CANDIED PECANS RECIPE

This is a simple oven recipe for making fantastic glazed pecans that are sugar free. They’re sweet and cinnamon flavored, with a crunchy bite. Enjoy them as a low carb snack alongside other nutty treats like pecan cookies and pecan bars.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw pecan halves
• 1/4 cup confectioners swerve sweetener
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt

Instructions

1-Prepare: Position oven rack in center of oven, and preheat to 300 F. Set aside baking half sheet lined with parchment paper.

2-Make Cinnamon Mixture: Add sweetener, butter, water, cinnamon, and salt to microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high power until butter is melted and ingredients are very hot, about 1 minute. Stir until well-mixed.

3-Coat Pecans: Add pecans to bowl with cinnamon mixture, stirring until well-coated. Transfer coated pecans to lined baking sheet, spreading them out in single layer and ideally not touching each other.

4-Bake: Bake uncovered at 300 F for 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, stir around pecans, then spread them out. Bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.

5-Cool & Serve: Without touching them, let pecans cool directly on baking sheet at room temperature until dry and completely hardened, about 45 minutes. Serve and store at room temperature.

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Pecans. Same as 4 ounces weight. Pecans have nooks and crannies so the sweet cinnamon coating adheres well to them, resulting in more flavorful and crunchier nuts compared to using almonds. I haven’t tested with other types of nuts.

(2) Sweetener. Same as 1.25 ounces weight. Confectioners Swerve is a dry erythritol blend that measures the same as regular powdered sugar. Substitute your preferred dry or liquid sweetener by adding it to the cinnamon mixture to taste.

(3) Adding Sweetener. If preferred, sifting the sweetener over the mixing bowl helps prevent the formation of clumps when stirring.

(4) Microwave. The cooking time is based on a 700-watt microwave, and is approximate since microwaves vary.

(5) Baking. The ideal baking time is a balance between (a) baking longer for a crisper finish and (b) avoiding baking too long such that the pecans or their coating begin to burn. Since ovens vary, you may need to adjust the baking time with trial and error. Note that the pecans are done baking before they appear dry and crisp; they will only dry and harden up when they’re cooled to room temperature.

(6) Serving. These roasted pecans can be enjoyed as a standalone low carb snack or as an accompaniment to a cheese plate. Since they’re shelf-stable, you can bring them for hiking or camping, or send them to friends as a homemade edible gift during the holidays. You can also use the pecans as a crunchy topping over yogurt, ice cream, or salads like balsamic strawberry salad or mediterranean salad.

(7) Storage. Once the pecans are completely cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. For best results, enjoy them within a week. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator or freezer.

(8) Adjusting Yield. You can halve or double the ingredients proportionally. The baking time may need to be adjusted. If you’re doubling the recipe, use 2 baking sheets so that the pecans aren’t crowded.

(9) Nutrition. The nutrition calculation assumes you are using Swerve or similar erythritol-based sweetener that uses sugar alcohols, whose carbs are non-impact and not included in the nutrition estimate.

NUTRITION

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