5 Minute maple candied pecans stovetop Recipe - My Natural Family (2024)

Rebecca Baron 15 Comments

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This maple candied pecans stovetop recipe seriously only takes 5 minutes to make and only has 3 ingredients. You can save tons of time and money and make these yourself. Plus, everything tastes better homemade. These make an easy neighbor gift, are a delicious snack and are perfect for topping salads or sweet potatoes.

5 Minute maple candied pecans stovetop Recipe - My Natural Family (1)

Have you ever bought a can of candied pecans at the store, only to get home and accidentally devour all of them, and then look at the ingredient list on the can…which consequently gives you a massive stomach ache – how do you pronounce that second ingredient…but they are so good and so addictive, and you are tempted to go buy another can… After all, pecans are good for you – are they not?

Does that scenario sound familiar? Can you relate? I know I can :). Luckily, I have found a solution! They are every bit as tasty as the store-bought candied pecans, but are made with only 3 simple ingredients, and contain no refined sugar, butter, or oil. Does it get much better than that? Oh yea, they are super simple to make and cause your house to smell unbelievably delicious.

These pecans are fabulous in salads, as a sweet treat, added to yogurt, or piled on top of your favorite pancake or cut-up fruit. They are also a great snack for kids. My little girl won’t eat plain nuts (she is a total stinker), but she will eat these sweetened pecans – I’ll take it.

This brings to something I've been thinking about in my life lately - what is the balance between making something homemade and healthy vs. just buying it? Some things are faster and easier to make at home, like these pecans. But there are some things, like say, a birthday cake that I just don't think are worth the time to make.

There is no way I'm going to spend hours making a fancy cake that doesn't even taste that good and is definitely not Clean. And the amount of work it takes to make a Clean cake and make it fancy is even way more work. And my children sure don't appreciate the amount of work and they probably wouldn't even like it.

I don't know. I don't even want to try. I don't have time. I work like all the time on this blog when I'm not being a wife, mom or taking care of myself. What I've resorted to doing is buying a "normal" cake at the store for family parties, cause none of my family eats Clean and they like a store-bought cake just fine.

Then on my children's actual birthday, my husband and I take just the birthday child out to dinner and they usually get a free birthday dessert with their meal. If they don't, we take them to get a small dessert just for them at a local bakery. That way they get a special treat and there aren't any leftovers. Sure, it isn't clean, but it is a small portion, not excessive and is only on special occasions.

So there's the honest truth for you of how we balance real life treats and homemade Clean Eating treats. Cause, yes, we live in real life behind the scenes on this blog. How about you? How often do you eat Clean?

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5 Minute maple candied pecans stovetop Recipe - My Natural Family (2)

5-Minute maple candied pecans stovetop Recipe

★★★★★5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Rebecca Baron
  • Prep Time: 1 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 6 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Snack
  • Cuisine: Clean Eating
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Description

These candied maple pecans have 3 ingredients and only take 5 minutes to make on the stovetop. You'll love the cinnamon and sweet caramelized syrup!

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a large skillet over medium heat
  2. Stir until nuts are well coated
  3. Continue stirring until syrup caramelizes (approx. 5 minutes)
  4. Place nuts on parchment paper and allow to cool completely

Notes

  • Pure maple syrup is a must in this recipe. The results will be different with maple flavored syrup.
  • Other nuts may be substituted for for pecans (i.e. walnuts)

Keywords: Quick, Easy, Paleo, Clean

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heather

    Easy, fast, and tasty. Perfect recipe for just about any time. Would make great mason jar gifts. Could also play with the spices to get different flavors

    Reply

  2. Sarah

    Easy and delicious. Made a nice gift for the holidays.

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      I'm so glad you liked them!

      Reply

    • Rebecca

      So glad you liked them!

      Reply

  3. Eco Friendly Homemakinga

    Oh my goodness these pecans sound so delicious!! I am going to make some of these asap!

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      Good idea!

      Reply

  4. k

    Looks like your picture is actually candied walnuts….

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      They do look a little bit like walnuts, but they were pecans. They were fresh off of my grandma’s tree, and a little bit smaller than store bought pecans…maybe that is why :). The recipe would work with walnuts as well though.

      Reply

  5. Nikki @ The Road to Less Cake

    They look so good.

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      They are so good :)!

      Reply

  6. Julie @ Tastes of Lizzy T

    Collecting recipes that don’t contain white sugar. I was so happy to come across this one! Pinned! 🙂

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      I hope you like them as much as I do!

      Reply

  7. Thalia @ butter and brioche

    these look delicious.. definitely the perfect afternoon sweet snack for when my sugar cravings hit. yum!

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      I love them as a sugar craving snack as well!

      Reply

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5 Minute maple candied pecans stovetop Recipe - My Natural Family (2024)

FAQs

Why are my candied pecans grainy? ›

If you do, the sugar will sezzle, and you end up with an unpleasant grainy texture instead of a smooth shiny caramel. If that happens you need to start the oven. Remove from stovetop on time. The way to know it is time to remove these candied pecans on stovetop from heat is when the sugar has turned a golden color.

How do you keep candied pecans from sticking together? ›

Under-cooking the pecans is the likely cause of stickiness, but the risk is low when they're oven-baked. After the sugar-coated nuts have darkened and turned very fragrant, about 20 minutes in the oven, stir the pecans and separate any pieces that have stuck together. Continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.

How long do candied pecans stay fresh? ›

How long will candied pecans keep? They will keep for up to two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, at least three weeks in the refrigerator, or up to two months in the freezer. No matter where you store them, keep in a tightly sealed, airtight container.

Can you freeze candied pecans? ›

Yes, you can! Candied pecans actually freeze really well. Simply place the cooled nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and then freeze for a few hours or overnight to ensure they won't stick together. Once they're frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag and wrap in foil.

Why didn't my pecan candy harden? ›

If you beat too long, the candy will seize and start to crumble. If you don't beat it long enough, then pralines won't set properly and will stay soft and sticky. Work quickly to drop heaping tablespoons of pecan praline mixture onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

What is the bitter stuff in pecans? ›

Pecans have two sources of bitterness -- naturally occurring tannins in the kernel and pieces of corky material from the inside of the nut which can adhere to the kernel. Some of the tannin and all of the corky material can be removed by washing the kernels before cooking.

Why won't my candied nuts dry? ›

If your nuts don't harden fully, that means the sugar wasn't cooked long enough and didn't caramelize. Cook the nuts longer next time!

Why are my candied pecans still sticky? ›

Pecans too sticky: If your nuts are still sticky after cooling, heat your oven to 325° F and bake for 5 to 10 minutes to help harden the candy coating.

Why are my candied pecans so sticky? ›

The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts. How do you fix candied nuts that are too soft and sticky? You can place them back into the oven for 5 to 15 minutes or until they dry out more. They will continue to firm and dry out as they cool.

Do candied pecans go bad? ›

If you don't plan on eating your candied pecans right away, you may want to consider storing them in the refrigerator or freezer. Refrigeration can keep the pecans fresh for up to three months, while freezing can extend their shelf life for up to six months.

Should candied pecans be refrigerated? ›

To Store: Candied nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for several weeks. To Freeze: They freeze well in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

How can you tell if pecans are rancid? ›

Fresh pecans have a distinct aroma, characterized by their sweet, nutty scent. They should have a firm, almost crunchy texture and a rich golden or amber color. On the flip side, bad pecans may show signs of spoilage, such as a rancid smell, a shriveled appearance, or a soft and rubbery texture.

Can dogs eat pecans? ›

Why are pecans bad for dogs? These nuts are toxic for dogs. Eating them can result in pets becoming sick and needing immediate veterinary care. “The reason pecans are considered toxic is that they contain a compound called juglone, also found in walnuts, that is harmful to dogs,” advises Dr.

How many cups of pecans makes one pound? ›

If you happen to have pecans in their shells, remember that 1 pound equals 3 cups shelled, about 4 cups pecan halves, and about 3 3/4 cups chopped nuts. Equivalents to know when using shelled pecans are that 1 pound equals 4 cups and 1 cup of pecan halves equals 3/4 cup chopped.

What can you do with old pecans? ›

What to do with that bag of nuts going stale in the cupboard? Turn them into cake toppings, blend them into a marzipan, or toast them with spices or honey…

Why is my candy grainy? ›

The problem is that crystals of sugar were re-introduced into the liquid candy. This will cause your candy to crystallize and become grainy. To prevent this, (stove-top method only) wipe down the inner sides of your pan a few times with a wet pastry brush while your candy is boiling.

Why are my candied nuts soft? ›

Usually if the almonds are soft after candying it means that they weren't cooked for long enough. However, this recipe cooks all of the water out of the sugar syrup and then takes it a step further where the the sugar then re-caramelizes allowing the almonds to harden.

What does it mean when pecans are soft? ›

Soft pecans are not good and should be discarded. Pecans with an air gap in their cross section will not storage as well or as long as a full meaty nut. One reason for pithy pecan nut meats could be likely due to a fungal infection called "pecan scab".

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