These homemade Candied Pecans are more addicting than potato chips, and make an easy and fantastic treat for parties or gifts for the holidays!
Grab some extra pecans at the store and make our turtle candy and saltine cracker toffee, too – a gift trio, everyone will love!
The Best Candied Pecans Recipe
These candied pecans have practically become a permanent fixture in my house, especially at holiday time. I’ve lost count of how many batches I have made over the years…and how many people have become indebted to me by leaving them on the counter top, greeting friends and family as they walk through the door.
Have you ever had candied pecans? They’re always a popular item at street fairs, ice cream parlors, and shopping malls. The smell is as intoxicating as cinnamon rolls.
Most recipes for candied nuts are coated in a a cinnamon-sugar mixture. This one takes it a step further with powdered sugar. They are amazing.
Ingredients Needed
You will need the following ingredients for this candied pecans recipe:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Pecan halves
- Egg whites
- Vanilla
- Granulated sugar
- Melted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Cinnamon
Try a different nut!
How to Make Candied Pecans
There’s only a few steps to making these candied nuts. Here’s a brief summary:
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for details and measurements, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Beat the egg whites. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and add in the vanilla and granulated sugar.
- Add in the pecans. Toss in the pecans and coat thoroughly.
- Spread on baking sheet with butter. Pour melted butter on a greased baking sheet, then spread the pecans on top in an even layer.
- Bake and Stir. Bake at 325F for 40 minutes, stirring them every 10 minutes.
- Toss to coat in powdered sugar and cinnamon. Remove from the oven and transfer to a large ziploc bag with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat.
Video: Homemade Candied Pecans
Proper Storage
- Serving and Gifting. Like most pralines, they’re best warm from the oven, but still incredibly wonderful at room temperature and even several days later. Make up a batch for yourself and the loved ones in your life. A cup of these in a cellophane bag, with a cute ribbon as holiday gifts, and everyone will be indebted to you.
- How long do candied pecans last? These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one week or in the fridge for 3 weeks.
- Can you freeze candied pecans? You can, but I would recommend you let them cool and not coat them in the powdered sugar, which gets wet and gooey once thawed. Instead, roast and cool completely, freeze, then reheat slightly and coat with the powdered sugar mixture before serving. They can be frozen up to 2 months.
More Pecan Recipes:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 pound pecan halves
- 1/2 cup butter , melted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; add vanilla and gradually add sugar. Toss in the pecans and mix gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until they are coated thoroughly.
- Pour melted butter on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spread the pecans out evenly over the baking sheet and cook for 40 minutes, turning them every 10 minutes with a spatula – do not skip this step! (They will look like a gloppy mess at first, but don’t worry! Keep turning as instructed and all will be good.)
- Remove from oven and cool for about 2 minutes
- Place powdered sugar and cinnamon in a large resealable plastic bag; add in the pecans, seal and shake until coated.
- Best served warm, but absolutely delicious even after a few weeks!
Video
Nutrition
Other Notes
(originally from Lisa at The Cutting Edge of Ordinary)
The video on Tiktok for this recipe is how I discovered your page. I made 5 lbs of these for Christmas gifts and they were a hit!! I love gifting but this is a simple and delicious way to gift without breaking the bank. Thank you for sharing the recipe!!
Hi Amy! Just dropping a line to say how much I enjoy your video clips on TT and to say how much I love this recipe for candied pecans, it really is a game changer! I’ve made it a number of times to present as gifts and thank-you treats (while sneaking a few for myself before they’re all gone)…and everyone raves about them. While I bask in the praise, I always acknowledge your site as the source! I just wanted to share that, while trying to manage my diabetes (this is such a great high-protein and fibre treat with the nuts and eggs) I substituted half the sugar with Splenda and it worked beautifully and seemed to make the nuts a little crunchier (but I have to watch them a little closer for doneness). Yes, there’s still the icing sugar but I lightly tossed mine so they didn’t accumulate too much coating (I’m going to try coating using half regular and half sugar free icing sugar in the future) and in the meantime, I try to limit how many I sneak…not an easy task, LOL. Keep up the great work, I look forward to some great new inspiration from you! A Canadian follower.
i’m the only one in my house who eats pecans…so i make the recipe and then take them into work for my coworkers to enjoy with me! This recipe never fails to please everyone!
Hi, I made these right around Christmas and took to work, EVERYBODY loved them. I made a batch for my parents and their lake neighborhood friends and they said they are addicting. Thank you so much for sharing.
Delicious!! These pecans will be a tradition in my home! And so easy to make!! ?
Greetings from the Netherlands. Second time I made them using your recipe. Absolutely delicious!
Tried this recipe and they were delicious
Very yummy! And addictive. Keeper for Christmas.
Incredible
They were delicious! Saving this recipe and will make it every year. Thank you!!
These turned out amazing!!!
Brought this to a Christmas dinner and everyone loved them!
These were so good. Making another batch to share!
Turned out PERFECT, everyone loved them, best recipe ever, only note I have is, I did have to whisk the egg whites, not beat them!
Omg. These are truly THE BEST candied pecans ever! I also made your polar bear paws and crockpot candy. So happy I found you on TikTok!!
I love this recipe! They are awesome!
I just made this and can’t stop ‘sampling’ them…they’re soooo good!! It’s gonna be my go-to gift basket gift from now on.
Made these for our Anniversary….what a treat! Never made these before….kids loved to help!
These look amazing! Does it matter if the butter is salted vs unsalted?
Either! Use whichever you prefer depending on taste.
Amazing! New family favorite! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
OMG! These are amazing! They will be made every year now and likely in between too! So good and so easy!
I made them to gift them and now I don’t want to give them away. They’re amazing!!
Holy cow! This has become one of my favorites during the holiday season. Cheers to you!
This was so easy to make and is delicious!!
This was the best candied pecans I have ever tasted. I’m glad you mentioned about how the look through the cooking/stirring. I would have thought I ruined them. Next up Reindeer Chow ?
Made a test batch this evening to see if it was Christmas worthy lol. Oh boy these are delicious! My family says we will need at least a double batch. Thanks for the great recipe!
first time making candied pecans and these were a huge hit! so glad i found you on tiktok – new follower here!
Followed you here from TikTok made this recipe the other night and they absolutely loved it. Now I’m trying it with almonds.
Can you use liquid egg whites?
no, they won’t whip up
Liquid egg white whipped up just fine for me.
These look amazing! I’m lactose intolerant and can’t do butter. Would this would with margarine, or is there another alternative you would recommend?
Hi Heidi – I don’t think this would work with margarine. Without further testing, I just can’t recommend substitutions, sorry!
I used vegan butter and it was perfect. Country crock olive oil sticks.
These are easy and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I made it once. Then made it again right away. So good. Easy to follow directions and delicious!
I finished these at 6:30 pm and I fully expect my household of two to finish these before the night is through. Amazing and delicious, and so simple!
Rushed to make these after seeing your viral TikTok and they did not disappoint!!! WOWZA. Best candied pecans indeed. All my friends and family will be getting some this Christmas. Thank you for sharing!!
simply do not make these. They are so fricken good and addictive that you will have the intention to make them for Christmas but end up eating all of them to yourself. It’s heavenly
i forgot to rate the recipe!! 5/5 stars
I made this recipe today and they’re AMAZING
Found you on TikTok and couldn’t wait to make these. I can attest that these are indeed THE BEST CANDIED PECANS EVER!!! New staple in my house for holiday time for sure. Thank you!!
Saw you on Tik Tok and looking forward to making your candied pecans. I work with Bass Pecan Company in Mississippi and I would like to link to your pecan recipes and TikTok videos if given permission.
This recipe! ?omg so good!I can’t stop eating them!
This sounds wonderful. Just wondering how many pecans I need for one batch.
Hi Patricia – 1 pound pecan halves is listed in the ingredients. Thanks!
Have you made the key lime pecans? I would love the recipe if you have it.
Looking for that recipe here too!!
Can’t help but think that a dash of cinnamon would add a boost to the flavor. I use a recipe similar to this with a teaspoon of cinnamon but they don’t look nearly as good as these do.
The recipe has cinnamon mixed with the powdered sugar. Just thought you might not have seen it.
I made a double batch and handed them out as teacher/administrator gifts yesterday (they were hard to part with, let me tell you! Lol.) EVERYONE today asked for the recipe!
BEST PECANS I’VE EVER TRIED!
Superb!
I printed it and pinned it to Pinterest. Since it is after 1 am I will wait til the sun comes up and hubby is up and moving around before I make them, lol….Thank you Amy for the recipe…they look like the ones my Grandmother use to make…and if they taste as good as those I will be extremely happy.
Wonderful, thanks Sharlene!
Fantastic recipe!!
I was wondering if you can use light brown sugar instead of the granulated white sugar? Seems like this would give a more caramelized flavor. What do you think?
I’ve never altered this recipe, because it’s perfect as is, so I really don’t know. But since there’s no flour or salt involved (like with cookies), it could be fine. Try it!
They are absolutely delicious.
Loved these so much – brought back memories of me with my grandma. Loved the powdered sugar addition.
Fantastic recipe – perfect for holiday gift giving. Everyone loved them and asked for the recipe.
These are so delish. I gave them as gifts and everyone begged for the recipe!
Can’t wait to try these
Oh! Now i’ve got to try these! Love pecans and getting ready to start picking mine up from under the tree! Get to use my new pecan cracker which gives me three things to look forward too! Can’t beat that, thanks for the recipe, Rick.
These look amazing! I want to try this with hazelnuts (although, I’m guessing they won’t pick up the sugar coating as well without all those ridges).
Hi Sohroosh! Hazelnuts do sounds delish, but I think you’re right. I’m thinking of making these with walnuts, which I think would render a similar result as the pecans. I guess we won’t know until we try :D
I can attest that these little gems are totally addicting. Worse than crack…not that I know anything about that… but, well…you get the point.
It’s almost impossible to stop eating these! One has to tear oneself away from the dish to stop.
Do you think it’s possible to use liquid egg whites?
Words like Addictive, Irresistable, More Please!!, fall short of describing how truly Wonderful these are. My Mom made these every year during the Holidays since the Forties. A few times she said “not this year,Pecans are too high”. You’d have thought the world was ending to hear all of us whining. So being Mom, she’d find a way to sneak ’em into our Xmas stockings & have a reserve for THE BIG DINNER at Xmas. A few years ago, she became too frail to carry on so I was designated her replacement. Now, every year one of the first mentions of Chrismas doings is, ” you WILL be making the Nuts soon. Right?” And, being my Moms good son & apprentice, and to honor her memory, I begin making the first ten or so pounds this time of year followed by about ten more a week or so before Christmas. They never fail to bring big smiles to all who know them.
Love it! Thanks for the story, Dale.
Oh….Pecans….one of my weaknesses….!!! Printed & Thanks Amy!!
These sound like something I’d have to get my roommates to hide from ME. Lest I devour the entire batch in mere minutes.
I haven’t made candied nuts before, is it normal for the pecan to be soft after baking?
I had to take a snack to a party, and these were PERFECT.
I’m willing to face the gloopy mess if they turn into the little beauties you have photographed so well!
These are just totally addicting huh? Forget potato chips, or M&M’s or peanuts. You can’t walk by these without grabbing some and then coming back 1 minute later for more. Thank my mother-in-law. She is the one who send me the recipe and got me and the rest of Rhode Island addicted.
I’m glad you like them so much and I’m glad I got to share them with you and all your readers. They do make a great Christmas present.
What size baking pan?
Thank you! Love all your recipes!