Maple Candied Pecans

These easy maple candied pecans are made with maple syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon! Plus, these homemade cinnamon sugared nuts are ready in less than 15 minutes. 

Have you ever made homemade candied pecans before? This version is my favorite, because it comes together quickly and doesn’t require any weird ingredients!

In the words of my sister-in-law, “It was under 70 degrees at one point today. This calls for boots!”

Well, boots and candied nuts, that is.

Capitalizing on the cold with fall fashion and fall(ish) foods is literally at the top of my to-do list for this season. #goals (Of course, this was a few days ago before the weather decided mid-October was the perfect time for 97 degrees). Break out all of the pumpkin spice lattes!

Granted, a few years ago, candied nuts would definitely not have been on my list of fall food favorites (I was young, naive, and desperately in need of an intervention), but I saw the light and haven’t turned back since.

I’ve been crazy about these pumpkin spice candied nuts, and am now just as obsessed with these candied maple pecans!

Let’s talk about homemade candied nuts, shall we??

There are so many recipes out there, and while I’m sure there are many great ones that yield a very similar result, this version is my favorite!

Why I Love This Recipe (and why you’ll dig these maple pecans too!)

• This recipe is SO simple. It takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.
• These are candied pecans without egg whites! You use water instead of egg whites (a lot of candied nut recipes use egg whites to coat the nuts).
• You can make a big batch and then put the nuts in jars and share with neighbors and friends. I’m a big fan of giving edible food gifts during the holidays! Sometimes it’s easier than trying to buy something for someone (other great edible food gifts include this pumpkin spice cracker toffee and these rolo pretzel bites.)  
• While I use pecans, you could substitute and use almonds, walnuts or a combination! 

If you’re a total candied nut newb, let’s chat about the finer points of these making these at home:

First things first, let’s talk ingredients. What do you need to make homemade candied pecans? Well for this particular version of maple candied pecans you need:

• whole pecans
• water
• maple syrup
• brown sugar
• white sugar
• ground cinnamon (and cinnamon sugar for sprinkling)

That’s it! Six ingredients stand between you and this holiday staple!

Homemade Maple Candied Pecans Tips & Tricks:

• You want to use whole raw pecans. I suppose you could use roasted pecans or something like that, but that might alter the flavor. I’m not sure since I’ve never tried it, but just a forewarning.
• You could easily do a mix of different nuts here. I love candied almonds and candied walnuts so feel free to add them into the mix here.
• This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily so if you are planning on making a big batch of homemade candied pecans for Christmas gifts or something, this recipe has your back.
• I like to sprinkle some extra cinnamon sugar on at the end just to give the nuts a sugar sparkle, but that is completely optional. There is a lot of sugar in the recipe already so if you want to cut down a bit, you can easily omit the cinnamon sugar at the end.

FAQ’s:

How Do You Store Candied Pecans?

• I store them in an airtight container–a mason jar, a canister, a storage container, etc. 
• They last for about up to a week. 

Can I Use Maple Extract Instead?

• Unfortunately, no. You must use maple syrup in this recipe and pure maple syrup at that. Pure maple syrup is more expensive, but other syrup or extract won’t substitute. 

A bowl of these? Happy day.

5 from 4 votes

Print

Maple Candied Pecans

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 

These easy maple candied pecans are made with maple syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon! Ready in less than 15 minutes!

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: maple candied pecans

Servings: 3 cups

Author: Michelle

Ingredients

• 3 cups raw pecans, whole
• 1 Tbsp water
• 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, over medium-low heat, combine all ingredients except pecans. Stir until all sugar and spices have dissolved completely.
2. Add in pecans, making sure all nuts are coated with the sugar mixture.
3. Once coated, stir constantly (on med-low heat) for about 7-8 minutes, or until there is no more liquid in the pot. Remove from heat immediately (otherwise the sugars might burn).
4. As soon as the nuts are done, pour nuts onto a sheet of parchment paper to cool (make sure they are flat and in a single layer, otherwise the nuts will stick to each other). If you want to sprinkle with cinnamon sugar to give them a 'sugared' look (as pictured), do it while the nuts are cooling so the cinnamon sugar will stick.
5. Enjoy!

Here are some other fall recipes you might love:

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

Maple Glazed Banana Bread

Pumpkin Donut Holes