The BEST Candied Pecans
The BEST Candied Pecans: perfectly sweet, a little savory, slightly spicy, and totally addictive!
I hesitated whether or not to post these. There are sooooooo many recipes for candied nuts out there, does the internet really need another? Ultimately I decided it does. That YOU need another candied pecan recipe. THIS candied pecan recipe. Because why not?!
Have you ever had the candied pecans from Trader Joes? Long before we had a Trader Joes in our area, I used to buy the bags by the dozen. I’d stash them in my pantry and use them in salads, to top ice cream or cobblers, or my personal favorite, on a cheese board. I use candied pecans a ton when I’m catering hence buying a dozen bags at a time! The Trader Joes ones are legit. And because it’s so much easier to buy them than to make them I never took the time to find or create a solid recipe and make them on my own.
BUT! I did start making candied nuts on my own. A few years I ago I made a mental shift to stop buying food products that I could easily make in my kitchen. I don’t want to sound pretentious or like a food snob- I’m so not above taking a short cut in the kitchen- it was more about challenging myself and getting out of my comfort zone in the kitchen. I was cutting out packaged foods and cooking more from scratch.
And funny enough, we finally got a Trader Joes last year and I haven’t bought a bag of the candied pecans in forever! I buy a ton of other great things from Trader Joe’s, not just the candied pecans!
Enough about Trader Joes! Let’s talk about my nuts….er….pecans. These are perfect. Sweet but not too sweet. Just a hint of spice. And the savory is spot on. I kind of in love with these. The obvious way to use them is in a salad or on a bowl of ice cream but my favorite way to enjoy them is on a cheese board. They’re perfect with a hunk of sharp cheddar, a stuffed olive, and a cold glass of white wine. Like total perfection.
ps- try the pecans on top of a bowl of oatmeal with some fresh fruit. omg…..
PrintThe BEST Candied Pecans
Prep Time: 5- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Prep Time:
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Pin RecipeDescription
My favorite recipe for candied pecans. Perfectly spiced and not overly sweet, these pecans are addicting!!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons egg whites
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups whole pecans (10 oz)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the egg white in a medium bowl and whisk vigorously until light and frothy. Whisk in brown sugar, vanilla, and all the spices. Add the pecans and mix well, until throughly coated.
- Pour the nuts, and any excess egg white and spice mixture, onto the lined baking sheet and spread into a single layer.
- Bake for 30 minutes, tossing the pecans a few times, taking care to spread them in a single layer each time.
- When they’re done, remove from oven and let cool completely before serving. They will crisp up as they cool.
photos by Kellie Hatcher/ recipe by Mountain Mama Cooks
10 Comments
These are awesome. Love the delicate balance of sweet and savoury. The vanilla and cayenne is a subtle combo, nice! This is on the menu for my movie night tonight! x
Thank you! I agree- the vanilla and cayenne really add to the nuts. Have a great movie night!
Was searching throughout the internet for a recipe for candied peacans. What caught my attention was the use of cayenne pepper, and thought this is different. And I must say different is good. Ended up making this for my works Thanksgiving luncheon. And it was a hit by everyone, all loved the texture and taste, of these candied pecans. Thank you for uploading things recipe, I appreciate that very much.
Making this now. The aroma coming from my oven smells amazing. I love that it has all the spices and the Cayenne. Can’t wait to try it
Looking forward to making this. Reading through the instructions, I don’t see where you add the vanilla–perhaps to the egg whites? And this part doesn’t make sense “Pour the mixture, including and of the egg white mixture, onto the lined baking sheet and spread into a single layer”–at this point isn’t everything (nuts, egg whites and spices) already combined to be poured unto the bakig sheet? Perhaps it’s a typo I’m reading.
Thanks for sharing this!
I reworded the recipe so hopefully it makes more sense!
The Trader Joe’s recipe is different from this-just wondering why Trader Joe’s is referenced here
I’m not really sure what you mean?
Hi. Could u tell me how long these keep fresh?
In an airtight container, at room temperature, these should keep about a week.