This Candied Pecans recipe is the best I've tasted! They make a tasty snack, or salad topper and are excellent homemade gifts as well!
Check out these other great recipes featuring pecans: Pumpkin Crunch Cake, Caramel Pretzel Turtles and Pecan Tassies.
Jump to:

Candied Pecans
There are certain textures that I tend to gravitate towards. For me it's love crunch. Potato chips. Dill pickles. French fries. Crispy foods that have a winning crunch are right in my wheelhouse.
So as you can imagine, Candied Pecans are also right in my wheelhouse. I mean what's not to love about a crispy, sugary shell around a delicious pecan?
One thing I love about these is how easy they are to make. Prep time took a whopping five minutes of my time and then I let the oven work it's magic. It really was that easy! I couldn't be more excited to add this sugared pecans recipe to my go-to list. I have a big zipper bag of them hanging out in my pantry right now (though I can't tell you how long they'll last because I keep eating them!!).
Tips for how to make candied pecans
- Be sure to line your pan with parchment or a silicone pan liner to prevent sticking. If you’re still worried, you can also give the liner a light coat of cooking spray (although it shouldn’t need it).
- Make sure you whisk the egg white until it’s nice and foamy. If you’re not in the mood for arm day, you can always use a mixer with the whisk attachment, just make sure you don’t accidentally make meringue.
- I like to mix all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and after fully coating the pecans I sprinkle it on to them and toss it well. This way each pecan will have all the flavors on it.
- Make sure you turn them once halfway through the cooking process.
Helpful ingredient information:
- Pecans: For this I use shelled pecan halves that I find in the baking section at my grocery store.
- Egg Whites: The egg whites work as a binder to help the dry ingredients stick the the nuts. It also hardens as it dries and keeps the nuts crunchy.
- Sweeteners: I like a combo of granulated and light brown sugar for this.
- Spices: My spices of choice for this are kosher salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
Frequently asked questions:
- How long do candied pecans last? These will last about a month at room temperature and even longer in the refrigerator.
- How do I store these? Keep them in an airtight container.
- Can I freeze candied pecans? Yes! For up to two months, although the pecans themselves may lose some of their flavor.
- Are candied pecans healthy? The pecans themselves are quite healthy, but the processed sugar is not. So you have a little bit of both sides in there.
- What can I do with candied pecans? This Candied Pecans recipe has so many delicious options for enjoying them. First of all, they're excellent when you're in the mood for a sweet snack! They would be a festive holiday salad topper as well. And while I'm on the topic of holidays, wouldn't these be an easy homemade gift? I know I'd be thrilled to receive these sweet confections! These glazed pecans would also be a great addition to add a bit of crunch to baked goods like pies (spoiler alert: I use them as a pretty and delicious topper for my Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes!).
Helpful tools:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups pecan halves, shelled
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (you can also give it a quick spray of cooking spray, though you shouldn't have to).
- Put the egg white into a mixing bowl and whisk until foamy.
- Add the vanilla extract to the egg whites and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In small bowl mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until really well combined.
- Add the pecans to the egg white mixture. Toss until evenly coated.
- Pour the sugar mixture over the pecans and toss them again until they're evenly coated in the sugar mixture.
- Spread the pecans onto your sheet pan in a single layer.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning once half way through.
- Cool and serve or store in an airtight container.
Video
This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to our winners Jeanne and Lola!
If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it 🙂 I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions!
Looking for some other holiday treats?
You can find a full index of my recipes here.
Don’t forget to follow The Life Jolie on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration!
Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post!
Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group!
Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups pecan halves, shelled
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (you can also give it a quick spray of cooking spray, though you shouldn't have to).
- Put the egg white into a mixing bowl and whisk until foamy.
- Add the vanilla extract to the egg whites and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In small bowl mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until really well combined.
- Add the pecans to the egg white mixture. Toss until evenly coated.
- Pour the sugar mixture over the pecans and toss them again until they're evenly coated in the sugar mixture.
- Spread the pecans onto your sheet pan in a single layer.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning once half way through.
- Cool and serve or store in an airtight container.
Karly says
Jessy says
B says
Jessy says
Melissa says
Jessy says
Megan says
Jessy says
Richa Gupta says
Jessy says
Debbie O says
Jessy says