Stovetop Candied Pecans Recipe is chewy, crisp, salty, not-too-sweet, made in 6 minutes and highly addictive!! They are perfect as snack or on salads, ice cream, yogurt, pancakes and as a homemade gift.
Stovetop Candied Pecans Recipe
Continuing our Holiday vibes with a candied pecans made in stovetop which is a variation to our Caramel Walnuts recipe! This is so easy and delicious used in so many ways.
I love making quick and easy sugared pecans during holiday months. They are great for topping on salads, as a snack, breakfast and desserts. My favorite part is that it is ready in under 6 minutes, made with brown sugar (check out more brown sugar desserts), without cinnamon and uses no eggs, making it great for vegetarians.
This is a basic recipe, so feel free to play around with your favorite spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger to really make them your own. I love making them sweet and salty.
They are also incredibly easy to make with just 4 simple ingredients (water and salt not counted), naturally gluten-free and once you start snacking on these, it’s going to be hard to stop like this Chocolate Peanut Clusters.
Why You'll Love These?
- Quick and Easy - Just a one skillet and a few pantry ingredients and cooks in under 6 minutes.
- No Eggs - These are made without eggs making it perfect for vegetarians.
- Stove top - This is much faster than the traditional oven baking.
- Diet friendly - These are eggless and gluten free. Make it vegan or dairy free by replacing butter with coconut oil.
- Delicious - Makes an addictive snack or a crunchy sweet topping for your pancakes, waffles, yogurt or ice cream.
TIP - The caramel gets very hot, so please make sure to not have children or pets around the stove top when making these nuts.
Why Are My Pecans Sticky?
These are sticky when hot and harden as they cool. If you find them sticky after cooling completely, then it means that the sugar mixture never reached a high enough temperature on the stove.
How Long Do They Last?
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
INGREDIENTS
- Pecans - While toasted pecans are essential in making the best pecan pie without corn syrup, raw pecan halves is used in this recipe.
- Sugar - This recipe uses both golden brown sugar for lovely caramel flavor and white sugar at the end for a sweet crunch.
- Butter - Unsalted butter (reduce salt if using salted butter) or use coconut oil to make it vegan / dairy free.
PRO TIPS
- Non-stick skillet is a must.
- Double the recipe - Simply double the ingredients and cook in a larger non-stick skillet.
- Heat should be high for the first 4 minutes and medium-high for the remaining time.
- White sugar - This helps the nuts stay separate and gives a lovely sweet taste.
- Make it vegan / Dairy Free - Use 1 tablespoon coconut oil instead of butter.
- Use raw pecans and not toasted pecans.
- Try using a different nut like walnuts or almonds.
Variations
- Toss ground cinnamon along with white sugar
- Give a spicy kick --> Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the white sugar
- Make it spicy ---> Mix your favorite spices like pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove or ginger.
HOW TO MAKE?
This is a simple recipe and is made in just a few minutes
- Cook in a skillet - Add pecans, brown sugar, water, butter and salt into a medium non-stick skillet, cook on high heat, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes.
- When most of moisture evaporates, continue cooking on medium high heat, stirring constantly, until all moisture evaporates and then the nuts turn darker and glossy.
- Cool - Transfer nuts to a parchment paper and spread around to seperate the nuts. Sprinkle more salt on top. Cool completely to harden.
- Toss in sugar - Seperate the nuts and toss them in white sugar. Store in a sealed container.
Ways to Use
Looking for ways to put these to use? Here are some of our favorite ways you could enjoy them:
- As a snack - These are delicious on their own and makes an addictive snack.
- On cheese boards - These are a great addition on your cheese board.
- For breakfast - Top pancakes or waffles, like these healthy pumpkin pancakes or Pumpkin waffles.
- As a topping - Sprinkle them on your yogurt, ice cream or Oatmeal.
- For Salads - If using for salads, then skip the final step of tossing in white sugar. Toss into you favorite fall salad for a sweet crunch.
- As a gift - Package them in small mason jars or clear cellophane bags for a homade gift during the Holidays.
How to Store?
Store brown sugar glazed pecans in a sealed container for up to a week.
Can You Freeze?
Sure can! These nuts freeze well. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then place it in the freezer for at least a few hours or up to overnight. When they're completely frozen, transfer them to zip-top freezer bags and freeze for up to a month.
Frequently asked questions
Candied pecans are good for a week, when stored in an airtight container at room temperature and in the freezer for a month.
When you remove nuts right after the moisture evaporates then they tend to not get as crispy and stays soft even after cooling to room temperature. So, make sure to cook them until they turn darker and glossy.
This recipe works well with walnuts.
How to package for a gift?
Wrap skillet candied pecans in a clear cellophane and then tie with a pretty ribbon <---- Great for teachers / friends / family.
More Holiday recipes to try:
- Chocolate Peppermint Bark
- Coffee and Chocolate Drink
- Brownie Bites
- Chocolate Avocado Truffles
- Sugared Almonds
Stovetop Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pecan halves
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon golden Brown Sugar both packed
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt divided
- 1 and ½ teaspoons white granulated sugar
Instructions
- Place a piece of parchment on a dinner plate (approximately the size of the plate) or any other heat proof plate. Set aside.
- Place pecans, brown sugar, water, butter and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a medium (9 to 10 inches) non-stick skillet.
- Place skillet over medium or medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes (most of the water will have evaporated by this time).
- Continue cooking, stirring constantly for additional 1 to 2 minutes, until all moisture has evaporated, pecans gets darker, glossy and begin clumping together.
- Immediately transfer nuts (scraping any remaining caramel from the pan) on the prepared parchment. Spread the nuts, so that they are in a single layer and separate them as much as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 pinches of salt on top. Cool to room temperature.
- Break the nuts apart with your fingers. Sprinkle white granulated sugar on top and toss them to coat.Tip - Skip the final step of coating in white sugar if using for salads.
- Store nuts in a container for several days <– if it lasts that long.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Alec
I’m going to have to try this again on a different day because I was following the recipe and then my nuts burned. That step 3 was a lot shorter than 4 minutes. I shouldn’t have had it on high heat for that long. I turned it down and it went straight to burning not the clumping described in the recipe. I’ll try again later.
Maria Doss
Hi Alec, Thank you for the valuable feedback. We would recommend trying over a medium/ medium-high heat next time. We have also made changes to the recipe based on your helpful observation. Hope you give this a try again at a lower temperature, thanks - Maria
Kara
Thank you for the yummy recipe. I cooked it on high for a minute or two and lowered the temperature. They came out perfectly!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you enjoyed it Kara! – Maria ♡
Cristina B
I use your recipe to top my homemade Waldorf Salad! It’s the perfect way to add salty sweetness and crunchy goodness, plus they are so pretty! Thanks for sharing this quick recipe!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you love it hun – Maria ♡