Making these candied maple pecans is just about the easiest thing you can do: you'll need 5 minutes, 6 simple ingredients, and a stovetop - that's it! The reward is buttery-sweet, crunchy glazed nuts that are completely irresistible, and just as great for snacking as they are for garnishing salads, side dishes, and desserts.
Leave it to a little sugar to turn ordinary nuts into a sweet snack you can't get enough of. Ordinarily I loathe walnuts, but I'll absolutely eat them when they've been candied with brown sugar, and I like pecans, but I never snack on them as much as I do when they're of the maple-glazed variety.
Suffice it to say, if you've never made candied nuts, you're in for a treat! These spiced maple pecans are incredibly easy to make and tastier than you might imagine, whether you're a nut fanatic or not.
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Why You'll Love This Glazed Pecans Recipe
- Simple ingredients: Though maple candied pecans may seem like the kind of thing you'd only find in a gourmet fruit & nut basket, they're actually quite easy to make at home with basic ingredients. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that you already have at least 4 of the 6 necessary ingredients in your pantry!
- Quick preparation: Making these on the stovetop (versus in the oven) means you can have sweetened maple nuts cooling on your counter in about 5 minutes time. They're easy enough to fit into even the busiest Thanksgiving Day cooking schedule!
- Perfectly crunchy: Toasting pecans in maple syrup tends to make them a little softer than I'd prefer. The trick? Add some brown sugar! I've found that this mixture yields the best candied pecans with the perfect amount of crunch.
- Infinitely versatile: Eat them plain, add them to salads, sprinkle them over candied yams, or use them to garnish your favorite fall desserts, like caramel biscotti and pumpkin cheesecake bars. The options are endless!
- Naturally gluten free, dairy free, and vegan: No matter how you plan to serve these, you can rest assured that they'll be safe for a variety of dietary needs.
Ingredients for Maple Pecans
You can undoubtedly guess at least 2 of the main ingredients that make up this recipe - pecans and maple syrup! - but there are a few extra additions that really do an amazing job of rounding out the flavors here.
- Pecans - For this recipe, you'll need simple raw pecan halves. Pecans can be expensive, so if you have a Costco membership, I highly recommend buying them there to get the best price!
- Maple Syrup - Opt for real maple syrup, not artificially-flavored pancake syrup.
- Brown Sugar - While many people sweeten their candied pecans with maple syrup alone, I like the caramelized crunch that brown sugar adds. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Vanilla Extract - Tossing these maple glazed pecans in a bit of vanilla immediately after taking them off the stovetop adds a buttery-sweet finish that can't be beat. Just like you wouldn't skip the vanilla in a batch of chocolate chip cookies, don't skip it here!
- Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon pairs incredibly well with the maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in this recipe, and gives these pecans just the right amount of spiced warmth.
- Salt - This is a must-have to bring all of the flavors together!
How to Make Maple Syrup Candied Pecans
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You'll want this ready so you have a place to cool your pecans after candying them.
- In a medium to large skillet, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat, stirring the mixture together as it heats up.
- Add the pecans and cook until they've absorbed all of the liquid, stirring nearly constantly. This should take no more than about 5 minutes.
Tip!
Nuts can easily burn on the stove if left unattended, even for a short period of time. To avoid this, watch the pecans closely as they cook, stir them very frequently, and take them off the heat as soon as they've absorbed the maple syrup mixture (or immediately if you smell anything burning!)
- Remove the pecans from the stovetop and stir in the vanilla extract. Immediately transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer and let cool before eating.
Storing and Shelf Life
Once the pecans have cooled, transfer them to an airtight container for storage. They'll keep at room temperature (preferably in a dark place like a pantry) for at least 2 weeks.
For longer-term storage (up to 3 months), you can also store your candied pecans in the freezer.
Recipe Variations
- Not a fan of maple syrup? Make simple brown sugared pecans by increasing the brown sugar to ⅔ cup. Heat the sugar, cinnamon, and salt over medium heat just until the sugar begins to melt, and then add the pecans and cook on medium-low just long enough to fully coat the nuts in the sugar.
- Make naturally sweetened maple sugar pecans by swapping the brown sugar with maple sugar.
- Add a kick of heat to these maple spiced pecans with the addition of a pinch (or two!) of cayenne pepper.
More Candied Treats!
Nuts and fruits make some of the best homemade candy. Here are a few other recipes I love!
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Maple Candied Pecans
In just 5 short minutes, you can turn regular pecans into sweet, buttery candied pecans that are bursting with maple flavor. Eat them as a snack, or use them to garnish your favorite salads, side dishes, and desserts!
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups pecans 1x
- Category: candy
- Method: stovetop
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (78 grams) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (53 grams) brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (227 grams) raw pecan halves
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium to large skillet, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat, stirring the mixture together as it heats up.
- Add the pecans and cook until they've absorbed all of the liquid, stirring nearly constantly. This should take no more than about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pecans from the stovetop and stir in the vanilla extract. Immediately transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer and let cool before eating.
Notes
Storing and Shelf Life:
- Store cooled pecans in an airtight container at room temperature, ideally in a dry, dark place like a pantry. They should stay fresh for at least 2 weeks. Nuts can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
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Sandra Rose
These are so good. It's a good thing I'm keeping them in the refrigerator so I don't see them all day! I can say, at least they have fiber, right?
Delicious!
Elsie
Why wouldn't you add the vanilla to the mixture just before adding the pecans? It seems to me that it would be easier to,blend in the vanilla rather than trying to spread 3/4 teaspoon vanilla among 2 cups of gloopy pecans.
Alexandra Azary
The cooking process will burn off most of the alcohol in the vanilla extract, which eliminates a lot of the flavor in the process. This is why you'll usually see that recipes made on the stovetop typically instruct you to add extracts after cooking. I find that the vanilla incorporates just fine the way the recipe is written, but you could also substitute with vanilla bean seeds and add those directly to the syrup mixture, before adding the pecans. Hope that helps!
Dotty J Boucher
I am going to have to make this for the upcoming Christmas holiday, I would have to make atleast 2 batches , because I have a feeling I would eat one batch me self LOL.
@tisonlyme143
Sheri
delightful recipe, only problem is not eating the entire batch in one sitting
Chineka @ Savor The Baking
I love pecans and candied pecans are by far my favorite snack. I have been ordering them from this Seattle based company near me, but now I can make my own. Thanks for the recipe.
alexandra
SO worth making your own too - it couldn't be easier! :)
Sarah Kat
This recipe will be SOO perfect for my Granddad for Christmas! I always cook treats for him since he says he has all the junk he could ever want. I've already started collecting recipes for this year and this one is a sure thing.
Thanks so much! How long do you think they'll keep?
alexandra
Aww that's awesome! I would think they'd last for a month, if not more, as long as you keep them in an airtight container. :)
Vanessa @ Vanessa Baked
Love anything with pecans. Make them in a sweet sugar coating, and I will eat them all! Your pictures are beautiful! I just want to reach in and grab a bucket!
alexandra
Thank you so much Vanessa!