~ 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.
This recipe is complete garbage I just wasted $6 of pecans, pecans are completely sticky and no where near Candide the recipe could have called for probably twice as much sugar whatever you do please look up other recipes before even remotely trying this one out.
Hi Kyle – I’m so sorry to hear that you had trouble with this recipe. We’ve had so many great reviews on it – both here on the blog and directly, and have made them so many times personally, but we’re always disappointed to hear that a reader had trouble with a recipe. We’re happy to help you troubleshoot, if you’d like! ~Shelley
Did you use 1 1/2 tsp. of water or TBSP? I think you probably misread and used Tbsp.
I agree with Kyle. Nuts are too expensive to not get this right. The ratio of sugar to water is way off! I was lazy and thought I’d turn to the internet instead of breaking out my trusty cookbook. Which now I see, one of my books uses 1 1/2 cup nuts, 1/2 cup Sugar and 2 TBS butter and 1/2 tsp Vanilla. Another I often used calls for 1 1/2 cup nuts, 1/2 cup sugar and 6 TBS water.
FYI: Some recipe sites are all about getting page views and not real – the recipes are often grabbed from another source but never proofed. Since this is my first experience on this site, I can’t say if that’s the case here. However, Shelley says she has made this many times, I wonder if she actually measures or does my mom’s eyeing it method? lol
Hi Tonya – I’m sorry you didn’t care for the recipe. I truly have made these candied pecans many times myself, and as you probably read here in the comments section, lots of other readers have left comments regarding how much they liked this recipe, as well, so I feel very confident in how well it works if the instructions are followed precisely and with the correct measurements. We test our recipes exhaustively, multiple times, and with notations on very, very exacting measurements. Having said that, you are certainly correct that there are plenty of other candied pecan recipes out there which use A LOT more sugar than this one does; however, that doesn’t mean that this recipe doesn’t work or is somehow not right. We try to be very clear in explaining what you can expect and in illustrating our post with photos to help, too. If you’re looking for those sugar-bomb candied nuts like you’ll find at fairs and on old-style boardwalks, this recipe for candied pecans probably won’t be quite what you’re looking for. It’s still super delicious and is much healthier, but from what you’ve described, it sounds like you’re looking for a recipe that will produce an end result more similar to one of the recipes you found in your cookbooks, which contain a much higher proportion of sugar. If there’s anything else that I can do to help you troubleshoot, though, please just let me know. Good luck! ~Shelley
Instead of vanilla, I’ve substituted kahlua, baileys, ameretto, or chambord in my whipped cream that makes it taste a little more sophisticated – do you think it would work with pecans/walnuts?
Wondering how long these will keep, if giving as a gift?
I’d love an answer to this question
Hi ladies! I’ve never tried any experiments with really long-term storage, such as freezing, so I’m not really sure what the outermost bounds of this recipe would be in terms of how long you could keep them, beyond the obvious first few days. 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