Pecans are delicious on their own, but then you add in maple syrup, a little bit of brown sugar, and cinnamon and roast them in the oven…now we’re talking! WARNING: These are ADDICTING…seriously though. Not even kidding, I’m eating them right now as I type this post out. Once you make these and realize how easy it is, you will be making them as a table snack for many family holiday gatherings to come!
Candied pecans are popular around the holidays, especially as we enter into fall and all the winter holidays. They are great to have on the table for guests to snack on at a family gathering or holiday party. You will smell candied nuts when you walk the mall sometimes or even at ball games. The first time I tried candied pecans was at a football game and I fell in love!
This version of candied pecans is a little different because I use maple syrup to glaze the pecans and do the majority of the sweetening. A little bit of brown sugar goes a long way here, we only use a quarter of a cup for 5 cups of pecans. That is significantly less than many other candied pecan recipes.
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Ingredients for Maple Cinnamon Candied Pecans
Maple cinnamon candied pecans are made with only 5 simple ingredients you probably already have on hand after you stock up on some pecans! I usually buy nuts from Costco Wholesale stores because they are such a great deal, but the Fisher brand pecan halves are great to.
- Pecan Halves (Don’t use chopped pecans as they will be harder to eat and in pieces. Whole pecan halves are best for this snack!)
- Real Maple Syrup (Use REAL maple syrup, not a mixed pancake syrup, we need the real stuff here! Not only is it so much better for your health, but it tastes amazing!)
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Salt
Instructions
Maple cinnamon candied pecans could not be any easier to make!
All you need to do is pour all of the ingredients into a bowl and toss the nuts well so that they are well coated. I like to coat the pecans in the maple syrup first, then mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a separate small bowl before dumping onto the pecans but it really doesn’t matter how you do it.
Once the pecans are well coated, dump them onto a silicone mat on a baking sheet. It is super important to use a silicone mat because it prevents the sugar syrup mixture from sticking to the pan and creating a mess. It makes the clean up so much easier and also makes the tossing of the nuts easier throughout the roasting process. Just trust me on this, use a silicone mat! You can also try parchment paper but in my experience it is seriously just easier to use a silicone mat. They are affordable, less wasteful than parchment paper, and you can use them for so many things!
Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, go ahead and stir your pecans well and put them back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Stir again and roast for a final 5 minutes. If pecans look well roasted and complete, you could stop there and not roast for the last 5 minutes.
Everyone’s oven is different so it just depends but you should not need more than 25 minutes total. Stir the nuts as soon as they come out of the oven and scrape up any excess sugar syrup on the mat. Let the candied pecans cool completely before enjoying. If the nuts seem wet or sticky at first, they will firm up as they cool and dry!
Variations
You can use this recipe with any kind of nuts. Same quantities and method! Cinnamon sugar goes great with walnuts or almonds too! You could also use an assortment of nuts at the same quantity below. This recipe can also be easily scaled up or down.
Equipment
As I mentioned above, a silicone mat is a must to make this recipe as easy as can be! Other than that you don’t need any special equipment to make these candied pecans. You will want a standard baking sheet, a bowl to toss the nuts in, a spoon to mix the nuts, and some measuring cups and spoons. Be sure to use a liquid measuring cup to measure out the maple syrup.
Storage
Candied nuts can be stored for in an airtight container at room temperature. Whenever I make these candied pecans, they never last longer than a few days but could be stored for a week in an airtight container. If I needed to store them longer than a week, I would place them in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks and if the candied nuts need to be stored even longer, they can be frozen. Just be sure to freeze in an airtight container with no moisture to prevent freezer burn. They will start to lose flavor and freshness after a month or two in the freezer.
Because this recipe is so easy and comes together so quickly, I truly recommend making them fresh when possible. These candied pecans make your house smell amazing too!
Top tip
Be sure to toss and mix the nuts several times throughout the roasting process, at least two times during and one time after should be good. This ensures an even coating of the syrup sugar mixture while it roasts onto the nuts. Once the candied nuts are complete, give them a final toss and let them cool completely on the baking sheet before packing into containers.
If you made this recipe, BE SURE TO tag me on Instagram @bakingguilty AND please leave a comment OR star rating below! We so greatly appreciate it and hope you love this recipe!
Maple Cinnamon Candied Pecans
Equipment
- silicone mat (A must to prevent the sugar mixture on the nuts from sticking to the pan! It also makes it easy to mix the nuts while they are roasting in the oven.)
- sheet pan
Ingredients
- 5 cups pecans
- ½ cup real maple syrup (*make sure this is REAL maple syrup and not any other kinda of mixed or alternative syrup.)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 T ground cinnamon
- ½ t salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat. (This is a must in order to prevent the sugar syrup mixture from sticking to the pan. This makes it easy to stir the pecans throughout the roasting process as well.)
- In a bowl, toss pecans with the maple syrup and ensure their well coated. Whisk together cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt in a separate small bowl. Then mix the brown sugar cinnamon mixture into the pecans. Toss well until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour out pecans onto the silicone mat on the baking sheet. Ensure you scrape out any syrup sugar mixture left in the bowl. Spread the pecans across the silicone mat evenly in one layer.
- Place pecans into the preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes, then stir and toss the pecans ensuring they are all coated well. Bake for an additional 10 minutes and stir the pecans again. Bake for 5 more minutes until pecans are completely roasted and dark brown. When you take them out of the oven (after 25 minutes), you'll want to stir again really well. Each time you stir, you evenly distribute the sugar syrup mixture on the nuts. If it seems a little tacky at first, they will firm up as they cool. Leave on the silicone mat to cool completely. Enjoy!
