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These candied pecans are easy to make on the stovetop! No need to turn on the oven. Crunchy, sweet and the perfect little snack, they’re ready in under 10 minutes!
I’m not exaggerating when I say that I can’t control myself around these candied pecans!
I made a batch a few weeks ago and pretty much ate half the batch as soon as they were cool enough to eat. I stored the rest in my kitchen cupboard and found myself grabbing a handful anytime I walked by!
They’re a perfect little sweet and crunchy snack on their own, but they’re also great mixed into recipes like this Brussel Sprout Salad or as a topping on Arroz con Leche. When packed into cute airtight jars, they make a great holiday gift as well! So many possibilities.
Made from a mixture of granulated and light brown sugar, butter and cinnamon, these candied pecans are made on the stovetop in under 10 minutes. No need to turn on the oven for this one!
How to make candied pecans
Add the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, butter and ground cinnamon to a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Using a heat-resistant spatula (I like using a silicone spatula like this for easy cleanup), stir the mixture every so often until the sugars completely dissolve and combine with the butter. This should take about 3-5 minutes.
As soon as the sugars have completely dissolved, add the pecan halves and toss them together with the mixture until they’re fully coated on both sides. Try to do this as quickly as possible so as not to accidentally burn the sugar mixture, which can happen fast.
Once the nuts are coated, carefully pour them out onto your prepared baking sheet and let them cool for about 5 minutes, until the candy has hardened.
That’s it! Once the candied pecans have completely cooled to the touch, remove them from the parchment paper and break them into pieces.
Candied Pecans Tips and Tricks
Heat the sugar and butter mixture over medium heat. The lower heat temperature will help to prevent the sugar from getting too hot too quickly and burning. If the sugars burn, there’s no going back and you’ll have to start over completely.
Add the pecans as soon as the sugars have completely dissolved. Try to work quickly and toss the nuts in the mixture to completely coat them on both sides before the mixture starts to bubble and burn.
Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to cool the candied pecans. This will make the process of removing the nuts way easier once they’ve cooled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use raw or toasted pecans? Either! Both raw and toasted pecans work in this recipe, so use whatever you have on hand. I prefer the flavor of toasted pecans just a little more, but both are great.
How do I store candied pecans? You can store them in an airtight container on the counter or in your cupboard for 2 weeks, or in the fridge for even longer. I promise you they won’t last that long, though! They’re just too good!
Easy Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup pecan halves (raw or toasted work)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat) and set aside.
- Add granulated sugar, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon and butter to a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Mix to combine and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved with the butter.
- Quickly add pecans to skillet and stir to fully coat the outside of the nuts.
- Transfer candied pecans to prepared baking sheet and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Break apart and enjoy immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store on the counter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is 2 Tblsp. salt the correct amount? It seems excessive, and you don’t say when to add the salt. It only gives the amount and nothing is mentioned after that. Please clear up. Thx
Hey there, I’m not quite sure where you see the salt in the recipe. The recipe does not contain salt, only granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, unsalted butter, and pecans. Hope that helps!
Used chopped pecans. I cut the recipe in half for a strawberry salad. So good and easy!!
Could I use chopped pecans and not halves a d how much. Have a lot of chopped. Thank you
Hi Deanna! Yes chopped is definitely fine. You can use 2 cups!
First batch great, second batch couldn’t get my sugar to melt so I added a couple spoons of water and that did the trick. Not sure what I did wrong. They are wonderful and easy.
Quite tasty. I did this original version, along with a Maple Syrup version. Yummmmm in the tummmm. Thank you
Hey there! I tried this recipe before and it was great. This time the “sauce” is very thick and dense not like the runny goodness in your pics. Any thoughts?
Hi Suzanne! It sounds like it may have cooked for too long? Would you mind elaborating?
I doubled the recipe and quickly realized I needed 3C. of pecans, not two. The end result was nuts that tasted so much like toffee I had to take it straight to the office. I’ve been off sugar for a while so it was a shock to my system. I immediately had to sit down. The recipe was simple and delicious. Next time I will lay the nuts flat on parchment and drizzle the coating over them so they aren’t clumped together. If you drizzled some dark chocolate on it with some coarse sea salt on would create a very nice hostess gift or a treat for the holidays. Thanks for the recipe.
Made the candied pecans. Very delicious! Everyone loved them ❤. Thank you for posting it and we look forward to trying more out.