Candied pecan recipes can be overly complicated, whisk egg whites, use this and that. These candied pecans are not overly complicated, trust me this recipe is simple! Three ingredients, maple syrup, pecans, and salt – say what! No bad oils, no refined sugar, no bs in this recipe, just simple ingredients, that I bet you have on hand in your kitchen.

Pecans can be expensive! So if you need to buy some I get mine from Thrive Market, I freaking love this place. Organic ingredients that are discounted, yes, please!

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Candied pecans that are so good they will be hard to resist

I top those sweet little nuts on so many dishes, salads, Hasselback butternut squash, to grabbing a handful when you have a sweet tooth craving. Just be careful!

Crack pecans

These maple glazed pecans are like crack to me. When I have these stocked in my kitchen, which I often do I have to restrain myself from digging into the jar. They talk to me, not in a “wow Amy you are crazy” kind of way, but like when you have an amazing birthday cake inside your refrigerator and you want to eat it at all hours of the day. It talks to you. I can’t be the only person that this happens too! Is anyone with me?!

Maybe one handfull then I need to walk away, if I grab the whole container then I’ll eat too much and feel sick. I swear this has never happened to me before.

How to make candied pecans?

Its quite simple guys. Preheat your oven to 425, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, add pecans, toss with maple syrup, and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Keeping a close eye on them, tossing them in the oven a few times with a spatula, and they can burn so quickly.

How do candied pecans become candied?

Basically, when these are cooking in the oven the maple syrup starts to bubble up. The liquid maple syrup is evaporating, thickening and coating over the pecans. Making them nice and candied.

Make sure you salt them right out of the oven

As soon as you take your candied pecans out of the oven, salt them! They will be sticky enough so the salt will adhere to the pecans. If you wait until they are cool, the salt just falls off.

Troubleshooting issues when making candied pecans

I’ve noticed a few times when making these that once they are cooled the outer edges of the baking sheet are hard and candied but the center is a little sticky. I just remove the fully cooked pecans, placing in a container and pop the sticky pecans back in the oven to cook a little longer. This helps them dry out a bit.

I personally don’t like the sticky pecans because I noticed that when you eat them the candy sticks in your teeth. Personal preference you know!

How to create different flavored candied pecans

If you want to change it up a bit from the classic recipe then do! Here are a few ideas, add a little chipotle powder for smokey + spicy candied pecans. Or add fresh tyme + rosemary for a sweet and herby candied pecan.

LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS IF YOU ENJOYED THIS RECIPE!