These easy candied nuts pecans are the perfect blend of sweet and salty with just the right crunch. Learn how to make candied pecans for the holidays or anytime!
Add the sugar mixture to the pecans and again, use a spatula to toss and thoroughly coat the nuts with sugar.
Place the nuts on a large baking sheet in a mostly single layer (it’s okay if some are overlapping, but you don’t want huge mounds of nuts).
Bake at 250F for 1 hour, turning and stirring the nuts every 15 minutes (use a timer so you don’t forget).
Remove the nuts and set the pan on a cooling rack to cool. When the nuts have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container with a lid. Nuts are good for at least a week on the counter.
Notes
The egg whites are needed – there’s no way around that. They’re a binding agent and without them, you won’t get candied pecans. You’ll get toasted pecans sitting on a pile of toasted sugar. They also help the candied pecans turn out crispy.
Sweet and salty candied pecans. I’ve kept the salt to a minimum in my recipe. Some versions call for up to 5 times the amount of salt that I use, and that’s certainly something to experiment with if you specifically want sweet AND salty candied pecans. I wanted classic candied pecans, so I kept the salt low.
Try other nuts. Traditionally speaking, a candied pecans recipe uses only pecans (obviously), but you can really use any nut you want. Almonds are the most affordable, but walnuts, cashews, or macadamia nuts would be good too. Or save all the remnants of nuts you serve over the holidays and make one big batch of mixed candied nuts!