How to Make Candied Pecans

Rather than buying crunchy candied pecans, why not make your own using a handful of crisp, fresh pecans and this simple recipe? Making candied pecans is fun and easy.

Add these to pumpkin pie popsicles, a scoop of no churn pumpkin spice latte ice cream or even decadent double chocolate cherry brownies.

Why You’ll Love It

Simple: You only need a few different ingredients to make easy candied pecans, and the recipe itself is very straightforward. Just mix the ingredients together for the candy coating, add the nuts, and let them cool.
Delicious: Nothing offers the wonderful nutty crunch of homemade candied pecans, and these really are hard to stop munching. There’s no way you can stop at just one or two!
Versatile: Use different kinds of nuts, use an extract other than vanilla, add cinnamon sugar, or consider different spices to really make these praline pecans your own.

Candied Pecans Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Pecans: The main ingredient in the recipe. You’ll need pecan halves.
Egg whites: For the candy coating, to help the coating stick to the nuts.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla is always a popular flavor in sweet recipes and it goes so well with the nuts.
Cinnamon: Adds a warm, earthy spice note.
White sugar: For sweetness.

How to Make Candied Nuts

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Make the cinnamon sugar: Mix together the white sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Make the candy mixture: Whisk the egg whites with the vanilla extract and some water.
Add the nuts: Stir the pecan halves into the egg white mixture, the stir in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Cook the candied pecans: Spread the pecan mixture on to a greased prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for about an hour, stirring periodically, then let them cool completely before serving or storing.

Substitutions and Variations

Pecans: Walnuts or almonds would work in place of the pecans, or you could try hazelnuts or even mixed nuts. Peanuts are good candied too.
White sugar: If you prefer the taste of brown sugar to white, you can swap out some or all of the white sugar for brown sugar, or try coconut sugar in its place.

Vanilla extract: Swap the vanilla for coconut extract or orange extract.
Ground cinnamon: You can switch the cinnamon for allspice, ginger or nutmeg. You could even add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the sugar mixture if you want to add a kick of spice!

Serving Suggestions

With savory dishes: Candied nuts are great on salads, perhaps with this smashed potato salad. They are wonderful with festive dishes such as sweet potatoes or roasted Brussels sprouts. You can also just snack on them as they are.
With sweet dishes: Sundaes, desserts, cheesecakes, yogurt, ice cream – add these candied nuts to dial up the flavor and add a contrasting texture. Another idea is to add some to your oatmeal in the morning.
For gifting: Put candied pecans in little tins or cellophane treat bags as holiday gifts.

How to Store Candy Coated Pecans

Store: Keep these in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Freeze: These will freeze in an airtight container or freezer safe Ziploc bag for up to 2 months.
Thaw: Thaw them overnight on the counter.