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.
“I have made these several times so far, and they never seem to last! I have to hide some if I want to have them for more than a few days! Thank you for the recipe!”
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 (see note 4)
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 (see note.
- Cool completely. They will crisp more as they cool. Once the pecans are cool, store in an airtight container (see note 2).
Notes
- Baking tip: 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).
- Storage: 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. To prolong shelf-life, store nuts in the refrigerator (up to 1 month) or freezer (up to 2 months).
- Substitute another nut: Instead of pecans, try walnuts or another nut of your choice.
- More variations: Omit the cayenne pepper, if you don’t want the “spicy” aspect. You can replace it with a hint of cinnamon instead (¼ to ½ teaspoon). If you prefer, skip the bourbon and substitute a tablespoon of water.
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!
Can this recipe be used in the slow cooker
I have never tried it that way and I don’t think it would work very well.
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
I’m so happy to hear you like these, Diana! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
trying these right now to put on a spinach, apple, bacon salad for thanksgiving
Yum!!!
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!
Good tips! Hope you love them with bourbon!
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.
These look fantastic!
These are gonna drive my husband NUTS! ;)
“Happy Cooking”
I could be to the bottom of the bowl in a few minutes. Yum!
I have. no words.
Pinned!
Thank you!
I know I could eat the whole batch by myself. Candied nuts are so addicting!