These easy spiced pecans are sweet and delicious, the perfect little gift for friends and extended family. Put them in jars with a decorative top and ribbon for an attractive presentation. They also make an excellent snack for a family movie night or weekend treat. The nuts are roasted and then finished with a sugar and spice candy coating. Use coarsely chopped pecans or halves in this recipe. It only takes a few minutes to make these, so get ready for a quick treat!
The pecans can also be added to baked goods. Just give them a quick chop and sprinkle them over muffins, quick breads, or cakes for extra flavor and texture. Or top a sweet potato casserole or baked sweet potatoes with the spiced pecans.
Variations for Spiced Pecans
- Skip the cinnamon and add a few drops of vanilla to the pecans when you add the sugar mixture.
- Replace the cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice.
- Use walnuts or whole almonds instead of pecans.
- For a nuttier flavor, toast the nuts.
Spiced Pecans
Serve these tasty candied spiced pecans at any party, or have them on hand for a weekend game day gathering.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Candy
Ingredients
- 3 cups pecan halves
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 300 F. Toss the pecans with the oil and spread them out on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the pan to a rack and let the pecans cool.
- Place a large sheet of wax paper on the countertop. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and water in a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook to 236 F or soft-ball stage. Remove the mixture from the heat, add the vanilla, and then add the pecans. Stir briskly until the mixture is creamy looking.
- Turn the pecans out onto the wax paper and separate them with forks. They will be sticky at first but will dry to a lovely candy coating.
