Cinnamon Sugar Pecans from Texas
For a tasty treat, cinnamon sugar pecans can't be beat. They take about an hour to make and, with the recipe below, you can make up to a pound of this tasty appetizer/snack in one batch. There are just a few ingredients and they are easy to combine. After you do that, you roast the prepared pecans in the oven. So, if you have pecans available, consider making this dessert or appetizer for a treat that you and your guests will be sure to enjoy. They can also make good Christmas presents if you are handy in the kitchen.
You are not limited to the use of pecans with this recipe. You can mix and substitute any type of nut in this recipe, but in my opinion pecans are the best because the wrinkles in the nut retain the sugar best. The egg white also helps significantly in this regard. So, instead of buying sugared nuts at the mall or in a sweets shop somewhere else, try out this recipe and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb shelled whole pecans
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinammon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cooking oil or margarine
Instructions
- Buy 1 pound of cleaned pecan halves.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the egg white lightly and then add a teaspoon of cool tap water. Add the vanilla. Beat until the egg white is frothy, but not stiff.
- Add the pecan halves and stir so they become evenly coated with the egg white.
- In another small mixing bowl, combine the brown and white sugar, the salt and the cinnamon. If there are any lumps in the brown sugar, smash them out so you have homogenous-sized granules.
- Gradually add the sugar to the egg-white coated pecans while stirring with a big spoon. Spread the sugar-coated pecans onto a large, oiled or margarine-coated baking pan and place into a pre-heated 275-degree oven.
- Stir the pecans every 10-15 minutes to keep them from sticking together. (This becomes more important towards the end of the cooking cycle.) After 45 minutes have passed, the sugar coating on the pecans will become dry and then they are ready. Take them out of the oven, stir one last time and let them cool off.
- Bag up the pecans in a zip-lock bag if you are going to store them so they do not soak up ambient moisture.
Cook Time
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 ounce | |
| Calories | 57 |
| Calories from Fat | 45 |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Fat 5 g | 8% |
| Saturated fat 0 g | |
| Unsaturated fat 5 g | |
| Carbohydrates 3 g | 1% |
| Sugar 50 g | |
| Fiber 1 g | 4% |
| Protein 1 g | 2% |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Using Sugared Pecans in Desserts
Besides having the joy of eating the Cinnamon Sugar Pecans by themselves, you can use them to help make dessert dishes have an extra dimension of flavor. Recently, I sampled an outstandingly delicious pumpkin pie that was topped with chopped sugared pecans and whip cream. Try that for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. They can also be used to dress up ice cream, fruit dishes and cakes. Your imagination is the only limit!
