✨ “The first time I made these, my kitchen smelled like the holidays — buttery, savory, and a little spicy. I knew I’d never buy store-bought snack nuts again.” ✨
These savory spiced roasted pecans are the perfect mix of buttery richness, warm spice, and a gentle kick. They’re vegan-friendly, easy to make, and dangerously snackable. Whether you’re gifting a jar to a friend or topping your favorite salad, they add a burst of flavor that turns ordinary into unforgettable
I tested this recipe over and over before finding the perfect spice balance — warm but not overpowering, buttery without being greasy. The batch that finally nailed it disappeared in one afternoon. Lesson learned: always make a double batch!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You are absolutely going to love these savory roasted pecan halves. They were inspired by rosemary spiced mixed nuts which are super delicious too but these buttery pecans focus on the more savory spicy side of things.
- Vegan and Buttery (Yes, Really!) – All the flavor, none of the dairy.
- Crispy, Golden Perfection – Toasted to bring out that deep pecan flavor.
- Savory with a Hint of Sweet Heat – Balanced spices that keep you coming back.
- Perfect for Gifting – Package in a jar with a ribbon for an instant holiday treat.
- Quick and Foolproof – About 10 minutes of prep and the oven does the rest.
These roasted pecans aren’t just for holidays — they’re a year-round snack staple. Make a batch for movie night, road trips, or as a crunchy topping for creamy vegan soups or veggie salads. When fall hits, the aroma of buttery roasted pecans with smoked paprika feels like a cozy sweater in food form.
For a sweeter less savory candied nut try oven roasted vegan candied pecans with maple, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Or for a less complicated but equally sweet option, consider stovetop candied pecans. Both winners in my book!
This savory roasted pecans recipe is perfect for snacking, as an appetizer, for a holiday gift, as part of a plant-based charcuterie/snack board, or to top salads.
Ingredients needed to make buttery seasoned roasted pecans
- pecan halves
- butter – I use plant butter
- brown sugar
- Worcestershire sauce (more about the vegan brand I use below)
- chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper
How to make the best savory roasted pecans
Let’s get to it, shall we? This is a super easy recipe to follow and make. Soon, you’ll be eating your own savory roasted pecans by the handful!
Instructions (Condensed Overview)
- Melt and Mix: Combine melted vegan butter, maple syrup, and spices in a large bowl. Toss the pecans until evenly coated.
- Roast: Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until fragrant and lightly darkened.
- Cool: Let cool completely — they’ll crisp up as they cool.
- Store: Keep in an airtight jar for up to two weeks (if they last that long).
ROast to perfection
I realize this is a little labor-intensive to check and turn the coated pecan halves every 15 minutes but it will ensure even roasting time and the best flavor.
When the timer goes off, actually take the pecans on the baking sheet out from the oven and place them on a surface you can work on.
With a spatula, turn the pecans and stir them around. The pecan halves on the edges will start to cook before the ones in the middle so try to change their position around.
Return the baking sheet with the partially roasted pecans to the oven and set the timer again. You will continue to cook and do this two more times.
Final Thoughts & FAQs
Whether you’re here for the savory roasted pecans themselves or curious about making them vegan-friendly, this recipe proves that buttery, spiced nuts can be delicious without a trace of dairy. Below are a few quick notes and questions I get often about the ingredients.
A Special Note About the Vegan-Friendly Ingredients
If you’re simply here for the flavor, use whatever butter you normally cook with. But if you’re here for the vegan-friendly version, read on—we’re lucky to live in a time with so many great plant-based options!
The Melted Butter
Choose a plant butter that tastes rich enough to eat straight from the knife. I recommend using stick butter instead of the tub style for this recipe—it melts cleanly and browns beautifully.
My go-to vegan butters are:
- Country Crock with Avocado Oil
- Miyoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter
- Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
Each has the right balance of fat and flavor to make these savory vegan roasted pecans taste irresistibly buttery.
You can substitute olive oil, but you’ll lose that signature buttery flavor. It’s still delicious, though, and one day I’ll create a version featuring olive oil on purpose—it’s that good.
Is Worcestershire Sauce Vegan?
Normally, no. Traditional Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, which means it isn’t vegan. (Bon Appétit has a great article explaining what goes into it.)
Luckily, there are several vegan Worcestershire sauces that skip the fish:
- Organics Worcestershire Sauce – widely available in U.S. grocery stores and confirmed vegan by customer service.
- Annie’s Worcestershire Sauce – tangy, balanced, and certified vegan.
- The Wizard’s Vegan Worcestershire – bold flavor and easy to find online.
Other brands exist, but I always recommend double-checking the ingredients and recent reviews—formulas can change without notice.
The Bottom Line
These vegan savory spiced roasted pecans are proof that you don’t need dairy to create something crave-worthy. With the right plant butter, your kitchen will smell like buttery magic, and no one will guess they’re completely plant-based.
Serving suggestions for savory roasted pecans
How do you serve your roasted pecans — straight from the jar or sprinkled on something fancy? Tell me below!
Go ahead and enjoy some now! If you had plans for using this gently spiced pecans recipe for a special purpose, you may wish you had made a double batch! This recipe would actually be easy enough to double. Just make sure your baking sheet is large enough to handle all of the pecans in a single layer.
If you manage to have any leftovers then store them in an airtight container. You can place your airtight container on the counter or in a cupboard; it doesn’t need to be placed in the refrigerator.
These roasted pecans would make a great little party appetizer or a salad topping. Place in a bowl on a plant-based snack board or give as a gift.
As long as your store your roasted nuts in an airtight container, they should stay fresh for at least a week. Truth be told, they’ve never lasted that long in my house!
The printable recipe card for Savory Savory Roasted Pecans
Did you love this recipe?
Want to share the love? It would be great if you could leave five ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ stars and even a comment. Did you know that this will help Google to find this recipe when others are looking for something similar? Thanks, Cindy
Savory Roasted Pecans
Equipment
- oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 3 Tablespoons vegan butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce see comments for vegan brand
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 255°
- Prepare a large baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or foil.
- Melt the butter for about one minute in a microwave-friendly bowl.
- Add in the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, onion and garlic powders, smoked paprika, and powdered cayenne pepper. Whisk till mixed well.
- Stir in the pecan halves and toss till well covered.
- Spread onto a large prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Put in the 255° oven for one hour. See important next step.
- You will bake this for one hour. Every 15 minutes remove from the oven and stir around for even baking. Move the pieces in the center to the outside sections and the pieces at the outside to the center. Place back in the oven for the next 15 minutes. Watch so that it doesn't begin to burn toward the end.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before eating.
These were so tasty we ended up making a second batch and doubling it this time.
My wife loves them!
These were the best roasted/season pecans I’ve ever tasted! I did sub coconut sugar for the brown sugar and I used EVOO instead of butter but they were fantastic!
One word: Delicious. I love to use the pecans on my pear arugula salad. Honestly these are my go to snack too.
Should I measure pecans to 2 cups on a scale or by the actual measuring cups
Hi Alexis, I tried emailing you but it bounced back. I use actual measuring cups. But in fact, I usually just buy a package that says 2 cups on the front of it. I’ve noticed when I measure it out that it’s slightly less than two cups. This just means more yummy flavor on the nuts – and I’m not mad at that!
These are phenomenal! I made them to be a gift and ended up burning the first batch slightly, so made a second batch. That time, after the 45-minute mark I checked and stirred again every five minutes. This batch turned out perfectly at 50 minutes, a testament to how much individual ovens can vary. I’m not vegan so I used dairy butter, unsalted so I could control the salt amount. I stuck with the recipe’s amount of 1/2 tsp. and that tasted just right to me. They got rave reviews from the people to whom I gifted them. And full disclosure, I ate the entire burnt first batch myself XD and it was delicious!
Excellent! These pecans have the perfect balance of savory and spicy.
Thanks for the great review! They are our favorites too:)
Oh my!!! I made these savory pecans and they are ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I am not a vegan so with the exception of using organic salted butter and non-vegan Worcestershire sauce, I used all other ingredients and followed the baking instructions. The pecans are buttery, light and slightly crunchy. I plan to make them for the holidays and give them away as gifts. Of course, I will definitely make more for our family to enjoy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these little nuts. They are our favorites!
Awesome, I do believe this is the best and easiest recipe that I have found. The perfect balance between sweet and salty with just a hint of spice to warm you up. I like mine a little extra spicy so I doubled the cayenne. Turned out great.
Thanks Cindy,
Your the best,,,
Aww thanks!
I’m neither a vegan nor a vegetarian, but I’ve been buying delicious pecans from Georgia’s Sunnyland Farms for years, so tried them here . I love this recipe and found moving the nuts around every 15 minutes (or so) to be the hardest part. I’ve scorched nuts before! I added about a half teaspoon of dried crumbled rosemary from our garden to the mix.
JUST What I was looking for today thank you so much. I’m making stuffing, and I like to add pecans to the stuffing. I make two different kinds one with sausage and one for my vegetarian Daughter and they will love the pecans in it thank you so much.!
What? In stuffing?! What a game-changer. Thank you so much for your comment and for the great idea:)