Candied Pecans
Sweet, a little spicy, and wonderfully crunchy, these homemade candied pecans have a lightly glossy sugar coating and are perfect for snacking, salads, and holiday gifting.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ cup less 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 ½ cups pecan halves plus more
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Pour the water into a heavy, small saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the sugar, salt, and cayenne into the pot and bring to a gentle bubble, swirling the pan every now and then until sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is bubbling, lower the heat to medium-low to low and continue to cook for 2 minutes then turn off the heat, fold in pecans and stir to fully coat. Note: You want a very soft bubbling but if there is no bubbling, raise the heat a little. Teri Tip: If there’s too much of the sugar liquid, you can toss another handful of pecans. You want them to be just coated.
- Pour the pecans on the prepared baking sheet and gently spread them in an even layer. Transfer to the oven and bake until pecans are just beginning to brown and the extra sugar is bubbling, about 9 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Remove the nuts from the baking sheet by lifting the parchment paper and flip them onto a cooling rack with another parchment paper underneath to catch any excess. Some of the pecans are going to be sticking so loosen them in the tray beforehand. Separate the pecans with a fork or your fingers and let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.