Published: | Last updated: | by Amanda Biddle16 Comments
These Caramelized Pecans are a cinch to make on the stove, and you can customize them to be spicy, or salty, too! Great for salads, desserts, and cheese boards.
Ilove caramelized pecans. What’s not to love when we’re talking about warm, toasty pecans enrobed in a luscious brown sugar glaze?
For the longest time, I bought caramelized pecans in containers at my local market’s gourmet cheese counter. That is, until I realized how incredibly simple they are to make at home.Caramelized Pecans on demand? Don’t mind if I do!
These pecans are perfect to serve for a game day snack, a holiday appetizer board (lovely with cheese), topping Pumpkin Pie, or sprinkling on top of your favorite fall salads (like, this Pear Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette.)
Caramelized Pecans vs. Candied Pecans
I have a distinction in my own mind between what constitutes a Caramelized Pecan versus a Candied Pecan. In all honesty, the terms are pretty much used interchangeably, but to me, they separate two different types of sweet pecan preparations.
In my mind, Caramelized Pecans, like the ones in this post, are coated in a glossy sugar glaze. When I hear Candied Pecans, I think of pecans with a more sugary-looking, crunchy coating, such as these. Another way to separate the difference I’m looking to describe here would be to call one “glazed” pecans and the other “sugared” pecans.
How to Make Caramelized Pecans
So, today, we’re talking about the caramelized variety.
In terms of tools, all you need is a nonstickskillet and a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and you’ll be well on your way to having a batch of these on your table.
Just melt together brown sugar and a little water in a skillet on the stove until bubbly, toss in your pecans, and stir until toasty and caramelized. That’s it! 5 minutes on the stove, and then about an hour for the pecans to fully set up at room temperature.
Flavor Variations: Sweet and Spicy Pecans
The great thing about making Caramelized Pecans at home is that you can customize the flavor. Want a hint of fall spice? Add some ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice. Want sweet pecans with some heat? A little cayennewill do the trick.
Personally, I like them sprinkled withflaked sea salt for a sweet-salty combo.
I like to mix up a few batches at a time during the holiday season so I have them on hand for various uses: sweet or cinnamon for desserts, salted or spicy for appetizers and snacks. You can even freeze caramelized pecans for up to two months, making them convenient for planning ahead!
📖 Recipe
Stovetop Caramelized Pecans
It's easy to make caramelized pecans, right on your stove! You can customize these pecans to have sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, to your personal preferences.
In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, melt together brown sugar and water until rapidly bubbling. Add pecans, stirring thoroughly to coat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and most of the liquid has evaporated. (But not so long at the sugars burn.)
Spread pecans into a single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and use a fork to separate them. Let stand at room temperature for about an hour, until fully cooled, set, and dry. (Pecans will be only very slightly tacky to the touch.)
Break apart any pecan clusters and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
Variations:
Cinnamon Caramelized Pecans: Add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon to the pan with the brown sugar.
Spicy Caramelized Pecans: Add ¼ teaspoon (or more or less, to taste) cayenne pepper to the pan with the brown sugar.
Salted Caramelized Pecans: Sprinkle the pecans with flaked sea salt after you transfer them to the baking sheet to cool.
About our Recipes:Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
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The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts. How do you fix candied nuts that are too soft and sticky? You can place them back into the oven for 5 to 15 minutes or until they dry out more. They will continue to firm and dry out as they cool.
Wet pecans allow the salt to stick easily to the nuts. Plus, soaking nuts helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which can harm your digestion, and reduce phytates, which decrease nutrient absorption. Just submerge your nuts in water while the oven is heating up and you'll be good to go.
Bake at 300 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. Make sure to toss everything with a spoon every 15 minutes. This is very important to allow even baking and prevent the nuts from sticking together.
Pecans too sticky: If your nuts are still sticky after cooling, heat your oven to 325°F (162°C) and bake for 5 to 10 minutes to help harden the candy coating.
For a pound of nutmeat, you will need 2½ pounds of in-shell pecans. In order to help you maintain the highest quality pecan meats, we have developed the following guide to help you understand the best way to handle and store your pecans.
Some of the tannin and all of the corky material can be removed by washing the kernels before cooking. To "sweeten" the pecan meats (kernels), simply put the pecan kernels in a bowl and fill with lukewarm water. Stir and tumble the meats in the water for several minutes and you will see the discoloration in the water.
Your oven is also a great tool for toasting pecans. For this method, preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake until they begin to brown and become aromatic, making sure to toss halfway through, 7 to 10 minutes.
Boiling them first will soften the shell, making them easier to crack. The moisture will also reduce the mess by preventing so many tiny shell fragments. Once your pecans have cooled, you can start cracking them. A high quality nutcracker will be your best option for this step.
Pecans have a very low glycemic index, which means that eating them does not cause a spike in blood sugar, even in people with diabetes. Eating pecans can even offset the effects of higher glycemic index foods when eaten as part of the same meal.
Both pecans and walnuts are nutritious, but they have slightly different nutrient profiles. While pecans are higher in fat and calories, walnuts are higher in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. When it comes to choosing between the two, one tree nut isn't “healthier” than the other.
This crunchy snack of glazed pecans is great for topping ice cream, garnishing a salad, or nibbling all on their own. They'd even make a great gift or game day appetizer. Nuts are high on the list of healthy snacks with great levels of fiber, protein and unsaturated fats.
Either you used raw nuts, or you added them before the sugar had a chance to fully caramelize. Why is the sugar all crystallized and grainy looking? It means that the sugar has crystallized before caramelizing.
Under-cooking the pecans is the likely cause of stickiness, but the risk is low when they're oven-baked. After the sugar-coated nuts have darkened and turned very fragrant, about 20 minutes in the oven, stir the pecans and separate any pieces that have stuck together. Continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.
How long will candied pecans keep? They will keep for up to two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, at least three weeks in the refrigerator, or up to two months in the freezer. No matter where you store them, keep in a tightly sealed, airtight container.
Because it was not baked at a high enough temperature, the butter in the crust begins to melt into the dough. To avoid this, always start your pecan pie at a high enough temperature, such as 425 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Both species have piercing mouth parts that suck nutrients and water from the veins of the leaves. As they feed, they excrete the excess sugars. This sweet excrement is called honeydew and it collects in a sticky mess on the foliage of the pecan.
It may be the type of pie you are baking. If you pre-bake the pie crust, poke holes in it, bake, then add the filling. However, if you are baking a pie with filling (pecan, pumpkin or blue- or blackberry), do not poke the shell with a fork. Doing so will let sticky liquid seep through and will cause the crust to stick.
Humidity above these values can cause kernel molding and pecan texture deterioration (pecans become soft and rubber-like), whereas lower humidities will cause excessive drying. In-shell pecan kernels will darken under high humidity as a result of the tannic acid being dissolved from the shell lining.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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