Candied Pecans

Total Time Prep: 25 min. Bake: 30 min.

Yield about 1 pound

These candied pecans combine toasty nuts with butter, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla for a salty-sweet snack that you can eat by the handful or as an accompaniment to salad, cheese, desserts and so much more.

Ingredients

2-3/4 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Place pecans in a shallow baking pan in a 250° oven for 10 minutes or until warmed. Grease a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside.
Grease the sides of a large heavy saucepan with remaining 1 tablespoon butter; add sugar, water, salt and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Cover; cook 2 minutes to dissolve any sugar crystals that may form on the sides of pan.
Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 236° (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat; add vanilla. Stir in warm pecans until evenly coated.
Spread onto prepared baking pan. Bake at 250° for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Spread on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet to cool.

Nutrition Facts

2 ounces: 380 calories, 30g fat (4g saturated fat), 8mg cholesterol, 177mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (26g sugars, 4g fiber), 3g protein.

I pack these easy candied pecans in jars tied with pretty ribbon for family and friends. My granddaughter gave some to a doctor at the hospital where she works, and he said they were too good to be true! —Opal Turner, Hughes Springs, Texas

Recipe Creator