Glazed pecans add the perfect crunch to salads or munch on handfuls! These sweet and salty nuts are covered in a layer of maple syrup.
They’re sweet, slightly salty, and have the perfect crunch! These candied pecans are so delicious you’ll want to make a serving right away to top all your salads. Funnily enough, they’re also the perfect little treat when you’re craving sweets. Alex and I made them into our spinach and apple salad and kept the leftovers in our closet. Our 3-year-old Larson fell in love with them as a treat and asked with a grin, “Mom, can I have a pecan?” So these work as a “healthy” version of candy, too. (Ha!) Read on to find out how to make them!
What’s in this pecan recipe?
This Glazed Pecans recipe has only 3 ingredients! Yes, 3 ingredients for the tastiest treat: and there’s no refined sugar either. Here’s what you need:
- Whole raw pecans (If you can only find roasts, you can use those too!)
- Pure maple syrup (no fakes now!)
- Kosher salt
Yes, this Glazed Pecan recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup. You’ll find that we use maple to sweeten in many of our dessert recipes and even in our cocktail recipes! It’s hands down our favorite natural sweetener around.
How to Make Glazed Pecans: The Basics
There’s really only one part of this candied pecans recipe that’s “tricky”: make sure you don’t overcook them! Here are the basic steps (or jump straight to the recipe!):
- Cook. In a skillet, simmer 1 part maple syrup to 4 parts pecans for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir at the last moment and watch carefully! At the last minute, the maple syrup is almost completely cooked and the nuts start to clump together. Look out! Take it off the heat once the syrup is cooked, but don’t leave it on the heat for too long! You’ll end up with a powdered sugar look (more below).
- Leave to dry on parchment paper and sprinkle with salt. Glazed nuts taste best with a little salt to boost the salty sweetness! Spread them out in a single layer on parchment paper to dry. You can eat them immediately after 5 minutes, but if you keep them, wait about 15 minutes for them to harden.
What if I cook them too long?
Good question! Here’s what happens when you bake these maple glazed pecans for too long. The maple goes from shiny to powdery! They end up with what looks like sweet pecans instead.
Is it bad or wrong? No way! We tasted two batches and they were both delicious! So fear not if you overcook them. They come out a little crunchier than sweet pecans and taste just as good. They’re just not as shiny as above.
How to serve glazed pecans
How do I serve these shiny candied pecans? They’re a perfect and easy salad topping (even better than croutons in our opinion). Here are some great ways to use them:
- Apple Spinach Salad This salad is made with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette and sliced apples and pears. We like to alternate it with glazed walnuts or pecans.
- The best oatmeal glazed pecans or instant oatmeal add the perfect crunch to oatmeal! Try them with a slice of banana and a dollop of peanut butter.
- Bananas Foster How delicious would crunchy pecans be on this easy dessert? Yummy.
What other ways to serve candied pecans? Let us know in the comments below! And if you want more pecan recipes, here are our top pecan recipes to choose from.
This Glazed Pecans recipe is…
Vegetarian, plant-based, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free.
The description
Glazed pecans add the perfect crunch to salads or munch on handfuls! These sweet and salty nuts are covered in a layer of maple syrup.
- 1 cup raw whole pecans
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 pinches of kosher salt
- Place pecans and maple syrup in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the maple is just beginning to bubble, reduce the heat to low, but it’s still bubbling slowly. Simmer for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- For the last minute, when most of the maple syrup has evaporated, stir constantly until the liquid is fully cooked and the nuts start to clump together (but be careful it doesn’t burn or go overboard and become powdery, not shiny!*). Remove from the stove immediately.
- Transfer the pecans to a sheet of parchment paper in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and let cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes if you plan to eat them immediately and about 15 minutes if you plan to save them for later use. Store in a covered container at room temperature.
Remarks
* In this case, don’t worry! They still taste great, they look more like sweet pecans.
- Category: Essential
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: American
