Easy Cinnamon and Sugar Candied Pecans: A Simple Treat

The best thing about these candied pecans is that they double as a treat to take to gatherings and something special for Christmas morning!

I’m so excited to be joining 15 wonderful ladies for some Christmas treats.

There are so many delicious treats and I hope you’re able to snag a recipe or two to share with loved ones this year.

Before we get into my simple cinnamon roasted pecans, I want to say thank you to my friend Jen from Midwest Life and Style for hosting this blog hop.

If you’re here from Kelly with The Tattered Pew, welcome!

And thanks so much for stopping by.

Didn’t her molasses cookies look delicious?!

Before we get into this post I just wanted to say a quick “Hi!” if we’ve never met.

I would love for you to head over to the About Aliya section so you can get to know me a bit more.

(Over there I share how and why I came to start Open Doors Open Hearts.)

You can also sign up to get the emails so you can stay up to date with everything that’s happening over here.

If you’d like, you can also watch my oven roasted cinnamon pecan recipe on YouTube.

Cinnamon and Sugar Candied Pecans

So II want to be clear that this is my first time making these cinnamon and sugar candied pecans.

I looked at a bunch of candied pecan recipes and after watching numerous YouTube videos and reading blogs about all the different kinds, I landed on this one.

Why?

Because it is so much easier than some of the other variations I found.

I’m learning to love the kitchen, but I’m by no means a seasoned pro.

And my time is also extremely valuable to me with 3 little girls running around.

Stove Top Recipes

One variation of candied pecans required me to cook the pecans on the stove top.

1. Constant stirring means I’m likely to burn something when someone tugs at my leg and asks for “helpa”
2. The sugar has to be cooked hot enough so that it gets to the hard crack stage, and I don’t have a candy thermometer, otherwise they might be soft and chewy.
3. After you get the sugar to about 300 degrees F, and remove them from the heat, they will begin to harden quickly and could form pecan clumps instead of individual pecan halves.

Now if you are planning to chop up the pecans when you’re done then you can totally make them on the stove top and it all work out fine.

But if you know me and my style, I’m all about simple.

That’s true for my food too.

There is a time in place for fancy food.

This is not one of them for me haha!

Now with all that said, it’s not my first time consuming and enjoying them, nor is it my first time making treats with nuts.

(Last year I made this crockpot candy and if you want an easy treat it is absolutely easy!)

But because this was my first time making oven roasted cinnamon pecans, I had a lot of questions.

I’m sharing my questions and the answers I found while doing some research in case you have the same questions about this recipe.

FAQ About Cinnamon and Sugar Candied Pecans

Should candied pecans be refrigerated?

Everything I read said that these pecans do not need to be refrigerated.

All you have to do is store them in an airtight container.

I also found that they should last up to 3 weeks that way.

If you like to bake things ahead of time, I also learned that they freeze well.

This has me thinking about turning them into a sweet treat that I take with me to gatherings like my great grandma did with her cookies.

Does anyone else have the sweetest memories of grandma’s cookies straight from the freezer??

I generally prefer soft cookies, but the nostalgia of great grandma’s cookies from the freezer makes me love them that way for totally different reasons.

Anyway, my thought it to bake these all in advance and then just pull out one container at a time as we make our Christmas rounds.

Can I Use Another Kind of Nut?

Yes!

I’ve had cashews and almonds candied like this and they were delicious!

Absolutely worth experimenting with and trying this recipe with different nuts.

This is something that I plan to do!

Ideas for Ways to Enjoy

• Cinnamon Rolls
• Salads
• Cookies
• Over Ice Cream
• Bacon
• As a gift for family and friends
• Simply eat them once they are finished

Cinnamon and Sugar Candied Pecans

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter (I used unsalted)
• 2 large egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 cups halved raw pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F

2. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter and put it on the baking sheet.

You can also cut the cold butter into cubes, and place it on the sheet pan while preheating the oven, to melt the butter.

Watch closely so it doesn’t burn. (I almost burnt my butter because I didn’t get the ingredients mixed fast enough)

3. In a large bowl add 2 egg whites (and 1/4 tsp of salt) and whisk together until it is foamy but still liquidy.

4. Next you can combine the 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon.

Mix until it is completely mixed together.

5. Lastly, add the pecans.

Make sure the pecans are all covered in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

6. Once you have all the ingredients combined, spread the pecan mixture out evenly on the sheet pan with melted butter.

7. Now it’s time to put the pan in the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan after 10 minutes and stir the pecans doing your best to flip the pecans over.

Next put them back in the oven for 10 more minutes, then pull them out of the oven and stir them again.

You will do this a total of three times.

9. Once you have them out of the oven for the third time do a final stir and then let them rest for 1-2 hours without stirring them again so the sugar coating has time to set.

Now its time to enjoy them!

You can head over to my free printables page and get the recipe card for this!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Now make sure you head over to Wendy’s cinnamon popcorn!

Doesn’t that sound absolutely delicious!

Pin for Later!

Don’t forget to head over to Facebook or Instagram to see our day-to-day fun!

Also, make sure you follow along on YouTube & Pinterest to check out all the other inspirations I’ve been pinning!

Have a great week! XoXo

Open Your Doors,
Aliya

If you missed it, make sure you head to the top or bottom of this page and sign-up to join Open Doors Open Hearts!

You’ll be the first to find out all that’s going on over here and you’ll get decor and DIY inspiration!

Christmas Cookies and Holiday Treats

Are you looking to add some new recipes to your holiday rotation this year? Click on the links below to go to each post and see more.

Midwest Life And Style – Peanut Butter Balls | Cottage On Bunker Hill – Double Chocolate Oreo Bark | White Lilac Farmhouse – No Bake Christmas Cookies | Cottage In The Mitten – Holiday Peanut Butter Cookies

My Family Thyme – Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies | Eleanor Rose Home – Christmas Monster Cookies | Pasha Is Home – Christmas Fudge | Tatertots And Jello – Holiday Dipped Oreo Cookies

The Ponds Farmhouse – Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Bark | Vintage Home Designs – Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies | Our Tiny Nest – Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies | Bricks ‘n Blooms – Tiger Butter Fudge

The Tattered Pew – Daddy’s Molasses Cookies | Open Doors Open Hearts – Cinnamon Sugar Pecans | WM Design House – Cinnamon Popcorn | She Gave It A Go – Holiday Punch