Sweet and Spicy Candied Bourbon Pecans

At a glance

What stands out: These are straightforward to mix and everyone LOVES them. Picture them sprinkled on top of ice cream, cheesecake, or a salad.

How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, whisk, shallow baking pan
Servings: 12

Sugar. Bourbon. Pecans. These candied pecans are dangerous. Dangerously good.

A delightful topping on a sweet treat. We're picturing these candied bourbon pecans sprinkled on top of vanilla bean ice cream, especially with a drizzle of bourbon caramel sauce. Arrange them on top of a pumpkin pie, pumpkin pudding, or banana cake with cream cheese frosting. They’re great on chocolate treats, like from-scratch chocolate cake.

Make a salad extra special. Adding candied pecans will make any salad spectacular. Try them on this shaved Brussels sprouts salad!

On a charcuterie board. Bourbon pecans are a welcome addition to any charcuterie board. They go great with cheese, fruits, meats, and pretty much anything. They’re so good topping this baked brie with cranberries appetizer.

Great snack with cocktails or beer. Let’s not overlook the fact that they are good on their own or as a simple snack with a vanilla bourbon fizz or a maple old fashioned. As our husband said, “we wish we had a beer to go with these!” Try a stout or Guinness beer.

Straightforward gift idea. Candied bourbon pecans are reliable for gifting. Put them in a fancy cellophane bag, tie a ribbon around the top, and hand them out to your favorite people.

Mary Said:

“we have made these several times so far, and they never seem to last! We have to hide some if we want to have them for more than a few days! Thank you for the recipe!”

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Sweet and Spicy Bourbon Pecans

Bourbon pecans have a lot of nuanced flavor. The candied nuts are nice and sweet, with the toasted flavor of the pecans shining through.

There’s just a touch of cayenne and salt so you aren’t overwhelmed by the sweetness of the sugar and bourbon. You wouldn’t call the pecans spicy hot by any means but they do have a teeny tiny after-burn.

And then a standby part: the bourbon! It’s a subtle flavor but it’s noticeable and sets these apart from standard candied nuts.

What you’ll need: pecan halves, an egg white, a splash of bourbon, sugar, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Tips and Variations

• Don’t underbake the pecans. If your bourbon pecans are soft or sticky, it could be that you took them out of the oven too soon. Bake the pecans until they are dry to the touch, and not sticky (watch them closely so they don’t burn).
• Cool completely before storing. Make sure the candied pecans are absolutely cool before storing them in an airtight container. If they are still a bit warm, condensation may form on the inside of the container which can make the pecans soft or sticky.
• Substitute another nut. Instead of pecans, try walnuts or another nut of your choice.
• Change the spice. Omit the cayenne pepper, if you don’t want the “spicy” aspect. You can replace it with a hint of cinnamon instead.
• No alcohol. Rather skip the bourbon? Substitute a tablespoon of water.
• Change it up. Try our from-scratch peanut brittle recipe, pecan pralines (they’re memorable!) or straightforward spiced pecans.

Glazed or Candied?

A common question that we encounter is whether glazed and candied pecans are the same thing, and often the two names are used interchangeably. Both glazed and candied pecans are sweet and great for snacking; however, they are made differently.

Glazed pecans may include corn syrup as one of the ingredients, often aren’t baked, and they have a shinier appearance.

Candied pecans are made with egg whites, they are baked, and have a sugary coating.

Keeping leftovers

Once the candied bourbon pecans have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container. They’ll keep for at least a week at room temperature and even longer if it’s cool. For longer storage, up to a month, refrigerate them. Bourbon pecans can be frozen for up to two months.

• Yield: 12
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes
• Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 3 cups pecan halves ( 12 oz. package)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (see note 4)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, parchment paper, or Silpat.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk egg white with bourbon until frothy. Stir in pecans, mixing until moistened.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cayenne until combined. Sprinkle over moistened nuts, gently stir to combine and spread onto prepared pan evenly in one layer.
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes. They burn quickly so keep an eye on them! We stir them after 10 minutes, then again after 10 minutes, then again after 5 minutes, and after another 5 minutes, they are typically perfectly browned. The pecans should look dry, not sticky (see note.
5. Cool completely. They will crisp more as they cool. Once the pecans are cool, store in an airtight container (see note 2).

Notes

Baking tip: Don’t underbake the pecans. If your bourbon pecans are soft or sticky, it could be that you took them out of the oven too soon. Bake the pecans until they are dry to the touch, and not sticky (watch them closely so they don’t burn).

Storage: Cool completely before storing. Make sure the candied pecans are absolutely cool before storing them in an airtight container. If they are still a bit warm, condensation may form on the inside of the container which can make the pecans soft or sticky. To prolong shelf-life, store nuts in the refrigerator (up to 1 month) or freezer (up to 2 months).

Substitute another nut: Instead of pecans, try walnuts or another nut of your choice.