Spicy Candied Pecans
Easy and delicious spicy candied pecans make a tasty homemade snack any time of year. Naturally vegan and gluten-free.
These spicy candied pecans are sweet, and spicy and have a delightfully light, crunchy texture that is highly addictive. Warming spices like cayenne, cinnamon, and ginger are not only packed with flavor, but also stimulate metabolism, aid digestion, and reduce inflammation. Pecans are packed with healthy fats, protein, fiber, and over 20 vitamins and minerals – they are a superfood in and of themselves!
You can keep these candied pecans all for yourself, serve them when entertaining, or store them in cute jars as wonderful gifts for friends and family. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe!
❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Candied pecans are super easy to make with simple ingredients.
- This crunchy snack has a sweet, spicy, salty, and savory taste.
- These pecans have a nice light and crunchy texture.
- Candied pecans make a great snack, sweet treat, or gift to give to others.
- You can enjoy these crunchy nuts as is, or enjoy a large variety of ways.
- Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, refined sugar-free, and soy-free.
🌶️ Ingredients and Substitutes
Pecans: This just wouldn’t be a spicy pecans recipe if there weren’t pecans! Use raw pecan halves for the best results. Having said that, this recipe is also delicious when made with other nuts like almonds, walnuts, or cashews.
Maple syrup: I love the vanilla undertones that maple syrup adds to this recipe, but feel free to use another liquid sweetener like honey, agave syrup, or corn syrup, if you prefer.
Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar tastes a bit like brown sugar, but is unrefined and packed with minerals making it a slightly healthier option. You can also use white sugar, brown sugar, or any type of sugar you prefer.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is naturally sweet and adds delicious warmth to this spicy snack. If you do not have cinnamon on hand, ground nutmeg makes a nice alternative in a pinch.
Cayenne: Ground cayenne pepper adds a medium level of spice to this pecan recipe. While this is a spicy recipe, it isn’t knock-your-socks-off spicy. You can adjust the cayenne to suit your own tastes or even omit if you would prefer a sweet candied pecans recipe.
Ginger: Ground ginger brings both warmth and subtle spice to these pecans. If you do not have ginger on hand, you can use allspice for a fun alternative with a slightly different flavor.
Salt: A very small amount of salt brings a nice balance to the spices used in this recipe. I like to use Celtic sea salt.
🥣 How to Make Candied Pecans
- Preheat the oven and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine the sweeteners and spices.
- Add the pecan halves, then stir vigorously until all of the pecans are coated well.
- Spread the pecans in an even layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet, working in batches if necessary.
- Pop the tray into the preheated oven and bake until toasty.
- Enjoy!
🥡 Storage
Spicy candied pecans will keep for up to three weeks when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and up to one week left at room temperature.
❓ Serving Ideas
- Enjoy as is. These make one of the best snacks for a cozy movie night. Grab a big bowl and dig in!
- Use them as the perfect topping for salads for a nice dose of texture.
- Throw a handful of these pecans over vanilla ice cream for a delectable sweet treat.
- The nutty flavor of these pecans pairs well with goat cheese on charcuterie boards.
- Make a big batch of tasty pecans and place them in decorative mason jars to use as a great homemade gift idea during the holiday season.
- These make a great party snack to serve at large gatherings (make at least a double batch!).
🍿 More Delicious Snack Recipes
Spicy Candied Pecans Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- ½ teaspoon cayenne ground
- ¼ teaspoon ginger ground
- 1 pinch salt approximately ⅛ teaspoon
- 2 cups pecan halves raw pecans work best
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Combine the maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Add the pecans and give all a good stir until the pecans are well coated in the sticky mixture.
- Spread the pecans in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until fragrant and crispy.
- Enjoy!
I love these! I am making my second (double) batch in a week – they didn’t survive our nibbles and I need them for Christmas gifts and to bring to a potluck. The glaze is so rich and generous, I ended up using 1.5 the amount of pecans. And 20 minutes start to finish including cleanup is like magic. Thank you!
I’m so very happy to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
These spicy candied pecans are so delicious! I make up a batch so that I can have them for my salads during the week. It adds so much flavor to my salad!
This is a tasty recipe! I added the pecans to my salad at lunch today and they taste amazing.
I love homemade candied nuts, especially pecans! They are so flavorful and pair just beautifully with the spice mix you use and the maple syrup. Been snacking away on them all day 🙂
These are delish! They had just the right amount of spice for me and they were super easy to make, too!
These candies pecans are so delicious! I am pinning this recipe to come back to during the holiday season!
This was SO good with the maple syrup and cayenne! New family favourite snack.