Published: | Last updated: | by Amanda Biddle16 Comments
These Caramelized Pecans are a cinch to make on the stove, and you can customize them to be spicy, or salty, too! Great for salads, desserts, and cheese boards.
Ilove caramelized pecans. What’s not to love when we’re talking about warm, toasty pecans enrobed in a luscious brown sugar glaze?
For the longest time, I bought caramelized pecans in containers at my local market’s gourmet cheese counter. That is, until I realized how incredibly simple they are to make at home.Caramelized Pecans on demand? Don’t mind if I do!
These pecans are perfect to serve for a game day snack, a holiday appetizer board (lovely with cheese), topping Pumpkin Pie, or sprinkling on top of your favorite fall salads (like, this Pear Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette.)
Caramelized Pecans vs. Candied Pecans
I have a distinction in my own mind between what constitutes a Caramelized Pecan versus a Candied Pecan. In all honesty, the terms are pretty much used interchangeably, but to me, they separate two different types of sweet pecan preparations.
In my mind, Caramelized Pecans, like the ones in this post, are coated in a glossy sugar glaze. When I hear Candied Pecans, I think of pecans with a more sugary-looking, crunchy coating, such as these. Another way to separate the difference I’m looking to describe here would be to call one “glazed” pecans and the other “sugared” pecans.
How to Make Caramelized Pecans
So, today, we’re talking about the caramelized variety.
In terms of tools, all you need is a nonstickskillet and a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and you’ll be well on your way to having a batch of these on your table.
Just melt together brown sugar and a little water in a skillet on the stove until bubbly, toss in your pecans, and stir until toasty and caramelized. That’s it! 5 minutes on the stove, and then about an hour for the pecans to fully set up at room temperature.
Flavor Variations: Sweet and Spicy Pecans
The great thing about making Caramelized Pecans at home is that you can customize the flavor. Want a hint of fall spice? Add some ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice. Want sweet pecans with some heat? A little cayennewill do the trick.
Personally, I like them sprinkled withflaked sea salt for a sweet-salty combo.
I like to mix up a few batches at a time during the holiday season so I have them on hand for various uses: sweet or cinnamon for desserts, salted or spicy for appetizers and snacks. You can even freeze caramelized pecans for up to two months, making them convenient for planning ahead!
📖 Recipe
Stovetop Caramelized Pecans
It's easy to make caramelized pecans, right on your stove! You can customize these pecans to have sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, to your personal preferences.
In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, melt together brown sugar and water until rapidly bubbling. Add pecans, stirring thoroughly to coat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and most of the liquid has evaporated. (But not so long at the sugars burn.)
Spread pecans into a single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and use a fork to separate them. Let stand at room temperature for about an hour, until fully cooled, set, and dry. (Pecans will be only very slightly tacky to the touch.)
Break apart any pecan clusters and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
Variations:
Cinnamon Caramelized Pecans: Add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon to the pan with the brown sugar.
Spicy Caramelized Pecans: Add ¼ teaspoon (or more or less, to taste) cayenne pepper to the pan with the brown sugar.
Salted Caramelized Pecans: Sprinkle the pecans with flaked sea salt after you transfer them to the baking sheet to cool.
About our Recipes:Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
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If your pecans are soft, it's most likely because they weren't baked long enough and are still retaining moisture. The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts.
If after they have cooled down, the pecans are still sticky, this means that the sugar mixture never reached a high enough temperature when on the stove. To fix them, place the nuts back into the skillet and cook a bit longer.
Wet pecans allow the salt to stick easily to the nuts. Plus, soaking nuts helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which can harm your digestion, and reduce phytates, which decrease nutrient absorption. Just submerge your nuts in water while the oven is heating up and you'll be good to go.
A final way to crack open pecans is to soften the shells first. Fill a saucepan with water and turn your stovetop to high. Wait until the water boils. Then, bring the boil to a simmer by slightly turning down the heat.
For toasting pecans on the stovetop, place the pecans in a dry stainless-steel skillet over medium heat.Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until they are a deep golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stirring frequently will prevent uneven toasting or burning.
Now, some of you may be wondering, “What's the difference between roasting and toasting a pecan?”. The answer is simple. Roasting is when the nut is cooked fully through, and is usually done in an oven.Toasting means to brown the nut on the outside, and is usually done over a fire or on the stove.
Stovetop method: Place the nuts in a dry skillet (no oil) over medium heat. Heat, shaking the pan and stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the nuts are fragrant and golden brown or one shade darker, about 3 minutes for pine nuts and 4 to 5 minutes for harder nuts like pecans, walnuts and almonds.
Either you used raw nuts, or you added them before the sugar had a chance to fully caramelize. Why is the sugar all crystallized and grainy looking? It means that the sugar has crystallized before caramelizing.
"Essential nutrients like iron, protein, calcium, and zinc are better absorbed by the body when you soak the nuts. The water removes the phytic acid present in acids which causes indigestion. So, soaking nuts helps in digesting them properly and reaping the benefits of these nutrients.
Store pecans in cool, dry places away from heat: Because pecans contain such a high amount of healthy, plant-based oils, they are prone to going rancid if they spend too long in warm temperatures.
Pecans have two sources of bitterness -- naturally occurring tannins in the kernel and pieces of corky material from the inside of the nut which can adhere to the kernel. Some of the tannin and all of the corky material can be removed by washing the kernels before cooking.
I started doing some research, and I found a little-known trick to making pecans taste sweeter: Soaking and rinsing the shelled nuts in lukewarm water before roasting removes the tannins and pieces of corky material that can cause pecans to taste bitter.
Drain, Rinse, and Roast - After soaking your pecan nuts for about 8 hours, it's time to drain and rinse them. Once you're done with that, spread them over a baking sheet or dehydrator evenly to get them ready for roasting.
Usually if the almonds are soft after candying it means that they weren't cooked for long enough. However, this recipe cooks all of the water out of the sugar syrup and then takes it a step further where the the sugar then re-caramelizes allowing the almonds to harden.
If your candied pecans are soft, it is likely because the sugar syrup coating has not completely hardened. The syrup may still be wet, or it may have started to crystalize. If the syrup is still wet, you can try putting the nuts in the oven for a few minutes to help the syrup harden.
These last for up to 1 week at room temperature, 2 weeks in the refrigerator, and 2 months in the freezer. Why are my candied walnuts soft? If they are soft you likely did not bake them long enough.
Here's the thing to remember: If you're filling hasn't set, it means the bottom of the pie crust isn't fully cooked, either. You can prevent the outer crust from further darkening (or even burning) by covering it with aluminum foil or -- more attractively -- with what's known as a pie ring or shield.
Introduction: My name is Terrell Hackett, I am a gleaming, brainy, courageous, helpful, healthy, cooperative, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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