~ 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.
I just tried this with walnuts and almonds (because those were the only things I had and we have snow right now so I ain’t driving to the store) and this turned out great I’m a bit into the healthy eating habits and I’m gonna add some of these to my oatmeal! Is there any nutrition information you have?
Hi Tim! I’m so glad this recipe worked out great for you, adapting for what you had on hand (and no winter driving – yay)! If you’re into easy, healthy recipes that taste awesome, too, then I think you’ll find lots more great inspiration here on our website – you’ve definitely come to the right place! Welcome!
So, here’s a little explanation of why we have (at least thus far) opted not to include nutrition info (including calorie counts) with our recipes – and how you might more accurately calculate your own. We’ve actually debated since the beginning of this blog whether or not we should supply nutrition info (and address it in our FAQ (http://twohealthykitchens.com/about/).
Especially with Gretchen’s (my original business partner’s) master’s degree in nutrition, she could easily have calculated that manually – plus there are loads of online calculators to use. However, for a variety of reasons, we have decided over and over again not to do that. One big reason is that we generally don’t specify exact brands (although on some occasions we need to), so the final nutritional profile of a recipe can vary widely, depending on the purchasing decisions our readers make. In the end, it could almost be a bit misleading to quote nutritional info, if readers make significantly different purchasing choices than we did in testing. Although that problem wouldn’t be a big issue with this specific candied nut recipe, it could be for a lot of other recipes on our site. For example, the final nutritional profile of our most popular recipe ever – our very simple 3-Ingredient Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos – could vary tremendously (particularly, in this case, the sodium) depending on which taco seasoning and which salsa someone purchases.
My best suggestion would be to use your own favorite online nutrition calculator, and plug in the exact brands you use to get the most accurate information for various recipes, including this one. Also – do you subscribe to our newsletter? A while back, we sent out a whole list of different recipe calculators in our newsletter. Too long to publish here (this is already such long answer!), but shoot me an email if you’re interested, and I can send that along for you!
Also … having said all of this … I want you to know that we get questions like this from other readers from time to time, too. As a result, we are always re-evaluating this very good question and exploring how we may be able to offer nutrition information in a way that we can feel good about – a way that’s helpful and not potentially misleading. So stay tuned …
Thanks so much for reaching out to us! I hope this explanation helps you out at least a little, even though it’s not exactly the answer you were looking for.
Happy, happy holidays, Tim! Let me know what other recipes you try – I hope you’ll pop back again very soon! ~Shelley
These are delicious!!! I’ve made candied pecans using other recipes and they’ve always come out with really heavy sugar coatings the looked cloudy and tasted too sweet. These are beautiful and that light hint of sweet is delicious. I did add about 1/2 tsp of maple syrup. Worked beautifully. I might try some cayenne or even a bit of smoked paprika on the next batch. Very nice, simple recipe!
Thank you so very much, Laurie! You just made my morning!! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, and I love your ideas to add maple syrup or maybe some cayenne or smoked paprika! Such fun thinking of new ways to spin this recipe! Happy holidays!! ~Shelley
I quadrupled the recipe and added cinnamon and butter for a richer taste and toasted the pecans first! Delish!
Hey, Sylvie! I’m so glad to hear you loved this recipe (enough to quadruple it)! And those are some great tips for changing it up a bit — thanks for sharing! 🙂 ~Amy
I will be adding these pecans to my cranberry relish for Thanksgiving. My relish is good but it is about to become great with your candied pecan recipe. THANK YOU!
Oh my goodness – what a wonderful application for these candied pecans – I just love that idea! Now you’ve got my head spinning with new ideas for these … 😉 Thanks so much for the lovely feedback and the terrific inspiration! And Happy, Happy Thanksgiving to you! ~Shelley
How long can these be stored in an air tight container?
Hi Ruth! Beyond just the first few days, I’ve honestly never experimented with really long-term storage, or methods such as freezing, so I’m not precisely sure what the outermost bounds of this recipe would be in terms of how long you could keep them. (And they never last long enough in my house for me to find out!) If any other readers have tried making these way, way ahead, I’d love to hear about your experiences! Happy holidays to you all! ~Shelley
Oh my gosh! How is easy and delicious is this recipe??? VERY!!! I got on to quickly find a candied pecan recipe and much to my luck I clicked on this one. I’ve made these before, but never with such a simple recipe and direction! THANK YOU!! I’ve made a batch everyday for the past 4 days. I have company in my home and these are a nice treat to leave out in a dish for a quick and relatively healthy snack. Yaaayy!!!! Win-Win!! : ) …. I give this more than 5 stars.
Oh my goodness, Chey! Your sweet comment totally made my night!!! More than 5 stars?!? I’m honored! But honestly – even more than that, it means so much to me that you’ve already made these again and again … FOR COMPANY! I’m truly touched and can’t tell you how much I appreciate that you took a moment to let me know – means so much to me, truly! Have a fantastic week – and thanks again! ~Shelley