Sweet and Spicy Candied Pecans are pecans are tossed in sugar and spices and roasted until crisp. This easy, crowd-pleasing recipe makes a great snack to serve with cocktails or to give as gifts. 

If you’ve ever seen candied pecans or walnuts for sale, you might have noticed that they cost an absolute fortune! For some reason, tossing nuts in a crunchy spiced coating turns them into gold. But it turns out that it’s super simple to make a big batch of these crunchy, addictive beauties at home using a few inexpensive pantry staples.

Fair warning that once you have a batch of candied pecans in the pantry, they disappear fast. We end up snacking on most of these, but we also like to set them out with drinks, put them in kids’ lunch boxes, or add them to a holiday dinner or dessert spread. They also make a great addition to salads and are fantastic host / hostess gifts. Put them in little jars or clear bags and tie them with a ribbon for adorable little gifts around the holidays.

The sky is the limit with these flavorful crunchy gems and they’re so easy to make. Here’s how!

Ingredients

• Pecan Halves – You’ll need 1 pound (about 4 cups) of pecan halves. 
• Egg White – Just one egg white beaten until very light and fluffy is what acts as the “glue” to hold the sugar and spices to the pecans. 
• Sugar – White sugar gives the pecans a sweet, crisp shell.
• Salt and Spices – Use cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, ground cardamom, and a pinch of cayenne (optional) to give these pecans a subtle warm, cozy flavor that is reminiscent of gingerbread and holiday baked goods. If you’re making these at another time of year and don’t want the holiday spices, just skip the ginger and cardamom.

How to Make Candied Pecans

1. Beat one egg white with a mixer until very light and frothy, ~3 minutes. 
2. Gently fold 1 lb pecan halves into egg whites.
3. Combine 3/4 cup white sugar with 3/4 tsp Kosher salt and 1 1/2 tsp dried spices (like cinnamon and ground ginger). Stir sugar mixture into pecans.
4. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 250°F / 121°C for 1 hour, stirring halfway through.
5. Let pecans cool completely on the sheet pan and then gently break apart.
6. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. 

More Homemade Gift Ideas

Sweet Chex Mix

Slow Cooker Granola

Red Pepper Jelly

Homemade Pancake and Waffle Mix

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