Maple Pecans
Made with only pure maple syrup, pecans, and salt, these Maple Pecans are a quick and easy ingredient to add to salads or cheese boards.
This recipe is a sequel to my 5-minute stovetop Candied Pecans recipe, made with maple syrup as the sweetener instead of brown sugar.
I grew up only knowing real maple syrup for breakfast treats like buttermilk pancakes or waffles, and came to appreciate the amazing flavor that maple has.
There’s so much nuance and aroma to it that makes it different from “just sweet.”
My original candied pecans recipe calls for adding cinnamon and other flavorings, but here we let the maple flavor shine. What you end up with is something as wonderfully snackable as a bowl of Stovetop Popcorn.
Even though maple syrup is sticky and liquid, if you cook it for a few minutes in the pan, it actually crystallizes in a way that gives it a similar texture and crunch to the classic candied pecan. But with a more interesting flavor!
How to Make Them:
To get started, toast pecans in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes, until the pecans start to smell fragrant:
This gives the pecans that wonderful toasted flavor, but also gets our pan hot for adding the maple syrup.
Add maple syrup to the pan, and it should bubble up quite a bit from the heat:
Quickly stir everything around so all the nuts get coated:
Add a very small pinch of salt:
You can also sprinkle on some spices, like cardamom, cinnamon, cayenne, etc.
Continue stirring and cooking the pecans for another 2-3 minutes, until the maple starts to crystallize:
You can certainly pull them off the stove earlier while they still have that glazed look, but I like to ensure that they’re not sticky.
Spread the pecans out on parchment paper or a plate, and let cool:
These are wonderful added to this Brussel Sprout Salad. Enjoy!
Maple Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/16 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a dry nonstick skillet, add the pecans and turn the heat to medium.
- Toast the pecans for about 5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. You should start to smell the fragrance of the pecans as you toast them.
- Add the maple syrup to the pecans, then quickly stir to coat the pecans evenly.
- Add the salt, and keep stirring and cooking for about 2-3 minutes. At first the pecans will look glazed and sticky, but then the maple will start to crystallize and have that classic candied crunchy texture.
- Let the pecans cool completely, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
11 Comments on “Maple Pecans”
So good! I made both brown sugar and maple
Very tasty and easy to make.
Can one use roasted abd salted pecans for these recipes?
Excellent ! Made the maple syrup doubled recipe…perfect and fast…thank you
Was looking for a recipe without cinnamon. This one takes the cake. Easy to make and delicious. I am hooked!
THRILLED with these! I love candied nuts in baking, salads, etc, but I have an intolerance to sugar. I was very excited to try this recipe, and I’m happy to report that Maple Pecans have all the flavor and crunch, but without the headache! THANK YOU for the perfect alternative to traditional candied nuts.
I found that medium heat was way to high. also the new non-stick pans burn too quick. I went back to heating maple syrup in a pot and adding nuts. I live at 1700 feet hence the higher temp needed.
Make sure you use pure maple syrup. Other syrups don’t cut the mustard when you are making candied pecans. Great recipe!
I am making these today!
I wanted a simple pure maple toasted pecan recipe without sugar or butter! Just letting the maple (i adore all things maple!) shine through!
And I have fresh pecans from a local grove! Win!
Thank you!
Oh yum! I absolutely love candied pecans on a salad. They add that crunch and sweetness!
I’ll definitely try this recipe. I have pure maple syrup in my pantry…just have to buy the pecans. I think these would be great Holiday gifts, too, so that’s what I’m thinking!