Description
The perfect topping for ice cream, oatmeal, and everything in between! Candied pecans with a perfect sweet-salty mix, with a touch of bourbon.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (, like Bulleit bourbon, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper ((optional))
- 3 cups pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the maple syrup, butter or oil, bourbon or vanilla, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Whisk until blended. Add the pecans and stir to coat.
- Dump the contents of the bowl onto your prepared baking sheet and arrange the pecans in a single layer (the maple syrup might pool on the bottom of the pan, but that’s ok).
- Bake for 23 to 26 minutes, stirring after the first 10 minutes of baking and then every 5 minutes thereafter. The pecans are done when almost no maple syrup remains on the parchment paper, and the nuts are deeply golden. The maple syrup coating will be a little sticky right out of the oven, but will harden as the pecans cool.
- Stir the pecans one more time, spreading them into an even layer across the pan again, and set aside. While the nuts are still warm, carefully separate any large clumps.
- Candied pecans will keep for up to 2 months in a sealed bag at room temperature.