Easy Cinnamon Pecans

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Our old-fashioned cinnamon roasted pecans recipe is so easy to make! You only need 6 ingredients and a few minutes to get started!

a white bowl of cinnamon sugar pecans

Cinnamon pecans are the BEST pecans!

Why? Well, besides tasting amazing and making the entire house smell INCREDIBLE as they cook, this delicious treat is one of my favorite recipes to make this time of year.

Much like our simple roasted pecans and Cinnamon Almonds, these cinnamon candied pecans are a delicious sweet snack for fall parties, football games, and get togethers, but they’re also a great Christmas gift around the holidays for friends and neighbors.

I love to make a big batch to pack in gift bags to share during the Christmas season!

Here’s what you need to make these cinnamon roasted pecans…

a pan of cinnamon roasted pecans

Simple Ingredients For Cinnamon Roasted Pecans

  • Raw Pecans. You’ll start with raw pecans (usually labeled raw pecan halves at the grocery store). Loaded with healthy fats, a little protein, and fiber, they’re perfect for this project! They easily hold up well with time in the oven and give you a better surface area for all that cinnamon-sugar goodness. If you’re gluten-free, make sure your pecans haven’t been processed on shared equipment with gluten. (Most packages will disclose this near the ingredients list.)
  • Sugar. I use white sugar/cane sugar for cinnamon candied pecans. It’s got a light, lovely texture and no extras. (Brown sugar *can* work, but sometimes has a harder time drying out. It’s best to stick with white sugar here.)
  • Cinnamon. Next up is plenty of cinnamon. I love the way it infuses the sugar to give every pecan a delicious cinnamon flavor. (Wondering if cinnamon is gluten-free? Get all our favorite gluten-free brands of cinnamon here)
  • Salt. Kind of a not-so-secret ingredient! Using a dash of salt balances the flavors and wakes up the vanilla and cinnamon notes.
  • An Egg White. The trick to old fashioned cinnamon pecans is an egg white! Egg whites help the cinnamon-sugar mixture stick to the pecans and gives them their signature light crunchy coating. Don’t skip it! (P.S. Don’t miss our 3 Ways To Separate Eggs tutorial if you need a refresher!)
  • Vanilla Extract. Some recipes beat the egg white with water, but I’ve found that using vanilla extract adds another delicious layer of flavor.
making cinnamon sugar pecans step by step
making cinnamon roasted pecans step by step

How To Make Cinnamon PEcans, Step By Step

  1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 250 degrees F. Set out a cookie sheet/sheet pan for later. (Don’t line it with parchment paper or foil–it interferes with the dehydrating process)
  2. Combine The Cinnamon Sugar Mixture. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk or stir until very well blended and set aside.
  3. Froth The Egg White And Vanilla. In a large bowl, combine egg white and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to beat the egg white 1-2 minutes, or until frothy. This works with a whisk, too, it’ll just take longer. You don’t want it super liquid (not enough beating) and you don’t want to whip it to stiff peaks (too much beating!)
  4. Coat The Pecans. Add pecans to the frothy egg white mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and stir again, until all pecans are well coated with cinnamon-sugar and egg white.
  5. Bake The Pecans. Spread the cinnamon sugar pecans out into a single layer on your prepared baking sheet. Roast pecans in the preheated oven at 250 degrees F. for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. (Bake the full time, or the cinnamon-sugar coating won’t be as dry and crisp as you need.)
  6. Cool Completely. Remove the pecans from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheet before storing.
  7. Serve Or Store. Store cooled cinnamon pecans in an airtight container, jar, or bag at room temperature 2 weeks, or freeze for 1 month.
white bowls of old-fashioned cinnamon pecans

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The BEst Cinnamon Candied Pecans

Use A Bare Pan. You might be tempted to line your baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, but the cinnamon pecans will actually crisp up better on an un-greased, un-lined pan. (Don’t worry! The pan will easily clean up with hot water!)

Dry The Pecans Completely. Let the pecans cool completely to room temperature before packing them up or storing them. This will keep them crisp and prevent them from steaming when crowded together.

Can I Make Cinnamon Almonds Without Egg White? Classic, old-fashioned cinnamon roasted almonds get their signature coating from a frothy egg white which helps bind the cinnamon-sugar mixture to the almonds and gives them their light texture. All that to say, it’s pretty crucial to this recipe. You could experiment with aquafaba, but I haven’t given it a go.

Why Are My Cinnamon Pecans Soft?

There are a few reasons this could be happening:

  1. You didn’t bake the complete time at the correct temperature (you can check your oven temperature with an inexpensive oven thermometer.)
  2. You didn’t let them cool completely before storing. Warm almonds stored together can steam and soften.
  3. You live in a humid climate, which can impact the set of dehydrated or dried foods. Try storing in an airtight container as soon as they’re cool.

🌟 Leave a star rating below when you try our Cinnamon Pecans recipe! We can’t wait to hear what you think!

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a white bowl of cinnamon sugar pecans

Easy Cinnamon Pecans


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  • Author: Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 Cups 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Our old-fashioned cinnamon roasted pecans recipe is so easy to make! You only need 6 ingredients and a few minutes to get started!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound raw pecans (about 4 cups pecan halves)
  • 3/41 cup (150200 grams) sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 250 degrees F. Set out a cookie sheet/sheet pan for later. (Don’t line it with parchment or foil–it interferes with the dehydrating process).
  2. Combine The Cinnamon Sugar Mixture. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk or stir until very well blended and set aside.
  3. Froth The Egg White And Vanilla. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg white and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to beat the egg white 1-2 minutes, or until just frothy. This works with a whisk, too, it’ll just take longer. You don’t want it super liquid (not enough beating) and you don’t want to whip it to stiff peaks (too much beating!)
  4. Coat The Pecans. Add pecans to the frothy egg white mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and stir again, until all pecans are well coated.
  5. Bake The Pecans. Spread the cinnamon sugar pecans out into an even layer on your prepared baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven at 250 degrees F. for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. (Bake the full time, or the cinnamon-sugar coating won’t be as dry and crisp as you need.)
  6. Cool Completely. Remove the pecans from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheet before storing.
  7. Serve Or Store. Store cooled cinnamon pecans in an airtight container, jar, or bag at room temperature 2 weeks, or freeze in a freezer bag for 1 month.

Notes

*I recommend using pecan halves for this recipe. Chopped pecans will cook more quickly and unevenly, so it’s best to stick with pecan halves. 

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
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