Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: These are easy to make and everyone LOVES them. Picture them sprinkled on top of ice cream, cheesecake, or a salad.
How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, whisk, shallow baking pan
Servings: 12
Sugar. Bourbon. Pecans. These candied pecans are dangerous. Dangerously good.
A delightful topping on a sweet treat. I’m picturing these candied bourbon pecans sprinkled on top of vanilla bean ice cream, especially with a drizzle of bourbon caramel sauce. Arrange them on top of a pumpkin pie, pumpkin pudding, or banana cake with cream cheese frosting. They’re great on chocolate treats, like homemade chocolate cake.
Make a salad extra special. Adding candied pecans will make any salad spectacular. Try them on this shaved Brussels sprouts salad!
On a charcuterie board. Bourbon pecans are a welcome addition to any charcuterie board. They go great with cheese, fruits, meats, and pretty much anything. They’re so good topping this baked brie with cranberries appetizer.
Great snack with cocktails or beer. Let’s not overlook the fact that they are really good on their own or as a simple snack with a vanilla bourbon fizz or a maple old fashioned. As my husband said, “I wish I had a beer to go with these!” Try a stout or Guinness beer.
Easy gift idea. Candied bourbon pecans are perfect for gifting. Put them in a fancy cellophane bag, tie a ribbon around the top, and hand them out to your favorite people.
Sweet and Spicy Bourbon Pecans
Bourbon pecans have a lot of nuanced flavor. The candied nuts are nice and sweet, with the toasted flavor of the pecans really shining through.
There’s just a touch of cayenne and salt so you aren’t overwhelmed by the sweetness of the sugar and bourbon. You wouldn’t call the pecans spicy hot by any means but they do have a teeny tiny after-burn.
And then the best part: the bourbon! It’s a subtle flavor but it’s noticeable and really sets these apart from standard candied nuts.
What you’ll need: pecan halves, an egg white, a splash of bourbon, sugar, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t underbake the pecans. If your bourbon pecans are soft or sticky, it could be that you took them out of the oven too soon. Bake the pecans until they are dry to the touch, and not sticky (watch them closely so they don’t burn).
- Cool completely before storing. Make sure the candied pecans are absolutely cool before storing them in an airtight container. If they are still a bit warm, condensation may form on the inside of the container which can make the pecans soft or sticky.
- Substitute another nut. Instead of pecans, try walnuts or another nut of your choice.
- Change the spice. Omit the cayenne pepper, if you don’t want the “spicy” aspect. You can replace it with a hint of cinnamon instead.
- No alcohol. Rather skip the bourbon? Substitute a tablespoon of water.
- Change it up. Try my homemade peanut brittle recipe, pecan pralines (they’re amazing!) or easy spiced pecans.
Glazed or Candied?
A common question that I encounter is whether glazed and candied pecans are the same thing, and often the two names are used interchangeably. Both glazed and candied pecans are sweet and great for snacking; however, they are made differently.
Glazed pecans may include corn syrup as one of the ingredients, often aren’t baked, and they have a shinier appearance.
Candied pecans are made with egg whites, they are baked, and have a sugary coating.
Once the candied bourbon pecans have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container. They’ll keep for at least a week at room temperature and even longer if it’s cool. For longer storage, up to a month, refrigerate them. Bourbon pecans can be frozen for up to two months.
More Nut Snacks
Sweet and Spicy Candied Bourbon Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 3 cups pecan halves (12 oz. package)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, parchment paper, or Silpat.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk egg white with bourbon until frothy. Stir in pecans, mixing until moistened.1 egg white, 1 tablespoon bourbon, 3 cups pecan halves
- In a separate small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cayenne until combined. Sprinkle over moistened nuts, gently stir to combine and spread onto prepared pan evenly in one layer.½ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes. They burn quickly so keep an eye on them! I stir them after 10 minutes, then again after 10 minutes, then again after 5 minutes, and after another 5 minutes, they are typically perfectly browned. The pecans should look dry, not sticky.
- Cool completely. They will crisp more as they cool. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Without bourbon: If you prefer, skip the bourbon and substitute a tablespoon of water.
- With cinnamon: Substitute ¼ teaspoon cinnamon for the cayenne.
- Storage: To prolong shelf-life, store nuts in the refrigerator (up to 1 month) or freezer (up to 2 months).
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Has anyone made these with pecans and walnuts?
I haven’t tried that, but it should work great!
Love this recipe! I always tweak them a bit to add my own twist, so I put some vanilla extract and used brown sugar instead of white. Damn delicious!!
So glad you like these! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
How long do these last? I’d like to mail them to family as a gift…
That should be fine! They should last a week or two.
Great recipe. We modified it to have a scant 1/8th teaspoon of cinnamon, and a little less cayenne, also super tasty.
So glad you liked these, Jeff! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
How about melted butter instead of egg whites?
I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t promise results, but let me know if you try it and how it turns out! It would definitely taste great, I know that!