Candied Pecans
These 5-minute Stovetop Candied Pecans are a quick and easy way to make sweet glazed pecans for salads, snacking, food gifts, and more! It’s all made in one pan for minimal mess, and it’s overall much quicker and easier than the oven method. Plus, no candy thermometer needed!
Whether you eat these pecans on their own or add them to a variety of dishes, they’re such an easy way to add flavor and texture to so many recipes, using simple ingredients.
The typical candied pecans recipe usually calls for making them in the oven, but something about that feels a bit too fussy and long to me. I’ve been making candied pecans on the stove for as long as I can remember, and it only takes me 5 minutes to make them. It’s so easy!
I like not having to turn the oven on, especially when I only want to make a smaller batch. I try not to keep too many of these around because they’re so good, I want to eat them all in one sitting. Whenever I make them for the holiday season and set them out, they disappear within minutes.
Tips for Best Results
Use a nonstick pan – While you can get away with using any stainless steel pan, the nonstick pan helps all of the sweetness stick to the nut. It glazes easier, in my experience.
Use brown sugar or maple syrup – I love honey, but I don’t recommend using it here. Brown sugar or maple syrup will give you the best results.
Toast the pecans first – Totally optional, and sometimes it’s easier to just use raw nuts straight out of the bag. But if you have the time, toast the pecans for a few minutes (you can use the same skillet) to begin bringing out the flavor in the nuts. Most importantly, make sure to use fresh pecans that aren’t rancid or expired.
These candied pecans are really wonderful, especially for sprinkling on salads like Kale Salad or Warm Brussel Sprout Salad with Crispy Goat Cheese! They are also well-suited for food gifts during Christmas and the holidays.
I actually grew up with candied pecans, sugared pecans, and maple glazed pecans of all sorts in my house at Christmas time because my dad loved ordering them every year. Simply place the nuts in a mason jar with ribbon or in pretty holiday tins for last-minute gifts.
Step by Step Overview:
To get started, combine brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt in a skillet, and add a splash of water so the sugar has an easier time dissolving:
Ingredient Variations and Substitutions
This is a great recipe for accommodating several different substitutions. I recommend trying the recipe once as written, then you can experiment with changes.
Spices: You can pretty much use whatever spices you’d like. I like to keep it simple with cinnamon, but you may add cloves, cardamom, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice. You may also try options like cayenne pepper, ancho chile powder, or even smoked paprika.
The Sugar: I like using brown sugar for its slight molasses tastes, but you can also use granulated white sugar or even coconut sugar. For maple syrup, follow this Maple Pecans recipe instead (it is also a quick and easy stovetop recipe). I do not recommend corn syrup.
Fat: It is not necessary to add fat here, but if you’d like it for richness, add a tablespoon of butter or coconut oil with the rest of the ingredients.
Vanilla extract: Add up to 1 teaspoon with the rest of the ingredients.
Egg whites: Egg should not be used here at all. This is only used for the oven method for helping the coating stick.
Stir it all around to combine:
Cook the sugar mixture over medium heat until it gets hot and bubbly and looks like a glaze:
Throw in pecan halves, making sure they are more or less in a single layer:
Raw or toasted both work, but I personally think toasted pecans taste better.
Can you use other nuts?
Absolutely, it does not matter what kind of nut you use. Walnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, and really any other nut will work well here.
Cook the pecan halves for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid cooks down and glazes the nuts:
If the pecans still look sticky, keep cooking for a few more minutes. Different stoves have different heat output.
Once the liquid has cooked down and coated the pecans, spread them out on parchment paper to cool. Then break apart and enjoy your sweet snack:
If you’d like to make a big batch, use a larger skillet, and try to make sure the pecans are more or less in an even layer. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan.
Suggested Uses
Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy this easy candied pecans recipe, in ways sweet and savory!
- Add to a Kale Salad or Brussels Sprouts with Candied Pecans and Ricotta Salata.
- Add to a cheese and charcuterie board.
- Sprinkle on Chocolate Bark.
- Chop them up and add to Butter Shortbread Cookies, The Very Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, or this Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.
- Sprinkle on Overnight Oats or Maple Scones.
- Make your Pecan Sticky Buns even better.
- Sprinkle on Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Brown Butter Sauce.
- Toss them into this Granola Recipe for an extra delicious snack.
- Add to ice cream like Pumpkin Chip Gingersnap Cookie Ice Cream.
- Make homemade gifts of them along with any of these 12 shipping-friendly food gift ideas for Christmas and beyond, and pack in a care package!
- Toss with Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
Or you know, you could just eat them. I do that too.
Very similar to this method is also my 5-minute Sticky Honey Bananas, which you may enjoy as well. Or try my Pecan Praline Candy. Happy cooking!
Recipe FAQ:
If the pecans turn out sticky, this means the sugar never reached a high enough temperature to have that hard crack “brittle” coating on the outside. Electric stoves tend to have less heat power and responsiveness as compared to gas stoves, so cook for a few minutes longer if you have an electric stove or a weaker gas stove. They can be salvaged, even after they’ve cooled. Just cook more, and watch and smell to ensure the pecans don’t burn.
Once completely cooled, in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. You can get away with two weeks or longer, but the flavor won’t be as good. They taste best fresh.
Yes, let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
No, but they will last for 4 weeks in the fridge, if you do want to extend the shelf life.
Absolutely, just make sure you use a larger skillet as needed.
These candied pecans are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Candied Pecans
Ingredients
For the pecans:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 cup pecan halves
Ideas for using the pecans (optional):
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the pecans in a skillet and cook over medium heat for a minute or two, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling.
- Add the pecans and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring to coat in the glaze.
- Remove from the heat, and spread the pecans out on parchment paper to let them cool completely.
- Break apart, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
320 Comments on “Candied Pecans”
I made this once as a trial and they turned out great. So I doubled the recipe and made them today, and I cooked them longer than the 3 minutes. They are very sticky and not getting crunchy. Is there a fix for this? I don’t want to waste them, they still taste good.
Hi Kathy, I think they just needed to be cooked longer (especially since it was doubled) to get to the brittle stage and move past being sticky. At this point if you want to try to save them I would try putting them in the oven. Maybe 350 for 10 minutes?
So quick and easy! Made them when enjoying my firt cup of morning coffee!!
Did however, double the pecans to 2 cups when I saw how much the sugar/spices had melted down to….easily covered the 2nd cup of pecans.
These were being made as “munchies”, not adding to a salad.
That’s perfect, happy to hear!
Super easy recipe. I actually coated 2 cups of pecans with this recipe and also modified a bit by adding some cayenne pepper to give a little kick to them, and they were delicious!
That’s fantastic! I love cayenne here.
Just made! Super easy. A little to gooey but enjoyed them. Thanks so much
Hi Brenda, if you cook them longer next time they should be more brittle and less gooey. Enjoy!
Just made these with walnuts and they are delicious! I also added vanilla as another reviewer suggested. So much easier than my other recipes. Thanks for sharing!!
Fantastic!!
Love this recipe . We have access to a pecan tree so I give out bags of these at Christmas. So I cook en masse in my electric skillet. I followed recipe for the first 4 batches. I cooked 6 cups at a time . But for the last batch I decided the brown sugar could go further . They were almost too rich. So the last batch I 6x the recipe just the same as before but put in 8 cups nuts. I liked it better. Previously I had just kind of played it by ear. So much easier to have a recipe. I loved it. Thank you.
Hi Evelyn, access to a pecan tree?! That sounds amazing! Glad you like this recipe. Happy holidays!
Great recipe!! I did not want to use egg whites. This came out great!! Important to continue to cook after you add the nuts! I also added some butter and Vanilla. Will try a little Cayenne next time.
Thanx soooooo much for sharing.
Turned out TERRIBLE. Much too sticky. One comment said to cook them longer, but they started to smell almost burned, so I put them on parchment paper. Could barely separate them. Even after a day of sitting they are inedible. Won’t try this again!
So much easier and faster on stove top!!! Still just as delicious and addictive!
Glad to hear that, Anita!
Great, easy recipe! Tastes fabulous. I’ve also used other nuts in this recipe. Outstanding!
Hi Justin, I’m really happy to hear that! Yes this is fantastic for other nuts too. Happy holidays!
Have made these twice with great success. Love this recipe! I appreciate the simple ingredients that don’t call for corn syrup, etc. We love eating them as a treat….they are addictive! Thank you for sharing this!
Hi Alexis, I’m glad to hear that! I also try to avoid corn syrup….I eat it once a year for my Thanksgiving pecan pie, but that’s it! Definitely not needed here.
they were sticky and too much goop on them
I made this recipe exactly as written and I would suggest keeping the recipe exactly how it is. These were amazing. It started smelling like it was about to burn so I put them on parchment and tasted them, seemed like the sugar didn’t melt for mine. So I added a little more water and cooked longer. And they came out perfect. So I would suggest tasting before assuming they’re done. I would show a picture but they didn’t last long enough. But this is what I’m making for everyone for Christmas. Thanks so much!!
Hi Krista, I’m glad to hear that! Enjoy!
I made these but used about 2 1/2 cups pecans for the same amount of sugar (doubled the salt, cinnamon, and water & added a little allspice) and they came out GREAT! Thanks — I agree that stovetop seems simpler than oven — although it did seem a little fussy during the time when I was using 2 spatulas to separate out all the pecans into one layer on the parchment paper, ha! Anyway, the end result was so good!
Hi Amanda, thanks for sharing what you did and I’m glad it came out well!
Would this recipe work with other nuts? Maybe almonds?
Yes, walnuts are my second favorite!
Oh, Joanne, I made these tonight to garnish my Brussel Sprout-Kale Salad. The were so easy and made the perfect addition, along with toasted pecan pieces and dried cranberries. Thank you so much!
YAY!! Glad to hear. I love these in salads too.