving Size: 1/4 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 196Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 65mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
Thank you. Not to sweet. I made this recipe specically for salads. To make my diet not seem like too much of a hardship. Not so much sugar that you can’t taste the pecans. And not one mystery ingredient. Perfect.
Hi Jeanie! I’m so happy these candied pecans livened up your salad for you! Nope – no mystery ingredients here LOL! 😉 I’m sorry to hear your diet is a bit of a bummer right now, and I hope maybe you’ll find some other recipes on our site that will fit with your nutrition goals but also keep things deliciously exciting and fun! Hang in there – and good luck!! ~Shelley
Excellent recipe and so easy! Thanks
Oh, Chris, you’re so very welcome! I’m thrilled you loved it! Thanks so much for so kindly taking a moment to let me know – I truly appreciate that! Have a wonderful weekend! 😀 ~Shelley
These turned out fantastic! I added a good amount of cayenne pepper to add a sweet and spicy flavor profile. I read some peoples comments about the nuts being sticky so I baked it on the parchment paper for an additional 5 mins at 350 degrees in the oven. The nuts were toasted perfectly and the glaze had a snappy, crunchy finish.
Oh Nancy, I’m so delighted that you loved these candied pecans! That sweet-spicy flavor combo sounds fabulous – what a great idea! Thank you so much for suggesting it, so our other readers might try that twist, too! And actually – I’m thinking how much my spice-loving hubby and son would probably go bonkers for your idea! Yum! And thanks for letting us know that you used and liked the oven-finishing technique. It’s similar to the method we use for our Pumpkin Pie Spiced Candied Pecans, and works great, too! It not only makes my day to read such a wonderful and helpful comment, but it’s so useful for other readers to see your ideas, too – thanks a million for taking the time! 😀 ~Shelley
This is the recipe I’ve been looking for! No egg whites, nuts don’t get rock hard, perfect! The only thing I added was a dash of cinnamon to the sugar mixture. Tastes like the top of a sticky buns. Delicious!!! Thank you ?
Hi Laura! Mmmmmm … cinnamon sticky buns … that description just about has me drooling! Thank you for taking a moment to pop back to let me know how much you liked these (which always makes me so, so happy – I really appreciate it!) and also to offer the great suggestion of adding cinnamon to the candied pecan mixture, which is really helpful for other readers who might like to try a different twist on the recipe. And I have to say, I loved your specific comment about the egg whites. I’ve been considering creating a different candied nut recipe that DOES include egg whites – which does offer that harder coating and possibly the ability for the nuts to be more clumped (glued – lol!) together. This specific candied pecan recipe was designed to be a little different (obviously – since it skips the egg whites! 😀 ), and it’s become really popular – so I think it’s particularly interesting that one thing you loved about it was the fact that it wasn’t so hard from including the eggs! Now you’ve got me thinking … Our recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spiced Candied Pecans also skips the egg whites (although it showcases a slightly different method for cooking), so now I’m wondering if maybe the egg-free method is really what’s most popular with our readers, or if my next recipe should include the egg whites, just to offer yet another method. Hmmmmm … Thanks for the terrific input! ~Shelley
I’ve made several batches now of the Easy Candied Pecans & the Pumpkin Pie Spiced Candied Pecans. Yummy & oh, so easy. Thank you! I LOVE the fact there’s no egg white involved. I do bake a little at 350° since I use a TBL of maple syrup in lieu of 1 TBL of coconut sugar (in lieu of brown sugar) for the remainder of the sugar portion. SO yummy.
I will be using the Easy Candied Pecans in your salad recipe. ? Thanks!!
I’d love to make these Friday as a last minute Christmas gift. Question – you mention they dry out in a few hours and lose stickiness. So should I leave them on the parchment til that happens?
Sure, that should work just fine! Hope you (and that lucky gift recipient) love them as much as we do! Merry Christmas, Natalia! 🙂 ~Shelley
Thank you! I noticed your newer recipe for pumpkin spice pecans has a different amount if sugar and water and adds in the oven time. Maybe I should try that one? Sounds like you can play around with the spices.
You’re so welcome, Natalia! And you’re right – the Pumpkin Spiced Pecans use an extra step with the oven, while this recipe doesn’t – just showing two different approaches to making candied pecans. I’d say the oven method is great for getting the nuts dry faster, but I love the speedy easy of this stovetop-only technique. There are lots of different methods to try, and with this recipe, we were just showcasing the uber-fast technique with only the stovetop. I certainly think you’l love the pumpkin-spice recipe, though, too! And definitely – feel free to play around with all sorts of different spices! I’ve seriously kept meaning to post some more candied nut recipes with different spice combinations (and maybe even some other cooking/baking technique options), because my family and I love snacking on healthy nuts! If you try out other spice combinations, I’ll be so interested to hear what you like best! Have fun!! 😀 ~Shelley
I appreciate all the tips. Here I go!
Good luck! Enjoy! 😀