Easy Candied Pecans

Easy Candied Pecans have become a yearly staple in my holiday baking extravaganza. Year after year these holiday nuts bake away in my oven filling the air with the sweet, delicious smells of cinnamon and sugar. These little bites of heaven are perfect additions to your holiday cookie trays or just simply placed in a container for people to snack on as they pass by.  

I’m so grateful my mom gave me this recipe a few years ago. She made a batch for us to try and I’m pretty sure I was hooked by the first pecan. These candied pecans are literally addictive. Like the saying goes, “You can’t eat just one!” When it comes to these candied pecans, this couldn’t be truer. Admittedly, I probably eat at least a dozen or so before they can make it into their container. That folks is one of the perks of being the cook, or baker in this case.

Want to know something even more amazing? These candied pecans are incredibly easy to make. There are very few ingredients and most of the work is done in Ziploc bags that you can use and throw away! It’s the perfect treat to whip up during the craziness of the holiday season.  

Easy Candied Pecans also make the perfect homemade gift for a neighbor, friend, or as a hostess gift if you are attending someone’s home for a holiday party. You can pour some pecans in a clear cellophane bag and tie it up nice and pretty with some festive, holiday ribbon. You can also fill a mason jar or metal tin lined with tissue paper and spruce it up with tulle or more holiday ribbon. I add them to my cookie trays by placing them in holiday cupcake holders to avoid them from scattering all over the place.  The possibilities are endless. I promise, no matter how you serve them, they will be devoured.

We love these candied pecans so much that I always make at least two batches. I do this because I end up gifting a ton of the pecans, but I also want/need extra for me and “the boys” to snack on. The only warning I will give you is that pecans are a little on the pricey side, running around 8 or 9 dollars a pound. It’s well worth it in my opinion but wanted to put that out there for you before you decided to make 10 batches for everyone you know!

So what do I need to make Easy Candied Pecans?

1 pound pecan halves, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon vanilla, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.

Grease a baking sheet with butter and put to the side for later.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and vanilla extract until frothy. Frothy is just a fancy way of saying until you see small bubbles start to form.

Pour the egg mixture into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag.

In a different gallon-sized Ziploc bag, combine the sugar, salt and cinnamon.

Pour the pecans into the wet ingredients and shake them around until coated.

Pour the egg coated pecans into the dry ingredients and toss until coated.

Scatter the pecans in an even layer on the greased baking sheet.

Bake the pecans for 1 hour tossing the nuts every 15 minutes.

Let cool and Enjoy!

Easy enough! I definitely think the name Easy Candied Pecans is fitting, don’t you? I hope you enjoy these delicious holiday treats as much as we do. We are noshing on them as we speak!