Sweet and Spicy Candied Bourbon Pecans
Posted: 04/06/2012
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Sugar. Bourbon. Pecans. These bourbon pecans are dangerously good. Picture them sprinkled on top of ice cream, cheesecake, or a salad.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: These are easy to make and everyone LOVES them.
How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, whisk, shallow baking pan
Servings: 12
Table of Contents
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Sugar. Bourbon. Pecans. These suckers are dangerous.
Dangerously good.
I’m picturing them sprinkled on top of vanilla bean ice cream, especially with a drizzle of bourbon caramel sauce. They’re so good topping this baked Brie with cranberries appetizer. Or arranged on top of a pumpkin cheesecake or banana cake with cream cheese frosting. Or heck, throw them on a salad, like this shaved Brussels sprouts salad! The possibilities are endless.
Bourbon pecans are a welcome addition to any charcuterie board. They go great with cheese, fruits, meats, and pretty much anything.
Let’s not overlook the fact that they are really good on their own, too. Or as a simple snack with a vanilla bourbon fizz or a maple old fashioned. Or as my husband said, “I wish I had a beer to go with these!”
These are SO good. Perfect for gifting, perfect for holiday parties, perfect for anything.
About This Recipe
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. Then you experience just a touch of spicy and salty. 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.
These candied pecans have just a touch of cayenne so you aren’t overwhelmed by the sweetness of the sugar and bourbon. You wouldn’t call them spicy hot by any means but they do have a teeny tiny after-burn.
What you’ll need: pecan halves, an egg white, a splash of bourbon, sugar, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Look for the printable recipe card near the end of the post for specific measurements, instructions, and nutrition information.
Make It Your Own
- Instead of pecans, substitute walnuts or another nut of your choice.
- Omit the cayenne pepper, if you don’t want the “spicy” aspect. You can replace it with a hint of cinnamon instead.
- Rather skip the bourbon? Substitute a tablespoon of water.
FAQs
Are glazed and candied pecans the same?
Although both glazed and candied pecans are sweet and great for snacking, 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.
You may notice that the two terms are used somewhat interchangeably.
Why are my candied pecans soft?
Underbaking the pecans can cause them to be soft. Bake them until they are dry to the touch, not sticky (watch them closely so they don’t burn).
Be sure to cool the baked pecans completely before storing them in an airtight container or condensation may form on the inside of the container, making the pecans soft.
Are candied nuts good for you?
In moderation, candied nuts are pretty healthy. Since all types of nuts are nutritious with many health benefits, they can be part of a healthy diet. Watch your serving size; one serving of pecans is one ounce, which is just under a quarter cup. Because candied nuts also have quite a bit of sugar, they should be considered a treat to be eaten once in awhile.
Storage Tips
Once the 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 Nuts & Seeds
- Olive Oil Roasted Almonds
- Sugar Free Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
- Olive Oil and Rosemary Roasted Almonds
- Vanilla Bean Candied Walnuts
- Smoky Roasted Almonds
- Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas) Eight Ways
- How to Toast Pine Nuts – 3 easy methods!
- Savory Granola (nut-free recipe)
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Sugar. Bourbon. Pecans. These bourbon pecans are dangerously good. Picture them sprinkled on top of ice cream, cheesecake, or a salad.
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.
- 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.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes. They burn quickly so keep an eye on them! I stir them after 10 minutes, then 10 minutes again, then 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
- Serving size: approximately ¼ cup.
- If you prefer, skip the bourbon and substitute a tablespoon of water.
- Instead of cayenne, add a ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon.
- To prolong shelf-life, store nuts in the refrigerator or freezer.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 0.25cup, Calories: 208kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Sodium: 101mg, Potassium: 108mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 23IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 18mg, 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 Dyer says
Has anyone made these with pecans and walnuts?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tried that, but it should work great!
Charlie says
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!!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you like these! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Emily says
How long do these last? I’d like to mail them to family as a gift…
Rachel Gurk says
That should be fine! They should last a week or two.
Jeff says
Great recipe. We modified it to have a scant 1/8th teaspoon of cinnamon, and a little less cayenne, also super tasty.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked these, Jeff! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Ken says
How about melted butter instead of egg whites?
Rachel Gurk says
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!
Debbie says
Can this recipe be used in the slow cooker
Rachel Gurk says
I have never tried it that way and I don’t think it would work very well.
Diana M. Boltz says
I make nuts to give away to neighbors and friends at Christmas. This year I tried these Bourbon pecans. They are now our favorite and will become not only the Christmas treat to give, but our camping and snack time treat
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy to hear you like these, Diana! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Jessica says
trying these right now to put on a spinach, apple, bacon salad for thanksgiving
Rachel Gurk says
Yum!!!
Kathleen says
I make a very similar recipe to these with water instead of bourbon. I am going to try these with the bourbon but will follow my other recipes baking temp. and time. Those call for a 250 oven and bake for one hour, stirring every 15 min. Burning is never an issue at this temp and once they cool, the nuts are crispy and crunchy. Looking forward to seeing how they taste!
Rachel Gurk says
Good tips! Hope you love them with bourbon!
indianaAnna says
I just made these but since I didn’t have bourbon, I used Irish whiskey. Delicious! I think next time I’ll add a bit more salt and up the amount of cayenne to the full 1/4 tsp.