Best Candied Pecans Recipes

CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Mix sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
• Whisk egg white and water together in a separate bowl until frothy. Toss pecans in the egg white mixture. Mix sugar mixture into pecan mixture until pecans are evenly coated. Spread coated pecans onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, until pecans are evenly browned, 1 hour.

CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Place pecans in a shallow baking pan in a 250° oven for 10 minutes or until warmed. Grease a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. , Grease the sides of a large heavy saucepan with remaining butter; add sugar, water, salt and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Cover; cook 2 minutes to dissolve any sugar crystals that may form on the sides of pan., Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 236° (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat; add vanilla. Stir in warm pecans until evenly coated. , Spread onto prepared baking pan. Bake at 250° for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Spread on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet to cool.

CANDIED YAMS WITH PECANS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add yams and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Drain and transfer to a bowl with butter, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, cream, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mash until all ingredients are incorporated and butter is melted. Transfer to a casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar and cinnamon. Arrange pecans and marshmallows over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

SWEET POTATO CUPCAKES, BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING, CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 18 paper liners, set aside.
• Make the sweet potato puree by processing the sweet potatoes in a food processor. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs. Add the dry ingredients. Whisk in the sweet potato puree. Fill each cupcake in the prepared pan three-quarters full of batter.
• Bake until the tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.
• To assemble: Frost the cupcakes with the Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting. Sprinkle with the Candied Pecans.
• In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the butter and beat until well incorporated. Add the light brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until well incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Beat the egg white in a bowl until frothy; whisk 4 teaspoons water and the vanilla extract into the egg. Stir the sugar, cinnamon and salt into the egg mixture. Add the chopped pecans, stir to coat completely. Spread the pecans onto the baking sheet. Bake the pecans, stirring about every 20 minutes, until the coating forms a glaze, about 1 hour. Allow to cool on the baking sheet.

CANDIED YAMS CASSEROLE WITH PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
• Put yams in a microwave safe bowl; heat in the microwave oven until softened, about 75 seconds.
• Transfer cooked yams to a large mixing bowl; add white sugar, milk, 1/2 cup butter, and eggs and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Pour the yam mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Mix brown sugar, pecans, 1/2 cup butter, and flour together in a bowl with a wooden spoon until crumbly, sprinkle over the yam mixture to cover.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

CANDIED SWEET POTATOES WITH PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prick potatoes several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake potatoes in the preheated oven until you can easily pierce them halfway through with a sharp knife, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to cool until easily handled, at least 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
• Meanwhile, mix brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, pecans, and pumpkin pie spice for topping in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
• Peel the cooled sweet potatoes and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch thick slices.
• Lightly grease a 9x13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons butter. Spread potato slices in a single layer in the dish and spoon a bit of topping over each slice. Add remaining potato slices in a second layer and sprinkle with remaining topping.
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until bubbly and browned, about 20 minutes. Use a serving spoon to dish this out, making sure to get to some of the sauce from the bottom for each serving.

SPINACH SALAD WITH MANGO AND CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Spray sheet of foil with nonstick spray. Stir sugar, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until sugar melts and syrup bubbles, about 3 minutes. Mix in pecans. Stir until nuts are toasted and syrup coats nuts evenly, about 7 minutes. Turn nuts out onto prepared foil. Using fork, separate nuts and cool completely (coating will harden).
• Combine spinach, mango and cooled pecans in large bowl. Whisk remaining 5 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons vinegar in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat.

SWEET POTATO PIE WITH CANDIED PECANS AND COCONUT

Steps:

• For the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor until combined. Add half of the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal. Add the remaining butter and continue pulsing until no pieces are larger than peas. Add 2 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse until combined. Add just enough of the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water, a little at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together and holds its shape when squeezed. Turn the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, gather into a disc and wrap well. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to an 11-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges and refrigerate the dough until chilled, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust several times with the tines of a fork. Fit a piece of aluminum foil over the crust and fill the foil with pie weights or dry beans. Bake until the edges of the crust are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, return the crust to the oven and continue to bake until the bottom of the crust is lightly golden and no longer shiny, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cool completely.
• For the filling: While the crust cools, use a fork to prick the yams all over. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and roast with the oven still at 350 degrees F until very soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel and mash until very smooth; you should have about 2 cups. Transfer the mash to a medium bowl and add the cream, brown sugar, vanilla, allspice, ginger, salt and eggs. Whisk just until smooth. Gently tap the bottom of the bowl a few times to release any air bubbles.
• Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake until the center of the pie is set and no longer shiny, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes; if the edges of the crust brown too quickly, cover them loosely with foil. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool.
• For the topping: Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until melted. Stir in the brown sugar, vanilla and salt, stirring until the mixture starts to bubble. Stir in the pecans and cook until the nuts are toasted and have absorbed most of the buttery sugar mixture, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the coconut. Spoon over the pie and press gently to adhere to the filling. Let stand at least 20 minutes to cool. Serve the pie with whipped cream if desired.

CANDIED CURRIED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line a large-rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Mix onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, curry powder, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.
• Heat honey, butter, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a saucepan over medium heat; stir pecans into the honey mixture. Remove saucepan from heat and add spice mixture. Toss to evenly coat pecans. Spread coated pecans in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pecans are dry and toasted, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Separate pecans.

ROMAINE SALAD WITH PEAR, SMOKED BLUE CHEESE, AND CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Cook the sugar and pecans in a small skillet over medium, 5 to 7 minutes or until the sugar has caramelized. Spread the pecans in a single layer on lightly greased wax paper on a large baking sheet. Let them cool completely and then chop into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, garlic, salt, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl.
• Layer the lettuce, pears, cheese, avocado, and green onions on a large serving platter. Drizzle with the desired amount of dressing, and top with the pecans.

MARMALADE-GLAZED CARROTS WITH CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the marmalade, then add the carrots, orange juice, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are almost tender, 13 to 15 minutes.
• Uncover and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring, until the liquid is reduced, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the candied pecans.
• Photograph courtesy Anna Williams

CANDIED SWEET POTATOES WITH PECANS

Steps:

• Place sweet potato in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or just until tender. Drain. , When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place in a greased shallow 2-cup baking dish. , In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans, pineapple juice, lemon juice and cinnamon; sprinkle over sweet potato slices. Dot with butter. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

GEORGE CARAMELIN: CHOCOLATE CINNAMON CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA BEAN BOURBON FROSTING, BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE, AND CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line standard cupcake pans with 18 cupcake liners.
• Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just incorporated. Add vinegar and incorporate. Do not over mix the batter.
• Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake until a toothpick inserted into each cupcake comes out clean, 19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• For the sauce: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Let boil until the mixture starts to turn brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir with a whisk. Add the bourbon and salt and continue stirring. Once the bubbling stops, add the margarine and whisk until melted and distributed. Let cool completely and pour into a clean squirt bottle.
• For the pecans: In a large bowl, toss the pecans with the melted margarine until all the pecans are coated. In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon, sugar, and sea salt. Toss into the pecan mixture and coat evenly. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure the pecans are not overlapping. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the shortening and margarine until completely combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are mixed thoroughly. On low speed, slowly add the sugar a little at a time. Once the sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla paste and bourbon and mix on low until the liquids are incorporated. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and mix on medium-high speed until all the ingredients are combined and the frosting is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Put the frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
• To assemble: With a plastic drinking straw or a small paring knife, make holes in the center of each cupcake. Squeeze the bourbon caramel sauce into the center of the cupcake until filled but not overflowing, about 1 tablespoon per cupcake. Pipe a dollop of vanilla bean bourbon frosting onto of each cupcake. Drizzle the top with more bourbon caramel sauce and sprinkle with candied pecans to garnish.

SWEET AND SPICY CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325;°F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine corn syrup and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Stir to blend. Add pecans; stir gently to coat. Transfer to baking sheet.
• Place large piece of foil on work surface. Bake pecans 5 minutes. Using fork, stir pecans to coat with melted spice mixture. Continue baking until pecans are golden and coating bubbles, about 10 minutes. Transfer to foil. Working quickly, separate nuts with fork. Cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

CANDIED CURRIED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Mix onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, curry powder, and cayenne pepper in small bowl to blend.
• Melt butter and honey with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add pecan halves and stir to coat; remove from heat. Add spice mixture and toss to coat pecans evenly. Spread pecans in single layer on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake pecans until dry and toasted, about 40 minutes. Cool completely. Separate pecans. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD WITH CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
• Add pecans and sugar; stir to combine.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar melts around pecans and is caramel-colored.
• Remove pecans with a slotted spoon and spread in a single layer on a sheet of lightly greased aluminum foil.
• Cool completely and break up pieces as needed.
• Remove and discard stems from spinach.
• Wash spinach and pat dry with paper towels.
• Tear into bite-size pieces.
• Combine spinach, celery and strawberries in a large bowl.
• Pour 1 cup dressing over salad mixture; toss gently.
• Add reserved candied pecans; toss gently.
• Serve immediately with remaining dressing.
• Dressing: Combine first 5 ingredients in container of electric blender; cover and process until smooth.
• With blender running, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream through opening in lid.
• Process until thick and smooth.
• Transfer dressing mixture to a bowl; stir in poppy seeds.
• Cover and chill.

SUGAR AND SPICE CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Butter large cookies sheets.
• Heat in a saucepan melted butter, water and sugar till sugar is dissolved, add spices and pecans stirring till well coated about 3-5 minutes.
• Transfer to cookie sheet and bake until golden about 10 minutes.
• Cool store in airtight containers.

SOUFFLé OF PUFF PASTRY WITH ORANGE-SCENTED PASTRY CREAM, CANDIED PECANS, AND CARAMEL BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Orange-Scented Pastry Cream
• 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream to soft peaks.
• 2. Whisk the Pastry Cream until smooth. Gently fold in the orange zest and whipped cream. Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with a medium, plain tip and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Caramel Butter Sauce
• 1. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons (30 g/1 oz) of the water.
• 2. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, vanilla bean pod and seeds, and remaining 2 cups (470 g/16.5 oz) water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, whisking, for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, salt, and rum. Keep the sauce warm until serving, or refrigerate it, covered, and rewarm before serving.
• Candied Pecans
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Place the pecans in a medium bowl and set aside.
• 2. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, just until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup over the pecans and toss until combined. Spread the coated pecans on a half-sheet pan and bake for about 8 minutes, tossing once during baking, until browned and fragrant.
• Puff Pastry Rounds
• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a half-sheet pan with a silicone baking mat.
• 2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the puff pastry out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a 3-inch round pastry cutter, cut out 10 rounds from the dough. Arrange the rounds on the prepared sheet pan and top with another silicone baking mat and half-sheet pan; this will allow the rounds to rise evenly. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the rounds are browned and nicely puffed. Remove the top sheet pan and baking mat. Preheat the broiler and dust the rounds liberally with confectioners' sugar. Place the rounds under the broiler until they are caramelized. Assemble the desserts immediately.
• Assembly
• While the Puff Pastry Rounds are still hot from the oven, split them in half. Scoop out any undercooked dough from the center of each half and pipe a generous amount of cold Orange-Scented Pastry Cream on the bottom half of the puff. Replace the top of the puff. Place the dessert on a plate and spoon some Caramel Butter Sauce on top of the warm pastry. Garnish with some Candied Pecans.

SWEET AND SPICY CANDIED PECANS - WITH A KICK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine corn syrup and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Stir to blend. Add pecans; stir gently to coat. Transfer to baking sheet.
• Place large piece of foil on work surface. Bake pecans 5 minutes. Using fork, stir pecans to coat with melted spice mixture. Continue baking until pecans are golden and coating bubbles, about 10 minutes. Transfer to foil. Working quickly, separate nuts with fork. Cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead- store airtight at room temperature).
• Makes 1 1/2 cups.
• NOTE: Recipe is easily doubled, freezes well in ziplock bags.
• Serve as a snack, topping for appetizers or salads (see my Waldorf Salad recipe #117914) or candied sweet potatoes, -or- give as a gift for the holidays.

ORANGE CREAMSICLE CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Heavily butter a large metal baking sheet.
• Beat egg whites and water together in the bowl of a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Add orange extract and vanilla extract; beat until incorporated, 1 minute.
• Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper together in a separate bowl; fold sugar mixture into egg white mixture until just incorporated. Fold in rosemary and tangerine zest until evenly mixed. Add pecans to the sugar-egg white mixture; toss to coat. Spread coated pecans in one layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven, turning the baking sheet and stirring the pecans with a metal spoon every 8 to 10 minutes, until crispy and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper to cool completely.