Easy Candied Pecans (Vegan!)

Hello, my chickpeas! As we get closer to fall, there are certain foods that just feel appropriate for the season. In my book, anything on the sweeter side fits that bill. Say hello to my Candied Pecans!

These are sweet, but not TOO sweet, and just crunchy enough. You can honestly snack on these as a fun little treat, but I also love using them as a topping on salads for a delicious sweet crunch! Super easy to throw together, and I truly hope you give them a try!

Inspiration for Candied Pecans

I’ve been on a big salad kick lately, and I recently made a salad that called for candied pecans. I didn’t have a go-to recipe for them in my back pocket, so I decided to create my own and this recipe was born! They were so fun and versatile that I decided to share them with you. 

Many candied nut recipes are VERY sweet – which is fine if that is what you are going for. But I honestly love the flavor of pecans, so I wanted the pecan flavor to shine and to simply be complimented by just the right amount of sugary sweetness in this version. Many candied nuts also use egg whites, so I wanted mine to be egg-free for those of us who are plant based!

After I had already started testing this recipe, a memory came to me. I had a friend in college who LOVED making candied walnuts. She gave me candied walnuts as a gift on multiple occasions, and I was always very excited to stuff them in my face. Now every time I make these candied pecans I think of her and how happy her candied walnuts made me! I hope that this recipe brings as much joy to you as her candied walnut gifts always brought to me. 

Ingredients for Candied Pecans

• Pecans – an obvious ingredient! You can usually find raw pecans in grocery stores, but if you have a hard time finding them try checking out a store with a bulk foods section as those often have lots of nut options!
• Maple syrup – this is where some of our sweetness comes from, and it will act a bit as a glue to stick all of our other ingredients to the pecans.
• Coconut sugar and cinnamon – the coconut sugar provides the rest of our sweetness, and then the cinnamon adds some fun cozy flavors!

How to make Candied Pecans

Full recipe is at the bottom of this post, but here’s the basics:

1. Coat pecans in maple syrup
2. Add a few more ingredients for flavor and mix
3. Bake for a bit, give them a mix on the baking tray, and bake a bit longer
4. Let cool and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

As usual, I encourage you to make this your own and experiment if you want to! Here are some ideas for you:

• Not a pecan fan? I haven’t tried this specific recipe with any other nut, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work just fine. I think walnuts or almonds would also be delicious!
• Get creative with how you use these! You can use them as a topping on salads, yogurt, or even ice cream! They’re also a great snack on their own!
• Like I mentioned above, my friend used to gift people candied nuts all the time and they were always a favorite! If you’re looking for a delicious but simple gift idea for the holidays, you can make a big batch of these and pour them into cute little jars for your friends! 
• Looking for another nutty recipe? Check out my Hit the Trail Mix next!

Enjoy!

Candied Pecans

Recipe by Delaney Romero – Joyful BalanceCourse: Topping, Snacks

Servings

4

servings

From Start to Finish

50

minutes

A super fun and quick recipe to make when you are craving a fun little treat with some fall vibes! Snack on these Candied Pecans on their own, or sprinkle them on salads, ice cream, or yogurt for a fun crunchy topping. You can also put them in cute jars to give as gifts for the holidays!

*Note that the “From Start to Finish” time includes 15 minutes to preheat your oven (and chop your pecans while it preheats), and then 35 minutes to complete the recipe (which mostly consists of baking the pecans and then letting them cool). There is very little hands-on time involved in this recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

• 1.5 Tbsp pure maple syrup

• 1.5 Tbsp coconut sugar

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 325 F
• Add your pecans and maple syrup to a bowl. Mix together until the pecans are evenly coated in a thin layer of the maple syrup.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Make sure they are all evenly incorporated, and be sure to break apart any clumps of coconut sugar. (By mixing these in a separate bowl, everything will be more evenly distributed when you add the mixture to the pecans).
• Add your coconut sugar mix to the pecans and stir until pecans are evenly coated.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Spread your pecans on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, mix on the baking sheet, and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until they are cooked to your liking (for me they are perfect at 8 minutes).
• Remove from oven and give one last mix on the baking sheet – this will help to prevent them from sticking to the baking sheet too much as they cool. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. As they cool they will get a little more crispy.
• Use as a topping on whatever you want, or just eat them as a snack! Enjoy!

Happy cooking, friends! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your candied-pecan-making ways.

Stay jouyfully balanced!