Cinnamon Sugar Pecans (Candied Pecans)
Posted Dec 17, 2017, Updated Jun 22, 2024
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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 you know 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 an entire 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 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.
Note on the Amount of Pecans
Start by adding a little less than 4 cups of pecans to the wet mixture, and slowly add the rest to be sure there are no dry pecans and no wet mixture stuck to the sides of the bowl. The amount of nuts can vary slightly depending on the size of your egg white.
Add Dry Ingredients
Next, stir in the dry ingredients until the pecans are evenly coated.
Bake
The baking time, temperature and method is extremely 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 they seem done after 45 minutes, the extra 15 minutes gives these Cinnamon Sugar Pecans the 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
- Let the pecans cool completely.
- Transfer candied pecans to a freezer-friendly, airtight container.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw at room temperature and enjoy. They thaw very quickly, and even taste great frozen.
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Cinnamon Sugar Pecans (Candied Pecans)
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 4-5 cups pecan halves
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet. (Do not use parchment paper or foil. Bake directly on the greased pan).
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whip egg white and vanilla with a until frothy (about 1 minute). Either whisk by hand or use a handheld mixer.
- Add pecans to wet mixture 1 cup at a time, stirring to coat the nuts evenly. Depending on the size of your egg white you may use slightly more or less than 4 cups pecans. Just make sure all nuts are well coated before adding more.
- Once pecans are completely coated, sprinkle the dry ingredients over the pecans and stir until evenly distributed. Make sure to scrape any extra cinnamon sugar mixture off the sides and bottom of the bowl and incorporate it into the pecan.
- Spread the pecans evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 250 degrees F for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes (you will stir 3 times before removing from the oven).
- Let cool or enjoy them warm.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.
Video
Notes
- Pecans. Use raw, unsalted pecans halves in this candied pecan recipe. I don’t recommend any substitutions. Check out my candied almonds if you’d prefer almonds.
- Granulated Sugar. Regular granulated sugar and organic cane sugar are the two varieties I have used to make these cinnamon sugar pecans. 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 ever 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!
- Let the cinnamon sugar pecans cool completely.
- Transfer candied pecans to a freezer-friendly, airtight container.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw at room temperature and enjoy. They thaw very quickly, and even taste great frozen.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wondering if these can be cooked in a nut pralinator??
Oh, I want to make these tomorrow! I am just curious as I’ve been looking at a lot of candied pecan recipes… how long will the pecans stay fresh tasting with the egg white getting crispy. The recipe I made today says only 4 days and that seems awfully short, will they just start to soften and lose some of their crunch?
I put mine in the freezer and they are perfect right out of the freezer to pop in your mouth or put on a salad. They are cool but not frozen. Crunchy, fresh tasting and delicious!!
Kristy; when I made these amazing sweet pecans, it was my understanding that you beat the egg white/vanilla mixture with a whisk for only about a minute until the mixture is frothy. My pecans came out so good, they’re disappearing at a rapid rate! I don’t think you’re wanting to whisk the egg white mixture until it reaches the meringue stage…although that might work…I dunno. Hope that helps. 😀
Made exactly as the recipe called and they are amazing! Reminds me when I was a kid and had these at Disney World! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Thank you so much Des!
I have been making these for years. I am always unsure how much sugar to add. So thanks for sharing your recipe. I however, mix everything in a plastic ziplock bag and let the kids shake it up. They love it and it means less mess for me. 🤗
These turned out amazingly delicious!!! Because of Covid all the Christmas Shows have been cancelled and it was always an annual tradition to go shopping and munch on these. I was a little bummed and craving these so bad. When I came across your recipe and saw how easy you made it sound to make them I thought I could give it a shot. Thank you for your easy to follow instructions! 😁😋
I made these last evening as a cake topper.
I used both walnuts and pecan pieces.
Delicious! We ate what didn’t go on the cake.
I only made about two cups. The recipe worked well. The last 15 minutes makes the difference. It’s like magic. From a little wet to wonderful crispy deliciousness.
Thank you.
I will be making them for every event and as gifts.
I tried this and threw in walnuts and almonds to mix things up. It’s an awesome snack. I used swerve sweeteners to make mines keto friendly. 😈
Should I wash the shelled pecans before I use them? Do I need to soak them?
Absolutely on point the only sub I did was monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar. They turned out incredible. Thank you for the great recipe!
Has anyone toasted the pecan halves prior to coating? Wondering if it is necessary.
Hey Chris. No, they toast as they cook for the hour after coating, so please do not toast the raw nuts first.
A friend made these for me and I fell in love!!! I have since made these numerous times and have shared recipe with others. Thank you for sharing!!😊❤
I put off making these because my brain said it would be complicated. My brain is an idiot! The easiest, yummiest addition to my party! Will be making these a LOT!