Cinnamon Sugar Pecans Recipe (2024)

This homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pecans Recipe is easy to make with only 6 ingredients & is so much more delicious than the nuts from the mall or fair! Make a batch of candied pecans and use them a salad topper, enjoy as a sweet snack, or give away as holiday gifts.

You know when you’re walking through the mall and you smell something amazing? You look around and realize that the heavenly aroma is coming from a glazed nut stand. So, you casually walk by because youknow there will be a free sample…

Well, these Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pecans are better than those nuts you find at the mall or fair! They are so easy to make and have very few ingredients! The only wet ingredients for anentire batch is 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of vanilla! No butter! No oil! But definitely no sacrificing on taste.

This recipe has been a staple in my life for almost 20 years now.I always have these on hand. They’re freezer friendly, so you can make a batch, eat some warm from the oven, and freeze the rest to toss on salads or enjoy as a sweet snack.

They also make great gifts for friends and neighbors for the holidays (along with Christmas Cookies). Wrap them in a cute cellophane bag or mason jar and give your loved ones an extra special treat.

Cinnamon Sugar Pecans: Ingredients & Substitutions

• Pecans.Use raw, unsalted pecans halves in this candied pecan recipe. I don’t recommend any substitutions. Check out my candied almonds or candied walnuts if you’d prefer to use different nuts.
• Granulated Sugar. organic cane sugar is a good substitute. Readers have had success making a refined-sugar free version using coconut sugar.
• Egg White.Use a large egg white to make these candied pecans. Remember, the size of your egg will effect the amount of pecans used.
• Sea Salt.I only bake with pure, fine sea salt. If you only have iodized table salt, you will need to cut the amount of salt in half.
• Ground Cinnamon.Use a high-quality ground cinnamon for the absolute best flavor!
• Vanilla extract.Please only use pure vanilla extract, no imitation!

How to make Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pecans

Like I’ve said before, these candied pecans are easy to make, but we will walk through the recipe step by step to ensure you success – and don’t forget to watch the video.

Combine the dry ingredients

Begin by mixing together the sugar, sea salt and cinnamon in a small bowl, then set it aside. It’s important to thoroughly mix the dry ingredients so they are evenly distributed on the candied pecans.

Whisk Wet Ingredients

Use either a wire whisk or a hand mixer and beat the egg white and vanilla together until frothy. (You will notice in the video that the mixture is a little whiter, that is just because the egg white was beaten longer). You just need the wet mixture to be frothy, you do not want to beat the egg whites until they are stiff.

Add Pecans

Next, add the pecans to the wet mixture and stir until thoroughly combined and coated.

Add dry ingredients

Next, stir in the dry ingredients until the pecans are evenly coated.

Bake

The baking time, temperature and method isextremely important in this cinnamon sugar pecans recipe.

• Do not use parchment paper/foil!Do bake these Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pecans directly on the pan. When you stir the pecans, you need to reincorporate the cinnamon sugar “syruP” from the pan onto the nuts, and parchment paper/foil soaks up the liquid, which results in less coated nuts and a big old mess. You can use a silicone baking mat but it’s not necessary.
• Do not adjust baking time.Bake at 250 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Even if theyseem done after 45 minutes, the extra 15 minutes gives these Cinnamon Sugar Pecansthe perfect crispiness that’s retained even after freezing.

Serve

You won’t be able to resist eating these candied pecans warm fresh from the oven. They are to die for and not only taste delicious, but they make your house smell like cinnamon-sugar heaven.Here are some serving suggestions:

• Serve with this balsamic vinaigrette on a salad for a delicious combo.
• Sprinkle some on these roasted beets! SO GOOD!
• Add a few to this kale salad, brussels sprouts salad, burrata salad or this roasted vegetable quinoa salad!
• Sprinkle some on top of these overnight oats with yogurt!

How to Store Cinnamon Sugar Pecans

This candied pecans recipe makes a large batch. I always make the full recipe and enjoy some, then store or freeze the rest for later. I like to have them on hand to pull out and use on salads.

Store them at room temperature in an airtight container (glass jar) for up to 2 weeks.

How to Freeze Candied Pecans

1. Let the pecans cool completely.
2. Transfer candied pecans to a freezer-friendly, airtight container.
3. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
4. Thaw at room temperature and enjoy. They thaw very quickly, and even taste great frozen.

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