The Best Spiced Pecans
Posted: 04/13/2022
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These spiced pecans have everything you want in a spiced nut. They are sweet, crunchy, spicy, and unbelievably addicting.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Spiced pecans are a great snack but you can also enjoy them on salads, desserts, pancakes, or even oatmeal.
How long it takes: 15 minutes, allow another 30 minutes for cooling
Equipment you’ll need: skillet, large shallow pan or tray for cooling, parchment paper
Servings: makes 4 cups, about 16 servings
Table of Contents
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Toasted pecans, lightly glazed with brown sugar and butter, and warmly spiced with cinnamon, cumin, cardamom and cayenne, are a pretty irresistible snack.
For some reason, I always associate spiced nuts with the holidays, especially Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but you can enjoy spiced nuts any time of the year. They aren’t just a snack; spiced nuts are a wonderful addition to salads, yogurt, oatmeal, or pancakes.
The plus side to eating nuts is that you get a lot of bang for your buck; a small amount is filling and will leave you satisfied. A quarter cup of these pecans (which is a pretty good-sized serving) is just 239 calories.
Pecans have lots of vitamins and minerals, and very little saturated fat. According to the Georgia Pecan Commission, pecans have “so many health benefits, they are referred to as nutrition in a nutshell.”
About these spiced pecans
These spiced pecans have amazing flavor. First of all, toasted pecans merely on their own are phenomenal. Add butter, brown sugar, and a medley of warm spices and you’re pretty much in off-the-charts amazing flavor territory.
You’d think something that tastes this good would be difficult to make. Good news, these are super easy! They only take about 15 minutes and you don’t even have to turn the oven on.
I’ll show you just how easy they are right here and give you lots of extra helpful tips. As always, you’ll find the printable recipe card near the end of the post, with instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.
What You’ll Need
- Pecan Halves: You’ll need a pound of pecans which is about four cups. Look for the freshest pecans you can find. Stale pecans don’t taste good; the oil in nuts tends to become rancid over time. Halves, rather than pieces, are best for snacking.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter if you can. If you only have salted butter, halve the amount of salt added.
- Brown Sugar: Either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work. I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe because the flavor doesn’t overpower the spices.
- Cinnamon: This warm spice is always so good on roasted nuts. We love cinnamon roasted almonds (with no sugar!) and even chickpeas can be roasted with cinnamon for a really tasty, healthy snack.
- Cumin: Cumin is more often seen in savory dishes but it’s so good combined with other warm spices in a sweet snack like this.
- Ground Cayenne Red Pepper: Cayenne pepper gives a nice little surprising tingle of heat. You don’t need much; just a subtle touch of fire is enough.
- Cardamom: Cardamom is probably the least familiar of the spice quartet to some of us. It’s often seen in Indian or Middle Eastern cuisine, and you may recognize it as one of the ingredients in chai tea. You can buy cardamom in pods, seeds, or ground; ground cardamom is the most mildly flavored.
- Salt: There’s exactly the right balance between sweet and salty in these spiced nuts.
- Water: Helps distribute the sugar.
How To Make These Spiced Nuts
Let’s get started on this simple recipe. Mix the salt and ground spices in a small bowl and set it aside for now. Measure out the brown sugar and set it aside too.
Line a shallow baking sheet or tray with parchment paper. It doesn’t have to be oven-safe because you won’t be baking these nuts on the pan, just spreading them out to cool.
Next, put the pecans into a medium sized skillet. I like to use a nonstick skillet so the butter/sugar mixture sticks to the pecans and not the pan.
Toast the nuts over medium heat for four to five minutes, stirring nearly constantly. The pecans should be lightly browned and smell toasted. Don’t try to rush them by toasting them on high heat. It’s better to go lower and slower when toasting nuts.
Add the butter, stirring until the butter is melted and the pecans are coated. Sprinkle the roasted pecans with the spice mixture, tossing lightly to distribute the spice.
Add the brown sugar and water and stir well. Continue stirring and cooking for three to five minutes or until the sugar melts and the mixture is thickened slightly, glazing the pecans.
Spread the toasted pecans on the prepared pan. Use a fork to separate them. Allow them to cool completely.
How To Use Spiced Pecans
- Appetizer: Serve spiced nuts in a fancy dish at your next party. Add them to your charcuterie or cheese board. They go so well with cocktails like a vanilla bourbon fizz, an apple cider mule or an orange G & T with cinnamon. And yes, they also would go down pretty well with a craft beer or your favorite wine.
- Salads: Spiced pecans add pizzazz to most salads. Try them on this shaved Brussels sprouts salad with grapes and Parmesan. Add them to a simple green salad with fresh sliced strawberries and homemade poppy seed dressing.
- Breakfast: Why not add spiced pecans to warm oatmeal or Greek yogurt, along with fresh fruit? That will start your day off in a pretty awesome way! Pancakes or waffles drizzled with maple syrup and topped with spiced pecans are amazing too.
- Desserts: Sprinkle spiced pecans on vanilla ice cream or pound cake with homemade hot fudge or caramel sauce. So good!
- Gifts: I actually give most of these away because there is no doubt in my mind I would eat the entire batch. Place the nuts in a jar with a pretty ribbon tied around the top and give them to your favorite people.
FAQs
Are glazed pecans the same as candied pecans?
Glazed pecans are made with a mixture of brown sugar and butter. They may appear more glossy and aren’t usually baked.
Candied pecans are made with egg whites and white sugar, and may look more sugary. They are usually coated with egg white, tossed with white sugar, and baked until crisp.
Why are my spiced nuts sticky?
Spiced nuts will be a little sticky until they are completely cooled. As they cool, the sugar coating will harden.
It could be that they weren’t entirely cool when you stored them. The condensation inside the airtight container can make them sticky.
If the pecans are sticky, spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them at 325°F for 5 to 10 minutes.
Should nuts be stored in the freezer?
The oil in nuts can become rancid and make the nuts taste bad. To extend the shelf life of nuts, store them in the freezer in an airtight container. They will keep for up to a year. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to six months.
Make it your own
- Substitute walnuts or raw almonds for the pecans.
- Don’t have brown sugar? Use white granulated sugar instead.
- Be creative with spice combinations. Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice mixes are super yummy.
Storage Tips
Cool pecans completely before storing them in an airtight container. If they aren’t completely cool, condensation will form on the inside of the container and they will get soggy.
Spiced pecans will keep for a week or so on the counter, a month in the fridge, and a few months in the freezer.
More Nutty Snacks
Try these other recipes for glamorous nuts (never thought I’d say “glamorous nuts” on Rachel Cooks):
- Sugar-Free Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
- Vanilla Bean Candied Walnuts
- Olive Oil Roasted Almonds
- Smoky Roasted Almonds
- Raspberry Chipotle Candied Pecans
- Sweet and Spicy Candied Bourbon Pecans
- Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas) Eight Ways
- Chili Lime Spiced Almonds from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
These spiced pecans have everything you want in a spiced nut. They are sweet, crunchy, spicy, and unbelievably addicting.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 16 ounces pecan halves (about 4 cups)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside.
- Mix the salt, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon and cardamom in a small bowl; set aside.
- Place the nuts in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring nearly constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes until they start to brown and smell like they are toasting.
- Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the spices and stir until combined. Add sugar and water, stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the nuts, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the nuts to the prepared pan and separate them with a fork. Cool completely before transferring to an airtight container for storage.
Notes
- Makes 4 cups or 16 servings (¼ cup each).
- Cool completely before storing in airtight container. Spiced pecans will keep for a week or so on the counter, a month in the fridge, and a few months in the freezer.
- Substitute walnuts or raw almonds for the pecans if you prefer.
- Don’t have brown sugar? Use white granulated sugar instead.
- Be creative with spice combinations. Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice mixes are super yummy.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 0.25cup, Calories: 239kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 147mg, Potassium: 125mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 117IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Linda says
Wonderful!
Rachel Gurk says
Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks!
Tia says
These were so easy to make and had wonderful flavor! Such a great recipe!
Rachel Gurk says
They’re so great for entertaining!
Dominique Smith says
Ooooo
Darling
This is
Very
Yummy
Rachel Gurk says
Thank you so much!
Elaine Peterson says
I’ll kick up the spices a touch next time for my taste otherwise easy and good. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’ll also use my biggest pan as I didn’t do a very good job keeping the nuts from escaping as I tossed them in my medium frying pan. One heads up to others. I dumped my bag of nuts into the heated pan and started noticing burnt bits of nuts and their “dust” as I tossed. I was able to save the batch by pouring the nuts into a larger hole colander, shaking out any small pieces and wiping out the pan before continuing to toast the nuts.
Rachel Gurk says
Great tip, thanks Elaine!