This spicy-sweet snack is delicious any time of year.
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Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Spiced candied pecans create the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy with a few simple ingredients—fair warning: they’re addictive.
- This easy snack is a great addition to an appetizer tray or charcuterie board this holiday season. They make wonderful gifts, too.
- A lightly beaten egg white helps the ingredients stick to the pecans and makes the candied nuts extra crunchy!
These spicy candied pecans are a crowd-pleasing recipe for any gathering!
Chipotle powder adds just the right amount of heat, and the smoked salt creates a unique nutty flavor you can’t resist.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Use maple extract in place of vanilla extract to add another layer of festive flavor.
- Use all white sugar in a pinch. However, you’ll lose the hint of caramel flavor from the molasses that you get from the light brown sugar.
- You can substitute regular kosher salt for smoked salt. I love the smoky flavor, though!
- If you don’t have chipotle powder, use chili powder or ground cayenne pepper to give your spicy pecans their Southern kick.
- If you want more of a pumpkin pie spice flavor, add ¼ teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and ground ginger to the spice mixture. Yum!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Whisk the egg white and vanilla extract in a small bowl until frothy.
- Mix the egg white with the pecan halves in a medium bowl until coated.
- Blend the sugars, salt, ground cinnamon, chipotle powder, and cloves in a separate bowl.
- Mix the sugar/spice into the pecan/egg white mixture. Then, spread the coated pecans on a prepared baking sheet in a single layer and bake.
🍴 Equipment
You’ll need a whisk to lightly beat the egg white, plus standard baking equipment like mixing bowls and a large, rimmed sheet.
🎥 Video
🥫 How to store leftovers
Once your candied pecans have fully cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. I like to use a pretty glass jar and wrap it with a nice bow as a gift!
I don’t recommend refrigerating or freezing candied pecans because the nuts will get sticky and tacky.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Make sure all the pecans are thoroughly coated in the egg white mixture before adding the sugars and spices. The dry ingredients won’t stick very well to dry pecans.
- I don’t recommend using liquid sweeteners like maple syrup or corn syrup—they’ll make your candied pecans sticky, messy, and too sweet!
- Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent the coated pecans from sticking to the pan and burning.
- Spread out the coated pecans onto your baking sheet in an even layer and toss them every 10 minutes so they bake evenly.
- Resist the urge to sample your sweet treat until the pecans have cooled down to room temperature. The candy coating will crisp up to crunchy perfection while it cools.
- Make a big batch of this easy recipe to please a crowd at your next holiday party or family get-together. It's easy to double... or triple!
👩🍳 FAQs
I prefer to use a mix of white sugar and light brown sugar in my candied pecans. The molasses in the brown sugar adds a little bit of caramel flavor. You can also use other granulated sugars like coconut sugar or maple sugar if you prefer less refined sugars.
Nope! These candied pecans are meant to be crisp and crunchy—that’s why they’re made with white and brown granulated sugar. Liquid sweeteners like honey, agave, and corn syrup will make your candied pecans sticky and overly sweet.
Use a fresh egg white for the best results. Egg whites in a carton sometimes contain preservatives that might change the texture and make them a little harder to whip.
No, ma'am! Tossing raw pecans in a frothy egg white is crucial to the best candy coating. The egg white helps the sugars stick and makes ‘em extra crunchy—something plain old water just can’t do!
If your pecans are still soft and sticky after cooling, you didn’t bake them long enough. Put the baking sheet back in a 325-degree oven for 5-10 more minutes to help harden the sugar-candy coating.
Spicy candied pecans are a great snack all on their own! You can also toss them in a salad, serve them with cheese and crackers on a charcuterie board, sprinkle them over ice cream, or even mix them into whipped sweet potatoes.
📚 Related recipes
- No holiday meal is complete without Southern Pecan Pie—you’ll never tire of the crunchy pecans and gooey caramel filling in this great recipe!
- Old-Fashioned Bourbon Balls combine the classic flavor of bourbon pecans with Nilla wafers and cocoa to create the perfect sweet snack.
- Melt-in-your-mouth Maple Pecan Sandies Cookies are one of Texas’ most loved recipes. These cookies are fabulous any time of the year.
📞 The last word
These easy candied pecans are a lifesaver when you need a last-minute gift or snack. They are great in salads, too!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Spiced Candied Pecans
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 3 cups pecan halves
- 1 egg white
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.5 cups sugar
- 0.25 cup brown sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon smoked salt, regular kosher salt can be substituted
- 0.5 tablespoon cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon chipotle
- 0.25 teaspoon cloves
Instructions
- Add pecan halves to a medium bowl..
- Whisk the egg white and vanilla extract together in a small mixing bowl until frothy.
- Toss the egg white into the nuts until all coated.
- Set aside.
- Mix both sugars, salt, cinnamon, chipotle, and cloves all together.
- Sprinkle over the pecan and egg white mixture.
- Toss until all is mixed and coated.
- Pour nuts in a single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 325°F for about 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and let cool completely.
- Once cool store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
- Make sure the egg white completely coats the pecans.
- Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent the coated pecans from sticking to the pan and burning.
- Spread out the coated pecans onto your baking sheet in an even layer and toss them every 10 minutes so they bake evenly.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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