These Holiday Spiced Pecans are a special treat for you, and also a perfect food gift for friends, teachers, and neighbors. This delicious snack is crunchy, sweet, and full of toasty warm cinnamon and spice. We love to serve them for the holidays, or any time really! Low in sugar and made with simple, real-food ingredients, this Spiced Pecans Recipe is a holiday snack appetizer that everyone will enjoy!
Highlights: Spiced Pecans Recipe
With minimal prep time and a total time of less than 30 minutes, these candied pecans are an easy recipe that’s just as fun to make as it is to eat. Here are a few more reasons why these spiced nuts are on our baking list right next to our favorite Christmas cookies and treats every holiday season:
- A better-for-you treat made with healthful ingredients and no refined sugar
- Healthy fats and fiber keep you full while satisfying your sweet tooth
- Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan
- Can be made in bulk and store well to enjoy for days
- Great for Christmas parties and gifting
What Do You Need To Make Spiced Pecans?
Here are the ingredients to make these sweet spiced nuts. Feel free to substitute additional cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for the ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom.
- Pecan halves – You’ll need about 3 cups pecan halves; may substitute whole pecans or pecan pieces
- Maple syrup – Be sure to use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. May substitute brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon – our recipe calls for 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, but you can add more if you’d like
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
- Ground nutmeg
- Cardamom
- Fine kosher salt
Find the ingredient list and nutrition information with exact measurements, kcal, carbohydrates, cholesterol, serving size, etc. in the recipe card below.
How To Make Holiday Candied Pecans
Here are the steps to make this roasted nuts recipe today:
- Preheat the oven: Also, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Season the pecans: Place the pecan halves in a large bowl, and toss them with the maple syrup. Add the spices, and toss again to coat the nuts in the spice mixture.
- Bake the nuts: Spread the pecans in a single layer over the baking sheet, and transfer to a preheated oven. Bake until the pecans are toasted and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Cool and separate: Set the sheet pan out at room temperature, and allow the pecans to cool. Break apart any pieces as needed, and transfer the roasted pecans to an airtight container.
Ingredient Spotlight: Pecans
We love to enjoy pecans as a healthful snack and frequently add them to recipes like our Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans, Cranberry Chicken Salad with Apples, and this Easy Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal.
Not only are they tasty, but pecans are also versatile and full of health benefits, too. For example, pecans are:
- Rich in copper, thiamine, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron
- A good source of fiber
- Low in carbohydrates
- An excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids
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Holiday Spiced Pecans
Holiday Spiced Pecans are roasted to perfection and infused with a blend of spices. Enjoy them as a holiday snack, add them to a salad, or package them in a mason jar as a special gift.
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
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
**May sub an additional 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in place of the ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Place the pecans in a large bowl and mix in the maple syrup until all the nuts are coated. Add the spices and mix well.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the pecans evenly 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.
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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
How long do spiced pecans last?
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How should I serve these candied pecans?
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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
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These are so easy to make, and I love the addition of syrup instead of having to heat up butter and brown sugar in a skillet! Already made twice!
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed these! Thank you for sharing a 5-star review!
THE BEST spiced pecans ever!!
Absolutely addicting!
Quick and easy and delicious.
Great Patricia! Thank you so much for the feedback. We appreciate the 5-star review!
SO EASY! And SO GOOD!
We’re so glad you loved this recipe, Laura!
These are so good and so easy to make. I made a small batch to try it out and they got consumed quickly. The sweet and spicy is exactly what I remember from my childhood.
We love to hear it, Christina! Thank you for the feedback and 5-star review!