Easy Candied Pecans Recipe with Cinnamon for Salads and Holiday Snacking

These candied pecans have a crisp cinnamon-sugar shell over a warm toasted pecan, made right on the stovetop with no candy thermometer needed. They’re ready in about 10 minutes, make 2 cups, and need just four ingredients you probably already have.

I make a batch of these candied pecans every single time I need a salad to look like I tried harder than I did. Toss a handful on greens with some goat cheese and suddenly it’s a whole thing.

The trick is doing this on the stovetop instead of the oven. It’s faster, you can watch exactly what’s happening, and there’s no waiting around for a baking sheet to cool.

They’re also just a really good snack straight out of the bowl. If you love nuts with a little sweetness, my cranberry walnut bread has that same cozy fall flavor going on.

Why You’ll Love These Candied Pecans

• Ready in about 10 minutes, start to finish
• Just 4 ingredients, no candy thermometer
• Crisp, glossy cinnamon-sugar coating
• Great on salads, in gift bags, or by the handful
• Easy to scale up for parties or holiday trays

Ingredients

• 1 cup (100g) pecan halves
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Sugar: Stick with granulated for a crisp, glassy shell. Brown sugar makes a softer, stickier coating that takes longer to set.
• Pecan amount: If you’re doubling the batch, double the sugar and butter right along with the nuts. Adding more pecans without scaling the coating is what leaves half the batch bare.
• Spice: A pinch of cayenne or pumpkin pie spice swaps in fine for the cinnamon if you want a different flavor, same method either way.

How to Make Candied Pecans

Step 1: Melt the Butter and Sugar

Add the butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt to a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir slowly and constantly. This should take 3 to 4 minutes. Watch it closely here, sugar can go from melted to burnt fast once it gets going, and a scorched batch can’t be saved.

Step 2: Add the Pecans

As soon as the sugar is fully melted and looks glossy, not thick or clumped, add the pecans right away and stir to coat. Waiting even another minute lets the sugar start to seize up before the nuts go in.

Step 3: Toast and Coat

Keep stirring for about 1 to 2 minutes so every pecan gets coated and lightly toasted. The mixture will look a little wet and shiny in the pan. That’s normal, it firms up once it cools, not while it’s hot.

Step 4: Cool on a Sheet

Spread the pecans in a single layer on parchment paper, breaking apart any clumps with a fork while they’re still warm. Let them cool completely, about 10 minutes, before touching them again. Pecans that still feel tacky after cooling usually just need a few more minutes of air-drying, not a trip back to the heat.

Tips for the Best Candied Pecans

• Use a nonstick or light-colored pan so you can actually see the sugar change color, a dark pan hides scorching until it’s too late.
• Keep the pecans in a single layer while cooling. Piled up, they stick together in a solid clump.
• Double the batch for parties, but double every ingredient together, not just the nuts.

Snack on These Candied Pecans All Season

Once you’ve got this method down, you’ll find reasons to make it constantly. A cheese board, a gift tin, a bowl on the counter during a holiday party, they all get better with a handful of these.

Store them in an airtight container and they’ll stay crisp on the counter for about a week, if they last that long.

If you make a batch, leave a star rating and let me know what you topped with them.

For more pecan and nut recipes you will love:

• Classic Pecan Pie
• Cranberry Walnut Bread
• Caramel Apple Crisp
• Salted Caramel Apple Pie
• No-Bake Caramel Cheesecake Bars
• Peanut Butter Cookies