These glazed pecans are made with brown sugar and maple syrup for a sweet, crunchy, easy snack or dessert topping!
This simple, delicious recipe is a great way to make a batch of sweetly flavored pecans to use for snacking or as an ingredient. I’ve always known them as glazed pecans, but some call them candied pecans. Either way, they’re delicious! No matter how you use these maple-glazed pecans, I think you’ll find that you use them well and often!
Why You’ll Love This Candied Pecan Recipe
- So many ways to use them. These flavorful nuts are quite versatile. You’ll find yourself using them for topping both savory and sweet foods as well as just for a crunchy, sweet snack!
- Great for gifting. A jar of these sweet pecans is a fantastic gift, too. If you love making homemade gifts and treats for friends and family, add this recipe to your repertoire for gifting occasions.
- Easy to make. It all starts with a simple 4-ingredient glaze that’s made on the stovetop. After cooking the pecans briefly in that mixture, they’ll go in the oven for a short stint. That helps the glaze to stick to the nuts and to make them less sticky.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Unsalted butter – While I encourage baking with unsalted butter, salted butter will work here if that’s what you have. Omit the salt in the recipe.
- Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar, depending on how strong you prefer its molasses flavor to come through in the nuts.
- Maple syrup – See my tips section for info about choosing a good maple syrup.
- Salt
- Pecans – For gifting and garnish, you’ll want to use pecan halves. Pecan pieces will work if you only plan to use them chopped.
How to Make Glazed Pecans
- Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan or a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Make the coating. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. (Be sure your skillet is large enough for the pecans to spread out evenly in the bottom.) Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt, and stir constantly until the mixture is bubbly.
- Add the pecans. Place the pecans in the skillet with the coating mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the pecans are well-coated.
- Bake. Transfer the pecans to the prepared pan, spreading them evenly. Bake 6 to 8 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
- Cool. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the pecans to cool completely.
Ideas for Variations
While I most often make these glazed pecans just as described in the recipe, there are some easy variations for making them to suit your tastes.
- Use different nuts. I have a special fondness for pecans, but this recipe will work for other nuts. Try walnuts, almonds, cashews, or even a combination of nuts.
- Add some spice. You can add about a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or your favorite spice blend when making the glaze. (Try my Fall Spice Blend!)
- Use an extract. For a departure from maple, try vanilla extract or another extract. Use about 1/2 teaspoon of your chosen extract and make up the rest of the maple syrup volume with water.
How to Use Glazed Pecans
These delicious pecans are quite versatile! Here are some ideas for using them.
- Snacking. Keep things simple and just enjoy a handful of these glazed pecans as a snack.
- Homemade gifts. Put the pecans in a jar, wrap with a pretty ribbon, and you’ve got a lovely gift!
- Garnish for savory dishes. Sprinkle them over a salad or side dish.
- Topping for desserts. Use them as a garnish for simple treats like ice cream to other desserts like peach cobbler.
- Baking. These maple-glazed pecans are a great addition to many baking recipes. Try them in Maple Pecan Cookies and Cinnamon Pecan Muffins.
Tips for Success
- Use a good quality maple syrup. That little bit of maple syrup will really come through with a good, strong variety. I recommend using dark or very dark. And remember not to confuse pancake syrup with maple syrup.
- Using salted pecans? Omit the salt in the recipe.
- Keep an eye on the skillet. Don’t walk away once you start cooking. You’ll need to stir the glaze mixture and the pecans constantly while they’re on the stovetop so they will be well-coated and won’t burn. Be sure to cook until the mixture is bubbly so that the sugar dissolves.
- Cool completely. The pecans make look a little sticky and shiny when they come out of the oven, but that will dissipate as they cool. Allow them to come all the way to room temperature before serving or storing.
How to Store
After the pecans have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container. They’ll keep at room temperature up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, they can be stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container in the freezer up to 3 months.
For gift packaging, I like to use clear glass jars like the ones you see in these photos. Canning jars or Weck jars work well, too. (See the product links at the bottom of the recipe card.)
More Recipes for Pecan Lovers
Glazed Pecans
Sweet, crunchy Glazed Pecans make a great snack, homemade gift, or a dessert topping.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 cups pecan halves
- pinch salt (to taste)*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Place the butter in a large skillet. Melt over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt, and stir into the melted butter. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly.
- Add the pecans and continue cooking 3 or 4 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Transfer the pecans to the prepared pan. Spread evenly.
- Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until pecans are golden brown.
- Cool completely on the pan. Then, transfer to an airtight container to store.
Notes
*If you're using salted pecans, you may prefer to omit the salt.
After placing the pecans in a container, store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Or, freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe slightly adapted from Pillsbury.
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11 Comments on “Glazed Pecans”
I’m not much on maple syrup except for the occasional French toast. Like you, I prefer the real deal. I always love getting the pecan pancakes @Cracker Barrel with a few extra little bottles of their “real maple syrup”. Your recipe would be a great holiday hostess gift!
Jennifer,
I’m like you, I never liked the fake maple syrup so I just thought I didn’t like maple syrup. I do now like real maple syrup. My hubby only likes the fake maple syrup – go figure.
Annamaria
I love pecans, too! I just bought a bag at trader joes for just this purpose – making glazed ones. I wanted to use maple syrup, too, so this is perfect. 😃
Ooooh these pecans look super tasty!!
I would LOVE to fling these on top of a salad! Love love love.
These look delicious, I’ve always wanted to make a pecan pie, these would look lovely as decoration on top!
Sounds delicious–thanks for sharing the recipe.
I am obsessed with glazed nuts… as inappropriate as that sounds.
I make glazed pecans and walnuts around the holidays every year. People just love, love getting them as gifts in cute little jars. I also use them in a delicious appetizer – spread some fig spread or red pepper jelly on top of a good goat cheese and top with some crumbled glazed pecans or walnuts. D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.!! 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
I followed this recipe and added a little honey. I put it on top of waffles because I decided to do homemade chicken and waffles and it was soooo good.
Oooh, I like the addition of honey!