The Ultimate Healthy Candied Pecans

 
Shortly after college, I lived in a house in a quiet neighborhood. Because of the expansive grassy park down the street, along with an elementary school just past that, families with young children occupied many of the other homes.  

My closest neighbor had two little kids, around 4 and 7 years old, and since I still baked back then almost as much as I do now, I often stopped by to drop off treats. Eventually, I began to hear little footsteps running to the door after I rang the bell and a little voice call out, “Is it Amy??”

I guess I had practically trained the kids like Pavlov’s dogs… Oops!
 

 
During the holiday season, their mom knocked on my door with a little gift to say “Merry Christmas!” and thank me for all of the sweets throughout the year. She handed me a beautiful bright red poinsettia, along with a festively wrapped bag of her special candied walnuts. “My extended family looks forward to these every year,” she explained, motioning to the bag. “I hope you like them!”

After thanking her, I quickly popped one into my mouth. Sweet and crunchy, with a kiss of cinnamon… No wonder they were so popular with her family! I had to stick the bag on the tallest shelf in my pantry, the one that required me to hop up on a kitchen chair to reach, to prevent myself from eating them all in one sitting!
 

 
With the holidays quickly approaching (eep!), I wanted to do something similar for my family, but since many of them are allergic to walnuts… I whipped up these Ultimate Healthy Candied Pecans instead! They have the same warm, cozy, oh-so-incredible flavors as my neighbor’s famous candied walnuts, but these actually contain no butter or refined sugar!

Bonus: They just take 5 minutes to make! Although… Come to think of it… That could actually be dangerous. Very, very dangerous… If you know what I mean! 😉
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CANDIED PECANS

To make these simple treats, you’ll need… Pecans! Both halves and pieces work. I actually prefer pecan pieces because you end up with a larger coating-to-nut ratio. Extra sweetness and spice always sounds good to me!

Add those to a large nonstick pan, and cook them for a few minutes until they smell fragrant. This quick toasting step brings out their warm nutty flavor!
 

 
Then you’ll add the coating to your pan! It’s a mixture of water, granulated erythritol (this kind!), cinnamon (I’m obsessed with this kind!), allspice, and just a hint of salt. Yes, allspice! It isn’t usually included in basic candied nut recipes, but it adds a sweet warmth, similar to cinnamon, that really rounds out the taste and takes the flavor to a whole new level. Trust me!

Remember, erythritol is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean-eating friendly!). I’ve tested this recipe with a few different products, and this one is what I use the most! It caramelizes just like granulated sugar, which means it forms that hard, crunchy coating. (No lingering stickiness here!) It also tastes perfectly sweet without any strange aftertastes. Hooray! You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, as well as online here.
 

 
Back to cooking! You’ve added your coating mixture to your pan… So stir stir stir with a spatula to coat the pecans. Keep that spatula moving so you don’t burn the sweet coating! Once it has fully covered your nuts and the water has evaporated, quickly spread them out onto a sheet of foil in a thin layer. It really helps if they aren’t touching their neighbors!

Then wait for 15-30 minutes until the coating has hardened, and break apart any large clumps. Or eat those first—I won’t judge!
 

 
I think I may make a double batch next time… One for me and one to share! 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your ultimate healthy candied pecans!

The Ultimate Healthy Candied Pecans

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

I may be biased but… These are definitely the best candied pecans I’ve ever had! I absolutely love how simple they are to make, and they’re perfect for hostess and holiday gifts! They’ll keep for at least 3 weeks (if not longer… I just seem to eat all of mine before then!) if stored in an airtight container.

5 from 4 votes

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Ingredients 

• 3 tbsp (45g) granulated erythritol
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp (15mL) water
• 1 cup (112g) pecan halves, left whole or chopped (see Notes!)

Instructions

• Cut a large sheet of foil, and place it on the counter.
• In a small bowl, stir together the erythritol, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Stir in the water until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
• Add the pecans to a small pan, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the cinnamon mixture. Stir constantly with a spatula until the pecans are completely coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared foil. Let the pecans cool completely to room temperature, and ensure the coating has hardened and turned crunchy before breaking apart any clumps.

Notes

PECANS NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I highly recommend chopping the pecan halves! This creates more surface area, so you’ll have a larger cinnamon-coating-to-nut ratio.

 

COOLING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: The coating will be mostly hardened and crunchy after about 10-15 minutes. However, I’ve found that the texture is the best if you wait at least 2 hours to eat.

 

ERYTHRITOL NOTE + ALTERNATIVES: This is the granulated erythritol that I use. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores or online here.

 

Granulated sugar or brown sugar can be substituted for the granulated erythritol. If using either of these, the cooking time will be longer because they absorb and dissolve differently in water compared to erythritol, so it generally takes longer to evaporate the moisture from the mixture and make the coating turn crunchy.

 

SPICES NOTE: If you’re a big fan of spices (like I am!), then increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon and the allspice to ⅜ teaspoon.

 

{gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, clean eating, sugar free, low carb}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points

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♡  Easy Pecan Hand Pies