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Easy Candied Pecans

Easy candied pecans with a frothy egg-white coating and a cinnamon sugar crust, baked low and slow for extra crunch. The pecans get crackly and glossy as the sugar sets, then cool until fully crisp on the pan.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Easy Candied Pecans
  • 1 lb pecan halves
  • 1 egg white Use 1 large egg white.
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the candied coating
  1. Preheat oven to 250F and line a sheet pan with parchment, keeping the surface ready for a single-layer bake.
  2. Whisk egg white, water, and vanilla extract until frothy, with small bubbles visible on the surface.
  3. Toss pecan halves in the egg white mixture until evenly coated, so every piece looks lightly glazed.
  4. Mix sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt, then toss the pecans in the cinnamon sugar until all sides are dusted.
  5. Spread the pecans in a single layer on the parchment, making sure they don’t overlap for even browning.
  6. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until the coating looks glossy and crackly and the nuts are golden.
  7. Cool the pecans completely on the pan until crunchy, then break apart and store airtight for snacking.

Notes

Pro tip: bake at 250F and stir every 15 minutes so the sugar sets evenly without scorching. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 weeks; for longer storage, freeze up to 2 months (thaw overnight before serving). For a dairy-free swap, this recipe is already dairy-free—just confirm any vanilla extract you use is dairy-free.