My Air Fryer Candied Pecans recipe is a classic that’ll have your kitchen smelling like the holidays with roasted pecans and warm cinnamon! These candied nuts are irresistible and perfect for gifting.
It’s the holiday season and we’re celebrating with a classic! If you’ve never made candied pecans or any kind of candied nuts for the holidays you’ve really been missing out.
This sweet snack is irresistible and great for parties plus they’ll make your kitchen smell pretty amazing, just like you want it to during the holidays. They also make great Christmas gifts. Package them up in a cute tin with a holiday card and spread the cheer.
It’s so quick and easy to make these candied nuts too. With cinnamon, sugar, and egg white you can turn regular pecans into something special. The coating sticks perfectly and the sugar will caramelize a bit while the pecans are cooking. They have such a nice crunch and a great a texture too.
If you’re looking for more easy air fryer recipes for Christmas this year you’ll want to check out these Air Fryer Christmas Tree Cookies. Yes, you can make cookies in the air fryer! Don’t forget the salty snacks too, our Air Fryer Chex Mix is perfect for holiday parties or just about any gathering!
Ingredient Notes:
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Pecans – You’ll start with pecan halves which you can find at pretty much any grocery store. Other nuts will also work well in this recipe.
Cinnamon & Sugar – Just a simple mixture of cinnamon and sugar to coat these pecans.
Other – You’re also going to need an egg white, salt, and vanilla extract. The egg white is what will keep the cinnamon sugar coating in place while the pecans roast in the air fryer.
We love the way the sugar and cinnamon hardens up after cooling to make the pecans a lovely crunch with lots of sweet, warm flavor! The cinnamon sugar coating tastes even better with the hint of vanilla flavor from the extract. You can use a little more of that if you want extra vanilla flavor!
Candied Pecans Variations:
This candied nuts recipe is pretty simple with just a few ingredients but you can easily modify it with other ingredients or substitutions. Not a pecan fan? Walnuts and almonds are also great choices. Or why not do a mix of them all?
Add a teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the sugar mixture for a warm and autumn-inspired flavor. Use a combination of ground ginger, cinnamon, and a dash of cloves for a gingerbread-inspired flavor.
You could also use brown sugar in place of granulated sugar. Pretty much any spice you might want to use can be added to switch up the taste. Add a little cayenne pepper for spicy heat!
How to Make Candied Pecans:
- Whisk – Add the egg whites to a bowl and whisk until it is frothy. Whisk in the vanilla.
- Pecans – Add the pecans to the egg whites and stir to coat.
- Cinnamon & Sugar – Stir together the cinnamon and sugar along with the salt in a separate bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the pecans in the other bowl and toss until they are all well coated in the cinnamon sugar mixture!
- Air Fry – Cook the candied pecans in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Avoid piling them up or they won’t cook evenly. You may need to work in batches depending on how large your air fryer basket it. Cook the candied pecans for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes or so to prevent sticking.
Parchment Liners
These parchment paper liners come in so handy for keeping clean up easy and preventing food from sticking to your air fryer! They’re perfect sized to fit most air fryers and a must in our kitchen.
How To Serve Candied Pecans:
You can enjoy the air fryer candied pecans as is or use them as a topping in other recipes or for ice cream, pies, cakes, and other desserts. They’ll taste good on just about anything sweet! You can even enjoy them on salads!
These candied pecans also make excellent Christmas gifts! Put them in some decorative containers like a holiday tin and give them out at your party or family gathering.
Make a huge batch of them for your office holiday party! They’re easy to make and everyone will love them.
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Recipe Tips!
Every air fryer cooks differently. If you notice these are browning too much, reduce the air fryer temp and keep a close eye on them
You can use other nuts like almonds or walnuts instead of pecans if you prefer.
Adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste preferences. If you like it sweeter, you can add a bit more sugar.
To ensure an even coating, toss the pecans well in the sugar mixture. If you notice any clumps of sugar, break them apart before air frying. Shaking the air fryer basket during the cooking process helps ensure that the pecans cook evenly and don’t stick together.
Allow the candied pecans to cool completely before storing or serving to let the sugar coating harden.
Comments & Reviews
cristina k says
looks so good, will this work with sugar free sugar?
Karly Campbell says
If you’re using a sweetener that measures 1:1 for sugar, such as Swerve or Lakanto, it should work fine. I haven’t tested it though.
Deann says
Do you replace the cinnamon with 1 tsp pumpkin Spice or add it along with the cinnamon? Thx! Can’t wait to make these. Pumpkin spice candied pecans sounds like the perfect fall snack!
Karly Campbell says
If you like things heavily spiced, keep the cinnamon and add a teaspoon of pumpkin spice. If you like a more low key flavor, just swap the cinnamon for pumpkin spice.
Dyane Elliott says
At what temperature should this recipe be cooked?
Karly Campbell says
Step 1 – Preheat the air fryer to 300. 🙂