Candied Pecans are simple and made with just two ingredients, pecans and maple syrup! You can have these delicious nuts out of the pan in 15 minutes.
Candied pecans made on the stovetop are such a sweet treat that work for garnishing so many different things. They are a great addition to any salad, yogurt, cheeseboard, dessert or a yummy snack. Sky is limit with these addicting little nuts.
Maple Candied Pecans
You can't get any easier than mixing together pecans and pure maple syrup and letting them slowly cook down together, bubbling and popping along the way, until you end up with perfect candied nuts that are naturally sweet. Your house will smell amazing and you'll be picking them up hot to pop in your mouth as soon as you can. You'll love how easy these maple candied pecans are to make.
I used a cast iron skillet to make these maple candied pecans. You'll want to use that or a heavy bottomed pan of your own. A nice thick pan will distribute the heat well and help your nuts to candy and cook evenly without burning. Cooking the nuts slow and low doesn't mean it takes a long time, only about 7 minutes total, but don't forget to stir.
Ingredients:
- Pecans: Use whole pecan pieces for easier eating, you can use pecan pieces though if you are going to throw them into a salad
- Real maple syrup: don't use the fake corn syrup kind of maple syrup here, the real stuff makes the best maple sugar! And surprisingly enough, it doesn't have a big maple syrup flavor, they're just sweet. My husband doesn't like maple at all and he loves these.
How to Make Candied Pecans
It couldn't be easier!
- Add the pecans and maple syrup to the pan and turn on the heat.
- Stir as the maple syrup gently simmers and the water evaporates.
- When there is no water left, dump the nuts onto a piece of waxed paper and let them cool.
- Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Candied pecans will last for a good amount of time. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 weeks. You can refrigerate them for about 3 weeks but in my experience they stay the best and crunchiest at room temperature. You can also store in the freezer for about a month.
Pecans could turn soft if they were stored before they were completely cooled. Make sure to let them cool for at least 20 minutes before storing in an airtight container.
Yes! They only take 7 minutes to cook but you have to constantly stir them. Burning two cups of nuts would be something to cry over.
More pecan recipes:
- Pecan Sandies
- Easy Apple Cabbage Salad with Pecans
- My Favorite Blueberry Pecan Granola Bar Recipe
- The Best Pecan Pie Recipe
If you’ve tried this candied pecan recipe or any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
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Maple Candied Pecans (Naturally Sweetened)
- Total Time: 13 min
- Yield: Makes 2 cups 1x
Description
Maple Candied Pecans are the easiest snack recipe EVER! Made with just two ingredients, pecans and maple syrup, you can have these delicious nuts out of the pan in 15 minutes. Candied pecans made on the stovetop are such a sweet treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups shelled pecans (I like whole pecans)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed skillet or pan, heat the pecans and maple syrup over low to medium-low heat, stirring continuously. The maple syrup will start to bubble and you'll see the extra moisture evaporating. Keep cooking and stirring until all of the extra moisture has evaporated and the maple sure starts to crystallize and stick to the nuts. This should take 5-8 minutes. Make sure you stir the whole time so that you don't burn the nuts.
- When the moisture is all gone turn the nuts out onto a baking mat or a piece of parchment (or waxed) paper and let the nuts cool. Enjoy just as they are or add to your favorite salads, trail mix, granola, popcorn, or dessert.
Notes
- You can add spices to this at the beginning of the cooking time if you like spiced candied nuts (like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice!).
- The sugar in the maple syrup will crystalize and you'll see the little chunks of it sticking to the nuts right before they are done.
- You can also add a little salt to these in the beginning, I like a little salt to my sweet nuts.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 8 min
- Category: Snack
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Makes 2 cups
Keywords: maple candied pecan recipe, candied pecan recipe, pecan recipe, candied nut recipes, easy snack recipe, maple syrup candy recipe, cooking with pecans
Candied Pecans are perfect to throw on top of your favorite salads, to eat plain, over yogurt, ice cream and to add to oatmeal or your favorite popcorn recipe. Just be warned, once you start eating these maple candied pecans, it's hard to walk away.
Lou A
My syrup was a tiny bit stringy as they finished, but then they went a little dark and not crystalline. About 8 min. Was my medium electric heat too warm?
Melissa
Yep, the temp was just a little too hot for this. Did it still taste ok?
stephanie
easy simple recipe...i added a little of vanilla...way better using a kettle pan than roasting in the oven.
★★★★★
Rachel
I love when you show up on my Google recipe searches! This was easy and delicious. Thank you!
★★★★★
Amy
I'm going to be busy making all your yummys. I hope your family is better. I'm a little late reading this. Lol
Anna
Yum!
lacier77
Thank goodness you finally have answers! I hate to admit it but one reason I worried about having more kids was always being worried they would get sick so small. I will never get the image of Garrett at the doctor's office in this straight jacket thing (before he was 1) out my head...I think it scared me out of more kids. I can totally understand your break downs...you handle it better than I ever would! Did you call the pediatrician who gave the virus diagnosis? Now onto the pecans...I love pecans and must give this a try...like immediately! I'll let you know how they turn out!?
Margaret @ Pure Pearl Homestead
Holy cow! A momma always knows when something isn't right! Also, this recipe looks amazing! I'm originally from New England and we usually get some real maple syrup when we visit home. We just ran out and I thought I was disappointed before...
Kami Larsen
Oh Melissa, that sounds like a nightmare! I'm so sorry!! Sending healing vibes your way!! And these nuts look divine. I'll definitely try them out!
Jim
Hang in there.... hope all the kids are feeling better.
amyghania
It is so hard to see my kids get sick. I'm so sorry to hear that your kids have been sick for so long! Praise God that someone was there to mention what it might be. I hope all goes well and they are all better really soon. The recipe looks amazing and I will have to try it.
Melissa
Thank you for your kind words Amy! I hope you try that recipe, it's an easy one that I've been making over and over again!