Go Back

Easy Candied Pecans

Easy candied pecans with a glossy egg-white coating and slow oven baking for crunchy cinnamon sugar clusters. Roast at low temperature and stir every 15 minutes for even crackly caramelization.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Candied pecans
  • 1 lb pecan halves Use halves for best crunch and even coating.
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and coat
  1. Preheat oven to 250F and line a sheet pan with parchment for easy cleanup.
  2. Whisk egg white, water, and vanilla extract until frothy and well combined.
  3. Toss pecan halves in the egg white mixture until every piece looks evenly coated.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt, then toss with the coated pecans until the nuts are fully covered.
  5. Spread the pecans in a single layer on the lined sheet pan so they roast evenly.
Bake, stir, and cool
  1. Bake at 250F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to keep the coating from clumping.
  2. Cool completely on the pan until the coating turns crunchy and set, then break apart into clusters.
  3. Store the candied pecans airtight at room temperature for best crunch.

Notes

For the most even crackly coating, keep the pecans in a single layer and stir thoroughly every 15 minutes so sugar disperses across all surfaces. Let them cool fully on the pan—warm nuts stay soft. Store airtight up to 2 weeks at room temperature; freeze up to 2 months. Dietary swap: use a 1:1 baking sugar substitute if you need reduced sugar, though crunch may vary slightly.