I’m confident that after one bite of these easy Maple Candied Pecans, you’ll love them as much as we do! These naturally sweetened candied pecans are PERFECT for snacking, holiday gifting, or topping your favorite salad. Don’t miss our printable gift tags for easy gifting!
The holidays are approaching, and that means it’s time for a little treat! One of my favorites this time of year is maple candied nuts, and I’m going to be honest…
These Maple Pecans Are The Perfect Treat For The Holidays
I love classic candied pecans, made with sugar, cinnamon, and egg whites, but when you want a healthy candied pecans recipe, this maple candied pecans recipe just can’t be beat. There’s so much to love!
🥣 THEY’RE EASY: These maple pecans are a no-bake recipe made in 15 min or less with just THREE simple ingredients. They’re done in a flash, since you don’t need to bake them, and they’re easy enough for beginners! That’s about as easy as it gets!
🍁 THEY’RE DELICIOUS: Even though we only have a few ingredients, these candied maple pecans still have layers of flavor. The toasty, nutty flavor of the pecans, sweet maple syrup, and a tiny hint of salt make each bite irresistible!
🎁 THEY’RE VERSATILE. Whether you sprinkle them over a salad, serve them as an appetizer, sweet snack, or fun treat, add them to a cheese board for a holiday party, or tuck them into little gift bags for neighbor or friend holiday gifts, these naturally sweetened candied pecans are a MAJOR crowd pleaser.
Happy snacking! xo, Emily
Gather Your Ingredients
- 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.)
- REAL MAPLE SYRUP. The other key ingredient in our maple candied pecan 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 these easy 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 that sweet-salty flavor, 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.
How To Make Maple Candied Pecans, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Prep. To start, set out a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Have everything measured and ready to go, since this recipe moves quickly once you get started.
- Combine & Cook. Place pecans and syrup in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stirring constantly, continue cooking the pecans and syrup while the syrup thickens and the water cooks out, about 5-7 minutes. When the water is nearly all evaporated, sprinkle the salt over the pecans.
- Cool. When the water is evaporated, and the pecans are getting caramelized, spread the mixture out onto your prepared baking tray in an even layer. Sprinkle with additional salt, as desired. Allow to cool completely (the maple syrup coating will continue to harden as they cool).
- Serve & Store! Eat plain, or mix into your favorite salad, trail mix, or popcorn. Store leftover candied pecans in an airtight container up to 1 week at room temperature.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS. Try these maple pecans on a fun salad, mix them into caramel popcorn, add them to cheese boards & snack spreads, sprinkle them over ice cream, or package them up to give to friends and neighbors!
Give These Pecans As a Gift! (Printable 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, or you can tuck them into little mason jars!
You can download + print our gift tags HERE or with the form below. 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.
Get Our Printable Gift Tags!
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 to extend their shelf life.
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 a big bag of pecans, but you can also order them in smaller amounts from places like Thrive Market or Amazon.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Maple Candied Pecans recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
PS – In case you missed it, you can download + print our free printable gift tags for these maple candied pecans HERE.
Maple Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw pecans roughly chopped, if desired
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt + more, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon optional*
Instructions
- Prep. To start, set out a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Have everything measured and ready to go, since this recipe moves quickly once you get started.
- Combine & Cook. Place pecans and syrup in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stirring constantly, continue cooking the pecans and syrup while the syrup thickens and the water cooks out, about 5-7 minutes. When the water is nearly all evaporated, sprinkle the salt over the pecans.
- Cool. When the water is evaporated, and the pecans are getting caramelized, spread the mixture out onto your prepared baking tray. Sprinkle with additional salt, as desired. Allow to cool completely (the syrup will continue to harden as they cool).
- Serve & Store! Eat plain, or mix into your favorite salad, trail mix, or popcorn. Store leftover candied pecans in an airtight container up to 1 week at room temperature.
Notes
- *If you’re adding cinnamon, add it along with the maple syrup and proceed as written with the rest of the directions. It’s delicious!
- Let Them Cool! Make sure to let the pecans cool completely before storing so the candy coating can harden properly. If you store them warm, they can steam, which leads to soggy pecans.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/maple-candied-pecans/
Perfect gifting recipe and a new family favorite!
Oh, I’m so glad to hear it! Happy holidays, Laura! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review.
5, but very mild. Next time I make them, I’ll double the cinnamon.
Delicious! I’ve made a few times now and super easy and very addicting.
These nuts look yummy and so easy. I will have to try to make them this weekend. I loved your post and enjoy your blog so much. You are a wonderful mom so keep it up–and don’t worry about the vegetables. They all come around!
How did you know I love all things candied nuts?! These look amazing!
What a beautiful post, Emily. Thank you for sharing your heart along with the recipe. I am right there in the trenches of motherhood with you and hear everything you say so clearly. Praise the Lord for the husbands we are blessed to be raising these little ones with.