Savor the irresistible delight of our vegan candied pecans, expertly crafted with the perfect blend of brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon. In a little over 30 minutes, you can enjoy these crunchy, sweet treats that will satisfy your cravings and elevate your snacking experience. Indulge in the rich, caramelized flavors, and treat yourself to a delectable delight!
You’ll find yourself irresistibly drawn to these oven-baked vegan candied pecans with their delightful combination of flavors and textures. The sweetness of the caramelized sugar coating perfectly complements the rich, nutty taste of the pecans, providing a truly satisfying experience for your taste buds with each crunchy bite.
I love oven roasted nuts! You can make them sweet or savory. Rosemary spiced nuts are made with a blend of robust olive oil and seasonings and the more classic oven roasted savory spiced buttery nuts are made with vegan butter and yummy spices. You can go wrong with either!
This recipe uses a combination of stove-top and oven to bring you that satisfying crunchy sweetly cinnamon-spiced flavor. It was inspired by stove-top candied pecans but adds a sugary cinnamon crunch. In just a little over 30 minutes, the inviting aroma will fill the air! Whether you enjoy them as a delectable treat or a nutritious snack option, these vegan candied nuts will deliver both indulgence and comfort in every single bite.
Ingredients needed to make oven-baked candied pecans
- pecan halves – You will need two cups of pecan halves. I usually buy the package labeled as two cups but I have found it to be a little bit short of the full two cups. That’s fine, just more yummy sugared topping for the pecans!
- vegan butter – You will be melting the butter before mixing in the other ingredients. If you are not vegan, then use salted butter for this recipe.
- maple syrup – Use real maple syrup, not maple-flavored pancake syrup.
- brown sugar – You will be using a total of four tablespoons of brown sugar divided. We melt two tablespoons with the maple syrup, butter, and cinnamon and add two tablespoons at the end.
- salt, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract – The salt and ground cinnamon are melted with the butter mixture, and the vanilla is added at the end after cooking the pecans on the stovetop and before adding the final measurement of brown sugar.
How to make your own vegan candied pecans
The exact ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below along with more concise abbreviated instructions. Read on for more details, tips, and tricks so that you will feel confident making this recipe.
Step 1: Preparations
Preheat the oven to 325℉. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Start the preheating process well in advance of cooking the pecans. You’ll want the oven to be preheated and ready to go when the pecans have cooked on the stovetop. You’ll also want the baking sheet to be prepared with a liner once the pecans are ready for the oven.
Melt the vegan butter either in the microwave or stovetop. I prefer to melt the butter in the microwave in a small microwavable dish. You could also melt the butter in the pan on the stovetop before adding the other ingredients. Just make sure that you attend the melting butter on the stovetop so that it doesn’t burn.
Steps 2-3: Melting and cooking the butter/sugar mixture
Add the melted vegan butter, maple syrup, two tablespoons of the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a medium-sized cooking pan. Remember, the brown sugar is divided. You will be using two tablespoons now and two tablespoons later.
Heat on medium-high, stirring, until the sugar melts and the mixture is starting to get bubbly around the edges. You won’t be boiling this mixture, but it will get bubbly around the edges. it will only take a minute or two.
Step 4: Adding the pecan halves
Add the pecan halves and mix well to coat evenly. Continue cooking for three minutes while stirring and tossing the entire time. Remove the pan from heat after the three minutes is up. The butter sugar mixture should be almost entirely coating the pecans by now with very little remaining on the bottom of the pan.
Step 5: The vanilla and remaining brown sugar
Add the vanilla and give it a stir to distribute evenly. Add the remaining two tablespoons of brown sugar and toss to coat all of the cooked pecans. Remember that the pan will be removed from the heat at this point. The added brown sugar will make a nicely sugary textured coating on the pecans.
Steps 6-7: OVen baking the pecans to finish
You will be finishing the sugared pecans in the oven. This will allow the sugar crystals to set and give your pecans that nice sugary crunchy texture.
Turn the cooked sugared pecan halves onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread the pecans evenly so that they are in a single layer – as much as possible.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook at 325°F for a total of 9 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven when finished.
Final Step – be patient while they cool!
If the nuts have clumped and cooked together, break them apart into single pieces by hand once the nuts have cooled enough to touch (just a couple of minutes). Allow to continue to cool for another 20 minutes or so. They should be very cool to the touch and not sticky. Store in an airtight container for up to five days.
Fair Warning: Don’t Double!
Once you make these yummy candied pecans you are going to want to make them again and again. And when you do, you are going to be tempted to double the recipe and make more than a measly two cups. Do NOT and I repeat, do not be tempted to double the batch. The vegan butter sugar mixture does not cook up in the same time if you double the ingredients. And the amount of sugar-coated pecan halves are too great in volume to spread out on a large baking sheet for toasting. They really shouldn’t touch each other or they’ll stick together and not get that even sugary coating. Just make two batches. They cook up fast enough that’s it really not a problem and you will be happier with the results. Really!
The printable recipe card for vegan candied pecans
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Oven Toasted Vegan Candied Pecans with Maple Syrup and Brown Sugar
Equipment
- oven
- stovetop
Ingredients
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 4 Tablespoons brown sugar divided, see notes
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Start the preheating process well in advance of cooking the pecans. Melt the vegan butter either in the microwave or stovetop.
- Add the melted vegan butter, maple syrup, two tablespoons of the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a medium-sized cooking pot. Remember, the brown sugar is divided. You will be using two tablespoons now and two tablespoons later.
- Heat on medium-high, stirring, until the sugar melts and the mixture is starting to get bubbly around the edges.
- Add the pecan halves and mix well to coat evenly. Continue cooking for three minutes while stirring and tossing the entire time. Remove the pan from heat after the three minutes is up.
- Add the vanilla and give it a stir to distribute evenly. Add the remaining two tablespoons of brown sugar and toss to coat all of the cooked pecans.
- Turn the cooked sugared pecan halves onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread the pecans evenly so that they are in a single layer – as much as possible.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for a total of 9 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven when finished.
- Once the nuts have cooled enough to touch (just a couple of minutes), break them apart by hand so that they are in single pieces. Allow to continue to cool for another 20 minutes or so. They should be very cool to the touch and not sticky. Store in an airtight container for up to five days.
