Easy Cinnamon Pecans Recipe
These cinnamon pecans are sweet, crunchy, and made with simple pantry ingredients. They’re perfect for holiday gifting, snack boards, salads, yogurt bowls, or a cozy homemade treat any time of year.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup water
- 3 cups pecan halves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Add the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and water to a heavy pot, then stir until combined.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook the sugar mixture for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the pecans to the pot and stir until they are evenly coated.
- Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sugar mixture starts to crystallize around the pecans.
- Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Immediately pour the cinnamon pecans onto the prepared sheet pan and spread them into a single layer.
- Let the pecans cool completely before breaking apart any clusters and serving.
Notes
- For a little sweet heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Don’t panic when the sugar mixture looks wet at first. You want the liquid to cook out of the pan before the sugar starts to crystallize around the pecans, so keep stirring and be patient.
- The coating will firm up as the pecans cool, so do not rush the cooling step. Make sure they are completely cool before storing so they stay crunchy.
- Store cooled cinnamon pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can refrigerate them for up to 2 weeks or freeze them for up to 2 months
Nutrition
Calories: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 2gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 25mgPotassium: 104mgFiber: 3gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 15IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
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