Candied Pecans Recipe
It’s been several years since I’ve written about edible Christmas gifts but here’s what I want you to know: I still give them to friends and family. This Candied Pecans recipe is from my mother and is her signature gift to loved ones far and wide. Luckily, I’m on the list too, I always get a bag. We love these to no end and look forward to them all year long. Sure, I could technically make them whenever I wanted, but they would they be as special if I did?!
The beauty of these pecans is that they hit all the right notes. They’re sweet and salty, enrobed in crispy meringue, and still maintain a nice amount of crunch. As I mentioned on instagram, we love to tip them into a bowl and snack on them throughout the whole day. However, they are also delicious when added to all kinds of things like salad with a sharp vinaigrette, blue cheese, and thinly sliced pears, or a salty nut mix or grazing board. They are functionally the perfect addition to just about anything.
Despite mostly receiving these as a gift year or year, I have made them for myself on occasion. Take your time with the recipe, though it is simple, you really want to make sure the egg whites are fluffy and everything is well incorporated before they go into the oven. If you do a halfsies kind of job they will not turn out well at all. I’m speaking from experience!
These make great gifts because they’re so pretty when put into bags or cardboard to-go boxes or just about any other pretty packaging you can find at the store. I still swear that a beautiful cello bag of Candied Pecans tied with a bright red ribbon makes one of the most perfect edible gifts in the world.
Recipe
Candied Pecans Recipe
Ingredients
Makes 4 cups
4 cups pecans
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Prepare a 12×18 rimmed baking sheet by placing a Silpat or parchment paper in the pan and coating it well with baking spray or an even coating of butter.
- In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites with the sugar until they hold soft peaks. Be very thorough with this, you want them to be light and fluffy.
- Once the egg white mixture is prepared, fold in the cinnamon, pecans, and water, just until everything is combined.
- Spread the pecan mixture on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the pecans for 45 minutes total, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even baking on both sides.
- Once the baking is complete, the pecans should be covered in a crispy meringue shell. When they cool enough to touch, break them apart with your hands. Allow to cool completely before packaging.
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