These Glazed Holiday Pecans With Cinnamon and Brown Sugar are the easiest snack you will serve your guests and perfect for the holidays! They are coated in brown sugar and cooled until glazed over and crunchy! You won't be able to stop eating these!
How To Make Homemade Candied Pecans
These candied pecans are a great snack around the holidays! They take your average bland pecan and raise the flavor level up 10 notches! I remind myself that they are 'healthier' sweet snack because of the omega 3's that nuts have. Plus, you can control your portion size....well...we can TRY to control our portions. I like to make these holiday nuts a few times a year!
Making pecans coated in a candied glaze at home doesn't need to be difficult. And even if you don't get it perfectly right, they still come out delicious. This recipe has NO eggs so they are indeed VEGAN. You will still get beautiful, shiny pecans without egg whites.
The goal is to heat your sugar so they reach that 'hard crack' stage. This temperature is 300 degree F. This way, your nuts will be nice and crunchy! If you don't reach that stage, your nuts will just be chewier. Which is still yummy.
The best way to ensure your sugar reaches this stage is to buy a candy thermometer. It will allow you to see exactly when your sugar reaches this stage so you can act quickly when it does.
If you do NOT have a candy thermometer, it's okay! Just heat your brown sugar, vanilla and spices in a small saucepan for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
Then add your pecans and quickly stir to coat each in the sugar mixture and lay the pecans flat onto parchment paper or a silicone (nonstick) mat.
Then bake at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes. Then they're ready!
Why Are My Pecans Sticky?
Sugar needs to reach that hard crack stage so it can harden. If your pecans are still sticky, you did not heat your sugar high enough.
How To Fix Sticky Pecans
Just lay your pecans onto a non-stick mat or parchment paper and bake at 350 F for about 8 minutes. If you start to smell the sugar burning, remove immediately from the oven. Let your pecans cool completely before testing them again.
Storing Your Pecans
These holiday nuts are super easy to store! When pecans are completely cooled, add them to a sealed container or plastic Ziploc bag and simply leave them on your counter or in your pantry. Room temperature is recommended. They will last 1-2 weeks but are best the day or two after.
Refrigerating
They do NOT need to be refrigerated. But you CAN freeze them to extend their shelf-life for up to 6 weeks.
Other Nut Options
Candied pecans are just ONE of the many nuts you can candy. If you don't love pecans or want to use another nut, here are some other options:
- Peanuts
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Macadamias
- Hazelnuts
Or you can try mixing multiple types of nuts together!
Other spices you can add:
- Pumpkin
- Apple Pie
- Nutmeg
- All Spice
- Cayenne
- Chili
- Paprika
The possibilities are endless so go NUTS!
Other Ways To Use Your Pecans!
Here are some other ideas on what you can do with your spiced candy nuts:
The most common meal to add pecans to is in a salad. Or you can simply and them to the top of your sweet potato casserole or your pumpkin pie! My absolute favorite thing to add pecans to is ice cream! If you like making your own yogurt creations in the morning, add some pecans on top!
Holiday Gifting Ideas
Around the holidays, these nuts are so perfect for gifting!
Just purchase some cut mini mason jars like the ones below and fill them up! Then tie them with some ribbon or add some bells and you've got yourself some beautiful, edible gifts to give co-workers, friends or family. Everyone will love the extra effort you put in!
Looking for more fun finger foods for your holiday party? Check out my list of 17 Holiday Finger Foods!
Other holiday recipes you may like:
Christmas Biscuit Sausage Stuffing Cups
Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Covered Chex Mix
Easy Homemade Buttery Caramel Corn (without Corn Syrup)
Thick Moist Mocha Pudding Cookies
Cannoli Phyllo Cups with Gingerbread Cream
Glazed Holiday Pecans With Cinnamon and Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 2 ½ Cups Whole Raw Pecans
- ½ Cups Brown Sugar
- 2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tsp. Cinnamon
- ½ Tsp. Ground Cloves
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 3 Tbsp. Water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and have a non-stick baking sheet ready! You could also use a nonstick liner or parchment paper. (Wax paper will not work!)
- Add all ingredients except pecans to a small saucepan.
- Turn heat to medium-high and bring sugar mixture to a boil while consistently stirring with a wooden spoon. If using a candy thermometer, the temperature you want is just around 280°F.
- After 5 minutes, turn off heat and add pecans stirring gentle trying not to break the pecans. Add pecans to your baking sheet and spread them out. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
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