These Maple Glazed Pecans are a simple, elegant treat perfect for snacking or gifting. They combine toasty pecans with a glossy maple coating for a sweet and salty crunch. You only need a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes to make these irresistible pecans.
Love Maple Glazed Pecans? So do we! If you're into Snacks or curious about Chicken Recipes, you'll find plenty of inspiration below.
Why You’ll Love This Maple Glazed Pecans
- Versatile uses: Perfect for salads, cheese boards, yogurt, or snacking.
- Sweet & salty: Deep maple sweetness balanced by flaky sea salt.
- Amazing aroma: Fills your kitchen with a warm, toasty fragrance.
- Make-ahead friendly: Stays crisp for weeks in an airtight container.
Ingredients & Tools
- 2 cups raw pecan halves
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup!)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, for a subtle kick)
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for finishing
Tools: A medium saucepan, a baking sheet, parchment paper, and a spatula.
Notes: Use pure maple syrup for richer flavor; fresh, plump pecans coat best; butter adds richness and crispness.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 210 kcal |
| Protein: | 2 g |
| Fat: | 18 g |
| Carbs: | 12 g |
| Fiber: | 2 g |
Serves: 6 | Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Why pure maple syrup? The flavor is deeper and more complex than pancake syrup, which is often just corn syrup with artificial flavor. Pure maple syrup will give you a cleaner, less cloying sweetness and a much better glaze.
- Don’t skip the cayenne. Even if you’re sensitive to spice, that tiny pinch doesn’t add heat so much as it adds a warm, intriguing depth that plays beautifully against the maple. You won’t taste “spicy,” you’ll just taste “better.”
- The state of your pecans matters. Make sure your pecans are fresh. If they smell at all musty or rancid, they’ll ruin the whole batch. Give them a quick sniff test before you begin.
- Parchment paper is your best friend. Do not try to bake these on a bare or greased baking sheet. The parchment paper is crucial for preventing a sticky, impossible-to-clean mess and ensures your pecans release perfectly.
How to Make Maple Glazed Pecans
Step 1: Prep and Preheat. Start by preheating your oven to 325°F (165°C). This lower temperature is key—it allows the pecans to toast and the glaze to caramelize without burning. While the oven heats up, line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper. Having everything ready to go makes the process smooth and stress-free.
Step 2: Create the Glaze. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the maple syrup, butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, that optional pinch of cayenne, and the 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Stir constantly with a spatula until the butter has fully melted and the mixture is smooth and begins to bubble gently. You’ll notice the aroma becoming wonderfully fragrant. Let it simmer for just about one minute—this helps thicken the syrup slightly so it coats the pecans beautifully.
Step 3: Coat the Pecans. Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add all of the raw pecan halves. Stir vigorously and continuously until every single pecan is thoroughly and glisteningly coated in the maple glaze. The pecans will look shiny and dark. This should take a minute or two of steady stirring to ensure no pecan is left behind.
Step 4: Spread and Separate. Quickly pour the glazed pecans onto your prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. Use your spatula to spread them out into a single, even layer. This is important! If they’re clumped together, they’ll steam and become chewy instead of crisp. Take a moment to separate any that are sticking to each other.
Step 5: Bake to Perfection. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. You’ll want to stir the pecans halfway through the baking time to promote even cooking. Keep a close eye on them during the last few minutes. They are done when the glaze is bubbly and dark, and the nuts are deeply fragrant. They will still feel a bit soft when hot but will crisp up magnificently as they cool.
Step 6: Cool Completely. This is the hardest part—waiting! Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately sprinkle the pecans with an extra pinch of flaky sea salt. Do not touch them! Let them cool completely on the baking sheet. As they cool, the glossy coating will harden into that signature sweet, salty, and crisp shell. Rushing this step will result in a sticky mess.
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Not recommended; humidity can make them lose crispness.
- Freezer: Store in an airtight container or bag up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature.
- Reviving: If they soften, spread on a baking sheet and warm at 300°F for 5 minutes to re-crisp.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A simple green salad with goat cheese — The crunch and sweetness of the pecans are a perfect textural and flavor contrast to bitter greens and creamy, tangy cheese.
- A charcuterie or cheese board — They add a gourmet touch and pair wonderfully with sharp cheddars, creamy brie, and salty cured meats.
- Roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash — The maple flavor echoes the natural sweetness of the vegetables, while the pecans add a necessary crunch.
Drinks
- A dry sparkling wine or Prosecco — The bubbles and acidity cut through the richness of the nuts beautifully, making for a very elegant pairing.
- Hot coffee or a black tea — The bitterness of the coffee or tea provides a wonderful counterpoint to the sweet, buttery pecans, making them a fantastic afternoon snack.
- A bold Cabernet Sauvignon — The dark fruit notes in the wine stand up nicely to the robust, toasty flavor of the pecans.
Something Sweet
- Vanilla bean ice cream — There are few things better than a scoop of high-quality vanilla ice cream topped with these warm, crunchy pecans for an instant, decadent dessert.
- Brown butter blondies — Chopped up and folded into the batter or sprinkled on top, they add a wonderful nutty crunch that takes the blondies to another level.
- Pumpkin or sweet potato pie — Use them as a garnish instead of whipped cream for a textural twist that complements the spiced filling perfectly.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Using a high oven temperature. It’s tempting to crank up the heat to speed things up, but this will burn the sugar in the maple syrup long before the pecans have a chance to toast properly, leaving you with a bitter, acrid taste.
- Mistake: Skipping the stir halfway through baking. I’ve messed this up before too… the pecans around the edges will get too dark while the ones in the center remain pale and soft. That quick stir ensures an even, golden roast on every single nut.
- Mistake: Breaking the cool-down rule. As soon as they come out of the oven, the glaze is molten sugar. If you try to break them apart or taste them too soon, they’ll just be a sticky, clumpy disaster. Patience is truly a virtue here.
- Mistake: Crowding the baking sheet. If you dump the pecans into a big mound, they’ll steam each other and you’ll end up with soft, chewy nuts instead of delightfully crisp ones. A single layer is non-negotiable.
Expert Tips
- Tip: Add a splash of orange zest. For a bright, citrusy note, stir the zest of one orange into the glaze along with the vanilla. It cuts the sweetness and adds a fantastic, aromatic complexity that’s just wonderful.
- Tip: Use a fork to separate any stubborn clumps. When you first spread the pecans on the baking sheet, if a few are stuck together, a quick poke with a fork is the easiest way to separate them without making a mess of your spatula.
- Tip: Test for doneness with your nose. Your nose is one of the best tools in the kitchen. The pecans are done when your kitchen smells overwhelmingly of toasted nuts and caramel. If you start to smell anything sharp or burnt, they’re getting overdone.
- Tip: For gift-giving, pack them in cellophane bags. Once completely cool, these pecans look gorgeous tied up with a bit of baker’s twine in a clear bag. They make a heartfelt, homemade gift that shows you put in real effort.
FAQs
Can I use other nuts?
Absolutely! This method works wonderfully with walnuts, almonds, or even cashews. Just keep an eye on the baking time, as different nuts have different oil contents and may toast faster or slower. Walnuts are a particularly great substitute, as they have a similar texture and absorb the maple flavor beautifully.
Why are my pecans sticky and not crisp?
This almost always comes down to one of two things: either they weren’t baked long enough, or they were disturbed before they were completely cool. The pecans firm up as the sugar in the maple syrup hardens, and this only happens during the cooling process. If they are still sticky once cool, they likely needed a few more minutes in the oven to drive off more moisture.
How long do these keep, and how should I store them?
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these pecans will stay perfectly crisp for up to 2 weeks, sometimes even 3. Do not refrigerate them, as the humidity in the fridge can make them lose their crunch. A mason jar with a tight lid is perfect.
Can I double this recipe?
You can, but you’ll need to use two baking sheets and rotate them in the oven halfway through the baking time to ensure even cooking. Crowding a single sheet will lead to steaming, not roasting, and you’ll end up with chewy nuts. It’s a bit more work, but totally worth it for a bigger batch.
Is the cayenne pepper really necessary?
It’s optional, but I highly recommend it. You won’t taste “spicy,” I promise. It just adds a subtle, warm depth in the background that makes the maple flavor pop even more. It’s one of those “what is that amazing flavor?” secret ingredients that elevates the whole recipe.
Maple Glazed Pecans
Learn how to make irresistible Maple Glazed Pecans in just 15 minutes! Perfect for snacking, salads, or gifting. Get the easy, foolproof recipe now!
Ingredients
For the Ingredients
-
2 cups raw pecan halves
-
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
-
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
-
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
1 pinch cayenne pepper
-
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Instructions
-
Start by preheating your oven to 325°F (165°C). This lower temperature is key—it allows the pecans to toast and the glaze to caramelize without burning. While the oven heats up, line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper. Having everything ready to go makes the process smooth and stress-free.01
-
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the maple syrup, butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, that optional pinch of cayenne, and the 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Stir constantly with a spatula until the butter has fully melted and the mixture is smooth and begins to bubble gently. You'll notice the aroma becoming wonderfully fragrant. Let it simmer for just about one minute—this helps thicken the syrup slightly so it coats the pecans beautifully.02
-
Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add all of the raw pecan halves. Stir vigorously and continuously until every single pecan is thoroughly and glisteningly coated in the maple glaze. The pecans will look shiny and dark. This should take a minute or two of steady stirring to ensure no pecan is left behind.03
-
Quickly pour the glazed pecans onto your prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. Use your spatula to spread them out into a single, even layer. This is important! If they're clumped together, they'll steam and become chewy instead of crisp. Take a moment to separate any that are sticking to each other.04
-
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. You’ll want to stir the pecans halfway through the baking time to promote even cooking. Keep a close eye on them during the last few minutes. They are done when the glaze is bubbly and dark, and the nuts are deeply fragrant. They will still feel a bit soft when hot but will crisp up magnificently as they cool.05
-
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately sprinkle the pecans with an extra pinch of flaky sea salt. Do not touch them! Let them cool completely on the baking sheet. As they cool, the glossy coating will harden into that signature sweet, salty, and crisp shell. Rushing this step will result in a sticky mess.06
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