Candied Pecans

These are the candied pecans my family makes every year!

As you guys know, I’m not much of a baker… and I usually leave the Christmas cookies to my Mama instead of filling our own kitchen with them. That being said, every year, I look forward to making my own batch of these candied pecans. My family has been making them since before I can remember, and they smell and taste like Christmas to me. So nostalgic and so delicious!

The recipe is pretty straight forward, so even if you struggle with baking like me, you shouldn’t have any issues. My only big warning though is to NOT use a butter substitute. My Mom and I both tried to make it with Earth Balance, since we usually have that in our fridge, and both of our batches didn’t get as crunchy and crisp as usual. Moral of the story? Don’t try to make this healthier in any way ? It’s the holidays! Just use all the butter and sugar and enjoy it!

How To Make Candied Pecans

Instructions

2 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ cup sugar 
½ cup unsalted butter, melted (Do not use a plant-based substitute! It needs to be butter!)
1 pound pecan halves

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2) Pour melted butter on a baking sheet and set aside. You can line your baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil if you’d like, too.

3) Separate egg whites into a mixing bowl. Add salt and whisk until they are foamy.

4) Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Gradually add that to your whipped egg whites until it is all mixed in. Try not to overbeat it though! The mixture should be a little runny.

5) Gently fold the pecans in until they are coated.

6) Spread the pecans on the baking sheet in a single layer.

7) Bake until the butter is absorbed, flipping the pecans every 10 minutes for about 30-40 minutes.

8) Remove them from the oven and loosen the pecans so they don’t stick to the pan.

9) Leave them on the pan to cool for at least 2 hours. This helps them get crunchy!

10) Store in an airtight container once cool.

Candied Pecans

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 
1/4 tsp salt
• 
1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 
¾ cup sugar 
• 
½ cup unsalted butter, melted (Do not use a plant-based substitute! It needs to be butter!)
• 
1 pound pecan halves

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2) Pour melted butter on a baking sheet and set aside. You can line your baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil if you'd like, too.

3) Separate egg whites into a mixing bowl. Add salt and whisk until they are foamy.

4) Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Gradually add that to your whipped egg whites until it is all mixed in. Try not to overbeat it though! The mixture should be a little runny.

5) Gently fold the pecans in until they are coated.

6) Spread the pecans on the baking sheet in a single layer.

7) Bake until the butter is absorbed, flipping the pecans every 10 minutes for about 30-40 minutes.

8) Remove them from the oven and loosen the pecans so they don't stick to the pan.

9) Leave them on the pan to cool for at least 2 hours. This helps them get crunchy!

10) Store in an airtight container once cool.

Notes

Do NOT use a plant-based butter for this recipe. I tried to use Earth Balance, and they did not get as crisp as they do when you use regular butter.

PS. You might also like A Homemade Magic Shell Recipe and The Best Holiday Movies To Stream! Follow me on Instagram for more updates!