Spicy-Sweet Pecans

Spiced pecans are a Southern party staple for a reason: They're easy to prep, can be made in advance, and are downright impossible to stop eating. The egg white helps the spice mixture adhere evenly and gives the pecans a crisp, glossy coating.

Spicy-Sweet Pecans
Photo: Helen Norman
Hands On Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 30 mins
Yield:
4 cups

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

  • 1 large egg white

  • 4 cups pecan halves

  • Vegetable cooking spray

  • Wax paper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 275°. Stir together first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl.

  2. Whisk together egg white and 1 Tbsp. water in a separate medium bowl until foamy. (No liquid should remain.) Add pecans, stirring to coat.

  3. Add pecan mixture to sugar mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Spread pecans in a single layer on a lightly greased (with cooking spray) aluminum foil-lined half-sheet pan (about 17 x 12 inches).

  4. Bake at 275° for 50 to 55 minutes or until sugar mixture hardens and nuts are toasted, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread immediately in a single layer on wax paper; cool completely (about 30 minutes). Store in an airtight container up to 7 days.

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