This past Christmas, I made these spiced candied pecans to give out as neighbor gifts. I had so many people come back and ask me how I made them that I figured they definitely need a permanent spot on the blog. They have also quickly become a staple, and even my kids who wouldn't typically eat pecans can't get enough of these.
If you are nervous about the cayenne, the little bit of spice absolutely makes these nuts delicious. After making this recipe many times I have found that a nice heaping ¼ teaspoon of cayenne is the perfect level of spice to have a subtle, balanced spice in the background. Since preferred spice level is subjective, I recommend mixing all the dry ingredients together (starting with less cayenne), then trying a small amount of the sugar mixture to see if it is a good spice level, keeping in mind that it will be less concentrated when coating the pecans.
Spiced Candied Pecans
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 24
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2½ teaspoons sea salt
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
- 2 egg whites
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 24 ounces (around 7 cups) pecan halves
Instructions
- Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together sugars, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne.
- In a large mixing bowl, add egg whites and vanilla. Whisk until mixture is lightened and frothy, about 1-2 minutes by hand. Pour in pecans, stirring until pecans are well coated. Dump sugar and spice mixture from above over the top, then stir to evenly coat pecans.
- Pour coated pecans out onto prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, stirring 3 times during the cooking process. Nuts will be fragrant and coating will appear mostly dry when cooked. Remove from oven and let cool and dry completely. Nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
Adapted from Gimme Oven (https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/candied-pecans-recipe/)
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