These spiced pecans are an all-time holiday favorite for me and my loved ones. There’s just something about the crunchy, sweet bite with the kick of warmth from the cinnamon spice that feels like Christmas to me. I’ve found myself some years putting a Christmas potpourri on my stovetop when I start to make a batch to amplify all the holiday spices and scents. While I Iove to serve these pecans at the holidays to friends and family, I’ve also found that they’re a perfect gift for friends, teachers, and neighbors. Plus, they’re simply a fun snack to make throughout the whole fall and winter season. This spiced pecan recipe is one that always make it onto my holiday baking list, right alongside my favorite Christmas cookies and treats. I just can’t imagine the season without them!
Recipe Highlights
With minimal prep time and a total time of less than 30 minutes, these candied pecans are super easy to make. Plus, this recipe has several other aspects that I love. For example, it’s:
- A treat made with better-for-you ingredients and no refined sugar.
- Healthy fats and fiber from the pecans keep you full while satisfying your sweet tooth.
- Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
- Able to be made in bulk and stores incredibly well.
- Great for a Christmas party appetizer, as well as gifting.
- Fun to make.
Ingredients To Make Spiced Pecans
Here are the ingredients I use to make these sweet-spiced nuts. I always remind myself, too, that I can substitute additional cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for the ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom in case of an allergy or if I open my spice cabinet and am missing one of the extra spices on my recipe card.
- Pecan halves – About 3 cups of pecan halves are needed.
- Maple syrup – I always make sure I use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
- Ground nutmeg
- Cardamom
- Fine kosher salt
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Spotlight: Pecans
Pecans are both tasty and a great snack choice, as they offer some great benefits for overall well-being. Pecans are:
- Rich in copper, thiamine, zinc, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and iron.
- A good source of fiber.
- Low in carbohydrates.
- An excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids.
Plus, they’re incredibly versatile and can be added to a lot of desserts or recipes for a little extra flavor and crunch. Personally, I love adding pecans to my Cranberry Chicken Salad with Apples.
Add An Extra Kick
Some of my friends and family just can’t ever seem to get enough spice – they just want to have more and more heat added on to whatever dish they’re eating. That’s why I’ve come up with a way to make this pecan recipe have even more of a kick that’s sure to satisfy my spice-fanatic friends and family. To add a bit of heat, I include a pinch of cayenne pepper, ground cumin, or smoked paprika.
How To Serve
A big reason I love my recipe for spiced pecans is because of how versatile it is. Of course, I can eat or serve them plain, but I can also add them to other recipes and dishes. For example, I love using the pecans as a salad topping, using them in place of regular pecans in a sweet potato casserole, and I’ve even been known to sprinkle a few on top of some vanilla ice cream every now and then.
I’ve also found that these pecans can make for great holiday gifts. I simply fill up a mason jar with the pecans, tie a ribbon around the jar, and I now have homemade spiced pecans as a little extra gift for a friend or loved one during the Christmas season.
Read One Of Our 5-Star Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“These are hands-down THE BEST spiced pecans there! Making another batch right now. My family’s favorite holiday treat.”
~Sarah Ayres
How To Store
Spiced pecans will stay fresh for up to two weeks at room temperature in an airtight container or up to a year when stored in the refrigerator or freezer. If I store them in the fridge or freezer, I always make sure to use one of my airtight meal prep containers and mark the date I start storing them.
Video: Making Holiday Spiced Pecans
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Spiced Pecans Recipe
Roasted perfectly and flavored with a mix of complementary spices, these pecans are a great snack, salad topping, or even a great gift during the holiday season.
Ingredients
- 3 cups pecan halves
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Place the pecan halves in a large bowl and mix them with the maple syrup.
- Add the spices to the bowl and toss the pecan halves to coat them in the spice mixture.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the pecans evenly in a single layer over the parchment paper.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring the nuts every 5 minutes, until toasted and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Set aside to cool on the baking sheet until the pecans are cool enough to handle. Break the pecans apart, as some may stick together.
- After completely cooled, store the spiced pecans in an airtight container.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive so we can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Notes
*May substitute an additional 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in place of the ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 195
- Fat: 18 g
- (Sat Fat: 2 g)
- Sodium: 25 mg
- Carbohydrate: 9 g
- (Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 7 g)
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Dietary
For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
Made a double batch and gave half away as stocking stuffers in a mini mason jar along with the recipe. These are a healthy and delicious snack with just enough spice and sweetness. Very easy to prepare. My kitchen smelled amazing too! Thank you for this recipe.
Such a great gift idea to share! Thank you so much for sharing and leaving a 5-star review!
Make many batches of these every year and they are loved by all!! Being from New Mexico I also add a teaspoon of red Chile powder for extra zing.
You had us at ‘red chile powder’. What a great idea – thanks for sharing!
Love the spiced pecans recipe! My friends and family will love them too!
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Terry!
Followed instructions faithfully. Took longer than 20 minutes for (majority of) honey liquid to absorb. Apart from this, easy to make & my whole kitchen & eating area seems fantastic. Perfect for Xmas day .
Made a triple batch of the Holiday Spiced Pecans for my neighbors ( 6 different families ) Christmas baskets, they loved them! Made again for family Christmas day and they were a favorite. Was asked to share the recipe and I have. I will definitely be making them again! Thank you for the recipe. Merry Christmas!