How to Make Lightly Candied Pecans in 5 Minutes

February 2, 2021 by Mirlandra 25 Comments

Lightly Candied Pecans with a kiss of brown sugar, salt and butter, perfect for snacking, gifting, or topping salads! (This is a egg FREE recipe!)

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These easy candy pecans sweet with a subtle sugary crunch and very popular every time I serve them. I like to make a bowl to go with desserts like carrot cake and pie. This is a stovetop recipe which means no turning on the oven which makes it much faster. I don’t use ANY egg or egg white in this recipe so it is perfect for people with egg allergies.

How to Make Lightly Candied Pecans In 5 Minutes (EASY)

Lightly candied pecans take three ingredients and five minute recipe on the stove top! It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the pecans.
Add the sugar and salt – stir for 2 minutes.
Spread the candied pecans on a baking sheet. DONE

If you are looking for a slightly different flavor by all means dust a little cinnamon or some pumpkin pie spice on the nuts while they are hot.

How to Store Candied Pecans

ROOM TEMPERATURE – Put them in an air tight container and store at room temperature for a week (unless it is very hot in your house – like worst of summer and no AC in which case use the fridge.)
REFRIGERATOR – Candied pecans don’t have to be stored in the refrigerator but if you do it will extend their shelf life to four weeks.
FREEZER – Candied pecans can be frozen for several months and eaten right out of the freezer or allowed to warm up to room temp before serving.

How to Use Candied Pecans

Candied nuts are great for so many different things. And with a simple five minute recipe you will want to make them for all the occasions!

Candied pecans are a great topping on salad or chicken salad
In a bowl for an appetizer or snack
On a charcuterie or cheese board!
To roll your favorite cheese ball
On yogurt with fresh berries
On or IN ice cream!
Garnish for carrot cake or pumpkin pie
chop them up into your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe

Candied Pecans Make a Great Gift

These are also a great hostess gift if you are invited over for The Big Dinner and for the all important bonus………THREE INGREDIENTS AND FIVE MINUTES!

Try gifting them in mason jars or treat boxes. And of course some Kraft Paper tags with Jute Twine are always casually elegant!

Why Are My Candied Pecans Sticky?

This recipe works really well for most people but occasionally there is an issue with the nuts coming out sticky. This is usually caused by a lack of heat. Lower quality stoves (and electric stoves in general) don’t provide the same heat responsiveness. If you find yours come out sticky they just haven’t gotten to the hard crack stage and next time cook them a few minutes longer. But be careful they don’t burn!

More Mostly Healthy Snack Recipes For Every Holiday

Brown Sugar Pecan Apple Dip
Triple Chocolate Filled Raspberries
Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas
Watermelon Trees
Caramel Chex mix
5 Minute Restaurant Salsa
Chocolate Cheesecake Deviled Strawberries

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Lightly Candied Pecans

Lightly candied pecans with a subtle sweet, crunchy crust. Ideal for snacking, salad topping or to serve alongside dessert. I love them with pumpkin pie and whipped cream! This is a five minute stove top recipe and it is egg free!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 Tablespoon salted butter
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar (or dark brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Line a sheet pan with wax or parchment paper. Set aside.
Measure sugar and set aside.
In a large sauce pan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the pecans with a wooden spatula.
Add sugar and salt. Stir constantly for two minutes.
Spread candied nuts out on prepared sheet pan. Use the spatula to separate them so they are not touching.
When the nuts are completely cool store in a airtight container at room temperature for one week or in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.

Nutrition

Nutrition Disclaimer

MirlandrasKitchen.com is written to share great recipes. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline, we are not registered dietitians and the values provided here should be considered estimates – not exact scientific data.

Calories 220kcal

I read each and every comment and I try to respond to questions asap, so ask away! If you’ve made a recipe, I would love to hear about it! Please come back and share your experience and give the recipe a 5-star rating so other people will know how much you loved it!

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This recipe was originally shared in 2014. It was updated in 2021.

How to Make Lightly Candied Pecans in 5 Minutes - Mirlandra's Kitchen (2024)