Published: | Last updated: | by Amanda Biddle16 Comments
These Caramelized Pecans are a cinch to make on the stove, and you can customize them to be spicy, or salty, too! Great for salads, desserts, and cheese boards.
Ilove caramelized pecans. What’s not to love when we’re talking about warm, toasty pecans enrobed in a luscious brown sugar glaze?
For the longest time, I bought caramelized pecans in containers at my local market’s gourmet cheese counter. That is, until I realized how incredibly simple they are to make at home.Caramelized Pecans on demand? Don’t mind if I do!
These pecans are perfect to serve for a game day snack, a holiday appetizer board (lovely with cheese), topping Pumpkin Pie, or sprinkling on top of your favorite fall salads (like, this Pear Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette.)
Caramelized Pecans vs. Candied Pecans
I have a distinction in my own mind between what constitutes a Caramelized Pecan versus a Candied Pecan. In all honesty, the terms are pretty much used interchangeably, but to me, they separate two different types of sweet pecan preparations.
In my mind, Caramelized Pecans, like the ones in this post, are coated in a glossy sugar glaze. When I hear Candied Pecans, I think of pecans with a more sugary-looking, crunchy coating, such as these. Another way to separate the difference I’m looking to describe here would be to call one “glazed” pecans and the other “sugared” pecans.
How to Make Caramelized Pecans
So, today, we’re talking about the caramelized variety.
In terms of tools, all you need is a nonstickskillet and a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and you’ll be well on your way to having a batch of these on your table.
Just melt together brown sugar and a little water in a skillet on the stove until bubbly, toss in your pecans, and stir until toasty and caramelized. That’s it! 5 minutes on the stove, and then about an hour for the pecans to fully set up at room temperature.
Flavor Variations: Sweet and Spicy Pecans
The great thing about making Caramelized Pecans at home is that you can customize the flavor. Want a hint of fall spice? Add some ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice. Want sweet pecans with some heat? A little cayennewill do the trick.
Personally, I like them sprinkled withflaked sea salt for a sweet-salty combo.
I like to mix up a few batches at a time during the holiday season so I have them on hand for various uses: sweet or cinnamon for desserts, salted or spicy for appetizers and snacks. You can even freeze caramelized pecans for up to two months, making them convenient for planning ahead!
📖 Recipe
Stovetop Caramelized Pecans
It's easy to make caramelized pecans, right on your stove! You can customize these pecans to have sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, to your personal preferences.
In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, melt together brown sugar and water until rapidly bubbling. Add pecans, stirring thoroughly to coat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and most of the liquid has evaporated. (But not so long at the sugars burn.)
Spread pecans into a single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and use a fork to separate them. Let stand at room temperature for about an hour, until fully cooled, set, and dry. (Pecans will be only very slightly tacky to the touch.)
Break apart any pecan clusters and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
Variations:
Cinnamon Caramelized Pecans: Add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon to the pan with the brown sugar.
Spicy Caramelized Pecans: Add ¼ teaspoon (or more or less, to taste) cayenne pepper to the pan with the brown sugar.
Salted Caramelized Pecans: Sprinkle the pecans with flaked sea salt after you transfer them to the baking sheet to cool.
About our Recipes:Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
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Under-cooking the pecans is the likely cause of stickiness, but the risk is low when they're oven-baked. After the sugar-coated nuts have darkened and turned very fragrant, about 20 minutes in the oven, stir the pecans and separate any pieces that have stuck together. Continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Most candied pecans use a sugar melted to a specific temperature using a candy thermometer, but I find that any humidity turns the sugar grainy and turns the candied pecans into a grainy unpleasant mass.
Wet pecans allow the salt to stick easily to the nuts. Plus, soaking nuts helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which can harm your digestion, and reduce phytates, which decrease nutrient absorption. Just submerge your nuts in water while the oven is heating up and you'll be good to go.
Heat nuts or seeds in a dry, heavy skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until they're golden brown and they give off a rich, toasty fragrance. Watch them closely when using this method as it's easy to burn them. Stir or toss nuts or seeds frequently for even toasting.
Spread 1-2 cups of pecans evenly over an ungreased baking sheet (note that nuts may toast faster on dark baking sheets and slower on light-colored ones). ...
Place baking sheet with pecans in 350F (175C) preheated oven and toast for 4 minutes. ...
If you don't plan on eating your candied pecans right away, you may want to consider storing them in the refrigerator or freezer. Refrigeration can keep the pecans fresh for up to three months, while freezing can extend their shelf life for up to six months.
Nuts with higher fat content, like walnuts and pecans can also go rancid after a few months if stored at too warm a temperature. If you notice that your nuts have taken on a noticeably bitter, sour flavor, they may have entered this unfortunate phase.
A growth of white tufts develops on the lower leaf surface. Pink mold will develop on nuts that are infected with the pecan scab fungus. A white to pink, moldy growth will develop in old scab lesions. If the fungus invades the kernel, it becomes oily and produces a rancid odor.
If you beat too long, the candy will seize and start to crumble. If you don't beat it long enough, then pralines won't set properly and will stay soft and sticky. Work quickly to drop heaping tablespoons of pecan praline mixture onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Fresh pecans have a distinct aroma, characterized by their sweet, nutty scent. They should have a firm, almost crunchy texture and a rich golden or amber color. On the flip side, bad pecans may show signs of spoilage, such as a rancid smell, a shriveled appearance, or a soft and rubbery texture.
Initially, pink mold enters through cracks and fissures in the pecans, which exposes damaged tissue within the green hull. If conditions are moist, the pink mold grows rapidly and enters the interior of the pecan, destroying the nut and leaving a mass of pink powder in its place. A rancid odor is often present.
Boiling pecans before cracking them can actually help prevent the shell from shattering. Here's how to boil them to loosen the shell but not cook the meat: ● Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil ● Add the pecans and let cook for 10-15 minutes ● Drain and let cool ● Get to cracking!
Some of the tannin and all of the corky material can be removed by washing the kernels before cooking. To "sweeten" the pecan meats (kernels), simply put the pecan kernels in a bowl and fill with lukewarm water. Stir and tumble the meats in the water for several minutes and you will see the discoloration in the water.
I started doing some research, and I found a little-known trick to making pecans taste sweeter: Soaking and rinsing the shelled nuts in lukewarm water before roasting removes the tannins and pieces of corky material that can cause pecans to taste bitter.
The primary reason to toast nuts with oil is to get better heat transfer from the pan/oven to the nuts themselves; this is particularly important if toasting nuts on the stove, as you can end up with very dark brown spots on otherwise raw nuts, where a small part of the surface was touching the pan.
Skip the oil: There is no need to use oil in a pan or on the baking sheet when toasting nuts. It may alter the flavor of the nut as well as how it reacts in a recipe. If toasting nuts for a spiced snack mix, however, your recipe may tell you to use oil.
Toasted pecans are not roasted pecans. Toasted pecans are cooked in a pan on the stove. I prefer to make roasted pecans in the oven because the pecans cook more evenly this way.
No matter how patient you are and how low you keep your heat, the skillet method regularly yields an uneven and improperly toasted nut. I'm sorry to say it, but if you want pristine roasty-toasty nuts, you're going to have to turn your oven on.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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