Candied Pecans Recipe

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This easy candied pecans recipe features the perfect blend of sweet, cinnamon, and a hint of salt to make a great holiday snack or gift.

Close-up of candied pecans.

Candied pecans go by many names, like sugar and spice pecans, sugared pecans, sugar-coated pecans, and cinnamon sugar candied pecans. But no matter what you call them, this is the best candied pecans recipe. I look forward to making it every year because it is just the right blend of crunchy, sweet, cinnamon, with a hint of salt to set it all off to perfection.

Thankfully, this recipe is easy and uses five simple ingredients: pecans (of course), cinnamon, sugar, an egg, and salt. All you need to do is mix the ingredients together and then bake the candied pecans in the oven. In no time you’ll have one of my favorite holiday snacks and gifts. I love placing a handful in a festive bag or box to gift to friends, family, and teachers.

The only problem with making a candied pecans recipe is the price of pecans. If pecans are a little out of your budget, feel free to make this candied nuts recipe with other nuts as well. Candied walnuts are also delicious, and peanuts, cashews, and even almonds would be delicious when prepared this way.

Labeled ingredients for candied pecans recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Sugar
  • Egg
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Pecan halves (or you can substitute for any other nut or combination, like almonds, cashews, walnuts, or peanuts)

How to Make My Candied Pecans Recipe

Combine sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt in a small mixing bowl.

Combine sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt in a small mixing bowl.

Mix ingredients together.

Stir that up really well.

Place egg white and water in separate mixing bowl.

In a mixing bowl, place your egg white and 1 tablespoon of water.

Save the yolk for something else if you like, but you won’t need it for this recipe.

Beat until frothy.

Beat that egg white with an electric mixer until it is frothy.

Add pecans to egg white bowl.

Throw your pecan halves (or nut of your choice) into the mixing bowl with the frothy egg white. 

Stir pecans until well coated.

Stir them up until they’re coated pretty well.

Spray rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Spray a rimmed and large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Slowly add pecans to cinnamon mixture to coat and then place them on the baking sheet.

Taking a few raw pecans at a time, toss them into your cinnamon sugar mixture and flip them around a bit with your hand to coat and place the coated pecans on the prepared baking sheet.

Repeat until all pecans are coated.

Candied pecans on baking sheet.

Place this in a 325-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

TIP: Don’t cook your candied pecans any longer than this and keep an eye on them in case your oven cooks hot and they get done faster.

They will lightly brown, but you don’t want them to get dark brown.

Candied pecans on baking sheet.

Remove from oven, stir again, and allow to cool.

Candied pecans in a bowl.

For this candied pecans recipe, you can store the bite-sized treats in gift bags, a decorated mason jar, airtight containers, or just keep them for you and your family.

A jar overflowing with candied pecans.

These make wonderful holiday gifts come December, but I never get around to gifting them because we eat every last one! lol

 See more Christmas Candy and Gift ideas by clicking here.

Storage

One of my favorite things about this homemade candied pecans recipe is that they last a long time! When stored in an airtight container, they’ll last up to one week at room temperature or three weeks when stored in the fridge. You can also store your completely cooled pecans in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.

Recipe Notes

  • You can substitute white sugar for dark or light brown sugar or even coconut sugar if you like.
  • To add more flavor to your spiced candied pecans, add a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat or smoked paprika for a sweet/savory combination. Other spices you might want to add include a pinch of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, or 1/4 teaspoon of allspice.
  • You can also add a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract to this recipe or 1 teaspoon of orange zest. There are so many ways to make this candied nut recipe your own!

Two bowls of candied pecans.

Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between candied pecans, glazed pecans, and pecan pralines?

Okay, here’s a candied nuts breakdown! Candied pecan recipes typically include egg white and white sugar, while glazed pecan recipes include brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Meanwhile, pecan pralines are basically caramelized pecans coated in a buttery brown sugar sauce.

How do you serve candied pecans?

While I’m all for using this easy candied pecans recipe for holiday snacks and gifts, there are many ways to serve homemade candied pecans, including:

Can I double this candied pecans recipe?

Absolutely! Don’t be afraid to double or triple the recipe and use two baking sheets in the oven. If you do this, you might want to include mixed nuts to make a delicious candied nuts treat.

Here are more great homemade holiday gifts:

Southern Plate’s Must Make Christmas Cookies

Recipe for Caramel Corn

Recipe For Spritz Cookies

Homemade Christmas Candies

Holiday Popcorn Crunch

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Candied pecans spilling out of a mason jar.

Candied Pecans

This candied pecans recipe features the perfect blend of sweet, cinnamon, and a hint of salt to make a great holiday snack or gift.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pecan
Servings: 4
Calories: 443kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pound pecan halves about 2 cups *can use other nuts

Instructions

  • Lightly grease a large baking sheet (rimmed is best, but use whatever you have).
  • Place the egg white and water in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until frothy.
    1 egg white, 1 tablespoon water
  • In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.
    1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pour pecan halves into the frothed egg white mixture and stir to coat well. Then take a handful of raw pecans at a time and gently toss them in the cinnamon sugar mixture with your hands.
    1 pound pecan halves
  • Place the coated pecans onto the prepared baking sheet and bake at 300 for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

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431 Comments

  1. Oooooo… I can’t wait to try this recipe!
    We have our own pecans as well, and our dogs, cats, and chickens make sure we don’t lose our crop to those fluffy-tailed, nut-stealing varmints!
    Have not seen one of those near our home in 14 years 🙂

    My husband is gonna LOVE THESE!!!
    Nothing beats the flavor of a home grown pecan =D
    Thanks, Christy!

  2. Christy, I just noticed your remark about the price of pecans. Last year one of our local food stores had pecans on sale AFTER Christmas for $7 a pound bag. I bought 5 bags,triple wrapped and taped them and then put them in the freezer. I took them out yesterday and they are as fresh as the day I bought them. Yippee for me!

  3. I am grateful for a new job to start Monday after months and months of unemployment. I am grateful for the internet, how did we ever get by without it? I am most grateful for my family, my god, and my health.

    1. Beth, congratulations on your new job! So excited for you and know it will be a great experience for you and your employer!

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