Maple Candied Pecans – These naturally sweetened candied pecans are PERFECT for snacking, holiday gifting, or topping your favorite salad. You’ll love them as much as we do! Don’t miss our printable gift tags for easy gifting! (Paleo + Vegan)

This time of year always makes me excited for fun treats! One of my FAVORITES this time of year is candied nuts.

There’s something so satisfying about that sweet little crunch on the outside. And they’re not just great for the holidays! I love sprinkling these nuts on salads, stirring them into popcorn (seriously–that salty-sweet combo gets me every time!), and setting them out for snacking or parties.

We may not be hosting anyone for holiday parties this year, but we ARE determined to enjoy every bit of holiday goodness we can coax out of our favorite maple candied pecans.

Whether you sprinkle them over a salad, serve them as an appetizer or a fun treat, add them to a snack tray or cheese board, or tuck them into little gift bags for neighbor or friend holiday gifts, these naturally sweetened candied pecans are a MAJOR crowd pleaser.

They’re done in a flash since you don’t need to bake them, and they’re easy enough for beginners.

Plus, you only need THREE ingredients to make these lovelies…

HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO OUR NATURALLY SWEETENED CANDY PECANS:

RAW PECANS. When making candied pecans, you really want to use raw nuts since the nuts will toast some as they cook. (If you start with already roasted nuts, they can get too toasty if you cook them again.)

PURE MAPLE SYRUP. The other key ingredient in maple candied pecans recipe is PURE maple syrup. You cannot use pancake syrup in this recipe and get the same results. It has to be 100% pure maple syrup. Different grades of syrup (amber, dark amber, grade A, etc.) will impart slightly different flavors, but all will work for this recipe. (Just know that light amber or amber will have a milder taste than dark amber)

A LITTLE SALT. I love to finish my candied pecans with a tiny bit of sea salt. It’s not enough to make them *salty,* just enough to add some balance to the flavors. (Though, if you’re into salty-sweet, feel free to add more salt to your liking!)

OPTIONAL: CINNAMON OR SPICES. If you want to turn our maple candied pecans into cinnamon candied pecans, it’s easy! You’ll just add cinnamon along with the syrup during the cooking process. I LOVE doing this for gifting or eating them as dessert.

GIVE THESE PECANS AS AN EDIBLE GIFT WITH OUR FREE GIFT TAGS.

If you love giving homemade treats and baked goods to friends and family for the holidays like we do, these maple candied pecans make a GREAT holiday gift. I wrap them in clear treat bags, tie on some cute ribbon, and attach a little gift tag.

You can download + print our gift tags HERE. Just put in your email address and I’ll send a copy straight to your inbox so it’s easy to save and print for later. (You’ll also have a chance to download + print right away.)

TO DOWNLOAD + PRINT THE GIFT TAGS:

Go to the DOWNLOAD PAGE.
Add your name + email address + press submit.
Download the file that pops up on your screen, then save or print.
(A copy will also be emailed to your email address for your files.)

FAQ + TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST MAPLE CANDIED PECANS:

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO STORE CANDIED PECANS? The best way to store candied pecans is in an airtight container, away from moisture. This can be a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid or a zip-top bag with any excess air pressed out of it.

HOW LONG WILL CANDIED PECANS STAY FRESH? If you’ve stored them in an airtight container, our naturally sweetened candied pecans will stay fresh for at least 1 week. I recommend eating them within that time for the best texture results. Otherwise, you can pop them in the freezer.

CAN YOU FREEZE CANDIED PECANS? You totally can! I recommend putting them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag with the air pressed out first. Then, you can store candied pecans in the freezer for about a month.

HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON CANDIED PECANS. When I’m not using these nuts in salads, I LOVE adding cinnamon to my maple candied pecans. Just add 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon along with the maple syrup. It’s DELICIOUS! (I usually do this when I gift them.)

WHERE TO BUY PECANS FOR THE BEST PRICE. In my experience, you can get pecans for the best price when you buy them in bulk. Costco tends to have a great price for large amounts of pecans, but you can also order them in smaller amounts from places like Thrive Market or Amazon.

LOVE THIS RECIPE? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…

Our Favorite Spiced Nuts
Sea Salt Rosemary Nuts
Hot Chocolate Spoons (A great edible holiday gift!)
Christmas Potpourri (+Printable Gift Tags for gifting!)
Fudgy Gluten-Free Peppermint Brownies

PS – In case you missed it, you can download + print our free printable gift tags for these maple candied pecans HERE.