Cinnamon Sugar Pecans (Candied Pecans)

4.98 from 88 votes

Cinnamon Sugar Pecans (Candied Pecans)

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! Plus, these candied pecans are gluten & dairy-free & freezer-friendly! Make a batch, store them in the freezer and use as a salad topper or enjoy as a sweet snack!

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Total Time1 5

Course: condiment, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegetarian

Servings: Servings

Author: Laura Sandford

Cost: $10

Equipment

Ingredients

1 egg white
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
16 ounces pecan halves (4 ½ cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250℉ (121℃). 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

*This recipe makes 4 cups of candied pecans.

Please follow baking time exactly. Even if they seem done at 45 minutes do not skip the last 15 minutes of baking.

Ingredient Substitutions

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!

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.

Let them cool completely. Then, store them at room temperature in an airtight container (glass jar) for up to 2 weeks.

How to Freeze Candied Pecans

If you'd like to freeze these cinnamon sugar pecans, let them cool completely. Then transfer them to a freezer-friendly, airtight container. Sin the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to enjoy them, thaw at room temperature. They thaw very quickly, and even taste great frozen.

Nutrition