Description
This recipe for easy maple syrup candied pecans is a delicious naturally sweetened, oven baked treat that’s perfect for snacking, cheese boards, holiday side dishes, or your favorite salad! Made without eggs, and just a handful of real food ingredients. This recipe is gluten free, paleo friendly, and vegan.
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw pecans
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Spread pecans on parchment paper and top with maple syrup, avocado oil or melted coconut oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt. Toss until well coated, and transfer to the oven.
- Bake for 6 minutes, and remove from the oven to stir, so the pecans roast evenly and are evenly coated with the maple syrup mixture. Then continue to take out and stir every 2 minutes or so for a total of about 12-14 minutes – until bubbles slow dramatically and the maple syrup mixture is thick and clings to the pecans. Keep in mind that the candied maple syrup will continue to harden as it cools. It should still be a little sticky, but quite thick.
- When they are done, remove pecans from the oven and spread out evenly – separating as much as possible so they don’t all harden in one big piece.
- Allow to cool until maple syrup coating has hardened.
- Can be served right away, or transferred to an airtight storage container and stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
These candied pecans do not need to be refrigerated. If you are looking to prolong their “shelf life”, you could pop them in the refrigerator where they will keep for up to a month or two. Otherwise, they will keep at room temperature for up to several weeks.
They can be frozen in a sealed airtight container for up to a year. Thaw at room temperature until ready to use.
If you want to make these candied pecans without cinnamon, it can easily be left out of this recipe. You could replace it with another spice, or just skip it all together. Some alternative spices could be nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, or cardamom.
This candied pecan recipe is delicious with a pinch of cayenne pepper to spice it up. All you have to do is add it to the maple syrup mixture, and toss with the pecans before baking. You can add as much cayenne as you like. I usually go with a generous pinch if I’m making these candied pecans spicy.
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american