Vegan Candied Pecans

Bring out the natural essence and flavor of pecans with my vegan candied pecans, which are easy to whip together. These pecans are both a sweet and savory snack with the hearty texture of the pecans along with vegan sweeteners that you can find in nature. The molasses, maple syrup, and sugar offer a triple whammy of flavor to these candied nuts. Here is how you can make a wonderful snack or dessert with a handful of healthy and natural ingredients.

What are Candied Pecans?

Candied pecans are pecans that are glazed in sweeteners before being baked in the oven. Many candied nut recipes offer the options of  preparing them on either the stove or in the oven. You bake this version in the oven, making this recipe easy and hands-off for at least part of the preparation time. Baking them in the oven offers a little more control than cooking them on the stove, as the heat tends to be more even than the stovetop method and there is less risk of burning the nuts and glaze.

Candied pecan recipes can vary in their ingredients across the board. Some include a mixture of egg white and white or brown sugar as coating, and others may include the addition of spices like cayenne and cinnamon. These vegan candied pecans comprise all vegan ingredients that are natural including maple syrup, molasses, and cane sugar. The result are pecans that have a crunchy texture, and a sweet and toasted flavor with natural sweetness.

Ingredients

These vegan candied pecans use only four key ingredients to make. Here is what you will need to make them:

• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Pecan halves
• Whole cane sugar

Instructions

These candied pecans require only 20 minutes in total to prepare and bake, making them low effort for whenever you are searching for a healthier vegan snack. Here is how you make them:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the maple syrup and molasses in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
   
   
2. Add the pecans and toss until they are coated.
   
   
   
3. Arrange them on the baking sheet in an even layer, and bake them for 10 minutes.
   
   
   
4. Remove the pecans from the oven, sprinkle them with the sugar, and continue to bake them for 4 minutes until the sugar bubbles.
   
   
   
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, place it on a rack, and allow the pecans to cool completely before serving them in a bowl.

Variations

Since these candied pecans are so simple to make, they are easy to vary depending on your tastes. Here are some ways you could modify this easy pecan recipe:

• Make Spicy Candied Pecans: If you are a fan of spicy candied nuts, you could add some cayenne pepper and cinnamon to the syrup mixture before tossing in the pecans. Feel free to add however much cayenne you like to get the amount of spiciness that meets your tastes.
• Make Herb and Garlic Candied Pecans: Those who love sweet and savory combinations will appreciate their pecans with the taste of herbs and garlic. To make this version, add garlic powder and your choice of dried herbs or chopped fresh rosemary to the glaze mixture. For dried herbs, feel free to use your favorites such as dried oregano, Italian seasoning, or dried rosemary. In the case of fresh herbs, rosemary is the best option as it is a woodier herb that will hold up well to the heat of the oven. However, it is best to avoid other fresh herbs that wilt easily such as parsley, tarragon, basil, or cilantro.
• Make Candied Mixed Nuts: Pecans are utterly delicious in this recipe, but for something a little more special, you could replace them with a mixture of nuts instead. Peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and cashews would all be excellent options with the sweet maple glaze.

 

Using Vegan Sweeteners to Candy Nuts

The main ingredient of this dish might be pecans but the true stars come in the sugars you choose to coat the nuts. First, you have the molasses that offers a deep sweet flavor. In addition, the molasses provides a healthy serving of manganese, magnesium, vitamin B6, potassium, copper, calcium, selenium, and iron. For someone who is eating a vegan diet, this is a great way to make sure you have all of your essential vitamins and minerals.

Molasses, also known as black treacle, is a sugar that comes from sugar beets or sugarcane. Then you have the addition of maple syrup to the mix, which is another healthy all-natural sweetener. Rather than processed white sugar, use raw or whole cane sugar as available for additional nutritional value.

By using this combination of sweeteners to coat the already hardy pecan, you get a nutritious and delicious dish. These Candied Pecans are treated with the extra touch to bring out their Southern flavor. After all, pecans grow naturally down South in states like Texas and Georgia. Whether you have your own pecan tree or just want a healthier version of the pecan pie side dish you typically take to Thanksgiving, these nuts are a true treat.

How to Store Candied Pecans

Once cooled, these candied pecans can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature until you are ready to serve them. They should stay fresh for several days although they will likely be consumed quickly as they can be eaten as a crunchy snack or added to other dishes like salads. It isn’t ideal to freeze them as they may lose their crunchy coating.

FAQ

Related

For dishes using pecans and other nuts, try these recipes:

• Chocolate Pecan Flan
• Healthy Baked Pecan-Stuffed Apples
• Healthy Homemade Trail Mix