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Sweet, crunchy, lightly spiced, and so easy to make. 1-pan, 4-ingredients, and 10-minutes are all you need to create these festively simple and wholesome candied nuts.
The smell of this treat reminds me of Christmas time, and more specifically, Christmas time at Bass Pro Shop where I first got introduced to the amazing wonders that is the candied pecan.
Picture it: You approach the entrance and that’s when the smell hits you; a toasted, spiced, sugary smell is in the air, reminiscent of carnival/fair food. Your mouth waters as you look around and spot the clustered crowd gathered around the kiosk where the smiling workers struggle to keep pace with the demand as they shovel healthy portions of candied nuts into paper cones. You don’t want to add to their stress but you really want those nuts… 😏
You can join the line and wait with all the others or you can make this simple and delicious treat right at home.
💕Here’s why you’ll love this recipe!
- It uses just 4 ingredients and takes only 10-minutes to make.
- No fancy equipment is needed – a pan, your stovetop and a spatula is all it takes!
- If you’re not a fan of pecans then you can use any nut of choice such as almond, hazelnuts or even cashews.
- It is simple, wholesome and clean eating.
- This recipe doesn’t use any egg whites making it vegan friendly!
- It is also gluten-free, vegetarian-friendly, and paleo-friendly!
- You can enjoy them as a treat or use them in salads or as a topping for anything from fudges to cookies to sweet potato casseroles or even salads!
- These nuts honestly make a great gift for friends and family!
Here’s what you need to make this wholesome sweet treat:
- Nuts: I’m using pecan halves but you can use any nut of your choosing. Other great options are hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews or pistachios. Opt to use nuts that are shelled, raw and unseasoned.
- Maple Syrup: Opt to use a pure maple syrup of any grade of your choosing.
- Salt: I’m using a pink Himalayan but you can also use sea salt. A small touch of salt helps to amplify all flavors.
- Cinnamon: The addition of this warming spice makes this sweet treat extra festive and adds a great layer of flavor to your candied nuts.
Start your timers, because in 10-minutes we’ll have wonderfully maple candied pecans:
Low and slow is the name of this game.
To begin, set a heavy bottomed pan or skillet on medium heat, when the pan has warmed up and is almost hot, set the heat to low and add your nuts. Keep them moving around every few seconds so that they don’t burn and can toast evenly. Once about 3-5 minutes have passed and you can smell them starting to get toasty (you’ll see them darken a bit and you will be able to hear a faint sizzle from them as their natural oils are drawn out of them) then you’ll know they’re ready for the next step.
Add in your maple syrup. It will sizzle, bubble and release steam, that is normal. Next, add in your salt and cinnamon and begin to stir to evenly coat your nuts and to keep them moving around. If they rest they might burn, and remember: keep that heat on LOW. It will take a few minutes but the liquid in the syrup will slowly evaporate and it will go through various stages.
Now when you decide to remove them from the heat and set them onto a baking sheet to cool is up to you.
- You can pull them once the maple syrup has thickened for an almost gooey and sticky candied pecan (like in the top-right image in the above picture).
- Or you can pull them just before that point when the first signs of complete crystallization begins to happen – this will result in an almost sticky, glazed pecan that when cooled will form a crunchy almost candy-like shell (like in the bottom-left image in the above picture).
- Or you can continue to stir and cook them until all the liquid has evaporated and the maple syrup completely crystallizes – this will give you a sugary candy-coated pecan (like in the bottom-right image in the above picture).
All options are very good though I will say that allowing the maple to completely crystallize does seem to bring out the cinnamon flavor more.
Just look at that gorgeous maple-sugary surface. ^ The sticky syrup has filled all the ridges on the pecan for total coverage. More to that, the smell is heavenly and all that’s left to do is to set them onto a cleaning baking tray and allow the to cool completely. As they cool, both the nuts and the syrup will set into their final texture of crunchy, toasted, sugary goodness with the smallest hint of warming spice from the cinnamon. So good! 😍
You can make a big or small batch of these candied treats, as the recipe scales wonderfully, and by the way, these candied nuts make a fantastic holiday – or anytime – gift! Box them up, fill a cellophane bag or package them into a cone and wrap it all up with a pretty bow and your receiver is guaranteed to love them!
Happy holidays! 🥳
Maple Candied Cinnamon Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecan halves (or any nuts of your choosing)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ - ½ tsp cinnamon powder (I used ½ tsp but adjust to suit your preference)
- pinch Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet on med heat. When it is almost hot, set the heat to low and add your nuts and toss every few seconds for 3-5 minutes until they begin to brown. A good indicator is that you can smell them and hear a little sizzle if you lean in and listen.
- Once the nuts are toasted, pour in your maple syrup, cinnamon and salt and begin stirring to evenly coat your nuts and to keep your nuts constantly moving in the pan. Keep the heat on LOW.
- Continue to cook for a few minutes (stirring constantly) until you notice that the water in the syrup is evaporating and the syrup is beginning to crystallize.
- You can allow the syrup to fully evaporate before removing the pan from the stove and the end result will be a sugary coated candied pecan, or you can remove the nuts just before it reaches that stage (when the crystallization process just begins) for a candy-shell coated pecan.
- Remove your pecans from the pan and set onto a clean baking sheet to cool. Enjoy as a treat just by themselves or as a topper for your salads or sweet potato casserole! Store your nuts in an airtight jar or container at room temp or in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Notes
- Using a larger pan so that the nuts are in an even layer always works best for even cooking and coating.
- When you first remove the nuts from the heat they will be soft but as they cool they will harden and achieve that delicious crunch. (In the even that they remain soft or without crunch after they have cooled, one possible cause is that you might not have toasted them enough).
- Using a high or even medium heat will result in a burned end product (of either the nuts, the syrup, the cinnamon, or all three) so I really do not recommend it.
- Not a fan of pecans? Use any nut of your choice or to mix things up, use an assortment of nuts!
- Do you wish the cinnamon had a bit more kick to it? Sprinkle a pinch or two (to taste) of cinnamon powder over the ready made pecans and toss to evenly coat them or use any other warming spice of your choice.
