Cinnamon Spiced Pecans

Sweet and crunchy, cinnamon spiced pecans are coated and toasted for a delectable flavor and smell that just fills the house with Christmas festivity. A few years ago, I shared some of these pecans with friends in a prayer group, and then I shared the recipe because they all wanted to make more! The other day, one of those friends and I were talking and she has made Cinnamon Spiced Pecans a tradition with her family. She was getting ready to make some to send off to a daughter in Georgia.

You know they’re something special when someone from Georgia wants pecans from Colorado

This recipe is super easy, taking just 5 minutes to prepare, and then an hour in the oven. The ingredient list is short, also: pecans, egg white, cinnamon, sugar, salt. And, it’s easy to adjust quantities. The recipe is for a pound of nuts. I had 11 ounces on hand, so I roughly cut the recipe in half to two-thirds. You might want to double the recipe for sharing with others, and in that case, it’s best to use two pans so the pecans have plenty of room toast on all sides.

Cinnamon Spiced Pecans

Start by beating an egg white until it’s frothy. Really frothy, just barely getting peaks. Add in the pecans and fold over and over to completely coat. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and then sprinkle it over the pecans and continue folding until it’s distributed to all of the pecans. Turn them out onto your sheet pan(s), and pop them into a 225° oven for an hour.

It is stirred at 15-minute intervals, so I like to take those four 15-minute waiting periods to tackle a small project that I have been avoiding or just haven’t taken the time to do:

• read a chapter of a book that’s been sitting idle for too long
• vacuum
• study
• switch out a load of laundry
• write a note to a friend and mail it
• read a story to a child in the house
• brush a pet (get all the hair lint-rollered off yourself before stirring those pecans again!)
• pay a bill or three
• fold some towels
• wash the dishes
• walk around the block
• set up an appointment that’s been procrastinated

You get the idea.

After the four rounds of 15-minute bake time, spread them out on wax paper or parchment paper on the counter until they are completely dry, and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Wrap them in cellophane and give as gift toppers or to friends at a holiday event. Place a few on a dinner plate as a pretty and yummy garnish, or fill small bowls and put them in various spots throughout the living areas of your house for family and friends to find for a nibble.

Cinnamon Spiced Pecans

sweet, spicy, and crisp

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound pecans
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 egg white
• 1 t water

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 225°
• In a mixing bowl, beat egg white and water until frothy
• Add pecans and fold repeatedly with rubber spatula until completely coated with egg whites
• Combine cinnamon, sugar, and salt, sprinkle over nuts, and fold again until granules are completely distributed onto the pecans
• Spread out nuts in a single layer on a large baking sheet
• Place into oven for 1 hour, setting a timer to stir and flip every 15 minutes
• After 1 hour, spread pecans out onto wax paper and allow to cool
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature

Keyword cinnamon spiced nuts, cinnamon spiced pecans, spiced nuts