These Maple Pecans made in just 15 minutes, roasted in the oven. With only 3 ingredients, these butter-free, oil-free, candied pecans are sweetened with maple syrup. Simple and foolproof! The perfect topping for salads, bowls, or serve as a healthy snack, or gift a jar of them!
Here’s a simple recipe that goes way back to our old restaurant days that comes in handy, especially during the holidays—maple-roasted, Candied Pecans.
What I love about Maple Pecans
- Besides the simple ingredients, they only take one minute of hands-on time, before baking in the oven. Yep, one!
- Maple Pecans are roasted in the oven, so they bake very evenly.
- Maple Pecans contain no butter or sugar!
- Maple Pecans have may uses! Toss into salads or bowls, crush and sprinkle over entrees, desserts, or oatmeal, serve on a cheese board , or a healthy snack. They also make a cute hostess gift, packaged in a jar, and labeled. So simple, so tasty, and vegan! The uses are endless.
Ingredients in Maple Pecans
- Pecans -Raw pecan halves work best here.
- Maple Syrup -only use Real maple syrup, as imitation syrup will not harden and you’ll end up with a mess!
- Salt (and optional pepper)
- Optional- add spices if you like! Chinese 5 spice, Moroccan (cumin and cinnamon), Mexican ( add Taco Seasoning) or Garam Masala!
*See recipe card for detailed ingredients.
How to make Maple Pecans
Step one: Toss the pecans with real maple syrup. Add a pinch of salt. If you like pepper, add pepper too.
Step two: Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step Three: Bake at 350F for 12- 14 minutes until deeply caramelized.
Step Four: Toss them when they first come out of the oven. Then let them cool completely. They will harden into the most delicious, crunchy, nutty, earthy, goodness!
Variations on Maple Pecans
These are fully customizable. Spice them up to your heart’s content!
- zaatar
- Chinese five-spice
- garam masala
- chipotle-cumin!
- smoked paprika
- sesame seeds ( use a tablespoon or more!)
- curry powder
- cinnamon and cumin
- Chia seeds
Just to name a few!
You’ve seen these a million times here on blog in various recipes, with different spice combinations… just wanted to create a special post for this.
Ways to use Maple Pecans
- Butternut Risotto with Leeks (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
- Pear Salad with Vanilla Fig Dressing
- Fig Arugula Salad with Pecans
- Winter Cheese and Charcuterie Board
- Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Kale, Apples and Maple Pecans
I hope you enjoy this very basic recipe for maple pecans that may be very handy here in the next few weeks. Can’t wait to hear how you adapt them!
Cheers!
More recipes you may enjoy!
- Maple-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Wok-Seared Cashews with Scallions and Sesame
- Maple Pecan Scones
- Maple Roasted Yams with Pecans
Maple Pecans
- Prep Time: 1
- Cook Time: 14
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: snack
- Method: roasted
- Cuisine: american
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Maple-Roasted Candied Pecans made in just 15 minutes in the Oven with only 3 ingredients! Oil-free, Vegan and totally foolproof! The BEST recipe that comes out perfect every time!
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and optional pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Toss the pecans in a bowl with the maple syrup and salt and optional pepper.
- Place pecans on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer.
- Place on the middle rack for 7 minutes, and STIR. Continue roasting 3-7 minutes, until golden and caramelized. TIP: You want the nuts to toast a bit, and the maple syrup to carmelize (so that it hardens when cooled) so watch like a hawk to prevent burning- yet aim for the full 14 minutes.
- Remove from oven and toss. Let cool completely. Break apart. Store in jar, or bowl on the counter for easy snacking.
Notes
Only REAL maple syrup works here. Do not use imitation, or you will end up with a mess.
Feel free to add spices! 1-2 teaspoons of any of the following work great:
- Five-spice
- Zaatar
- garam masala
- curry powder
- Chipotle and cumin ( 1/2 teaspoon each)
- smoked paprika
- chili powder
- cinnamon
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 214
- Sugar: 7.1 g
- Sodium: 146.5 mg
- Fat: 19.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.5 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I have a question. Do the pecans need to be raw or can you use some that have already been roasted?
Hi Janet- I use raw pecans here. I’m not sure what would happen with roasted ones.I worry they would get overcooked before the maple has a chance to thicken and set and get crackly?
Tried them as written and loved them. Am planning on trying with garam masala and different batch with curry. By chance, has anyone tried them with Agave instead of maple syrup?
Yes, Maria! It is so much fun to make them with different spices. I haven’t tried agave here- so I’m curious too!
Tried these tonight and geez, are these good! And so easy to make. I added curry powder and salt to the maple syrup, unexpectedly delicious! Can’t wait to experiment with different flavours 🙂
Glad you enjoyed these- yes, many directions you can take them with flavors!
Delicious. I used a steel pan on the top rack and these came out perfect at 15 minutes. Will make again and again!
Wonderful, thanks Kersten!
Try Harissa as an option.
Delicious!!!
Yum! thanks Jack!
Oven temperature was too hot. They were already starting to burn at 10 minutes when I went to flip them. Next time I would turn the oven to 350 or even 325 or move the rack even higher than the middle. Sadly I had to throw them out.
Hi Brenda- sorry about this and all ovens are different. I actually bake these at 400F in my gas oven but lowered temp to 375F to account for differences. Do you have an electric oven or did you use a toaster over by chance? Just curious. 😉
Delicious and so easy to make! I made 4 batches —> “regular”, one with Lebanese Zaatar, one with Garam masala and one with cinnamon. My husband sampled them all and liked the zaatar ones the best. Topped our butternut squash risotto with the regular. Really elevated the dish! I’ll be making them a lot from now on, 😃
Yum! Love your creativity here Kelly!
Everyone I have cooked these for has lorded over this recipe to the point where I’ve been handing it out and commissioned to cook a variation for Christmas. I can’t possibly rate this higher. I will point out the temperature is very important in this recipe – any higher than 180 degrees Celsius and the sugars burn!
thanks so much Tess!
I made these with just the basic recipe and they were fantastic. I’d like to try and make them in the air fryer so that I don’t have to heat the oven. I’m assuming the cooking time will be a little different since the air fryer is more like a convection oven. Have you every tried making them in an air fryer?
I have not Cindy, but I like that idea! Let me know how it goes!
Just as easy and perfect as advertised. Not sticky at all.
thanks George!
yum!
Love these! So easy and a great snack to carry while outside working or playing! Thanks so much for sharing.
I have a convection oven so I baked at 350F for the full 14 minutes (stirring at 12 & checking at 12). I doubled the recipe and added 5 spice. Delightful as Christmas gifts,
These were perfect! I made these ahead for the fig arugula salad but still have to buy the figs. I’m not sure there will be any left by the time I locate the figs since we’re snacking on them 🙂
ahaha! Glad you liked!
Fig arugula, great match for these pecans. I may remove salt or heat and try them in my fruit nut granola.
Love this, I also use the recipe with raw macadamias, cashews etc and works really well. My Mother in law is obsessed with them I make her up a big batch and she happily muches on them.
Nice! 👍
Sooo good. Too good. We can’t stop eating them.
The oven temperature was too hot causing some burning; I will try lowering to 350 the next time.
Oh sorry about that. Middle rack is key here!
I love how there is no oil in this recipe.
I love this recipe- thanks for sharing. Turns out perfectly.
This is so simple and came out perfect.
I think the maple roasted pecans are the best. A lot of people don’t like working with maple syrup but it really isn’t that bad of a mess. They just need to try it.
Always good for many dishes! I love how simple they are and make the best snacks 🙂 I love mine with cayenne pepper too!
Not sure how I stumbled across this website but I’m so glad I did. It’s made Veganism for me so accessible. I’ve so far tried a couple of recipes which were very tasty and I will definitely be making again! One of them included this pecan recipe! Wow. They are amazing, my children 4,6,9 also got involved and polished them off. Favourite.
Thank you for this website, I think it will play big part in being a ‘life changer’ for my family.
Thanks so much! I’m happy you are enjoying the recipes~!
This recipe is ridiculously easy! I will make them this way from now on. Do you think it would wok the same for other nuts?
I hate to tell you this but they are not sugar-free. Maple syrup has just as much sugar as corn syrup or honey. Very misleading for diabetics.
Hi Lynn, I totally see your point and reworded the text. Sorry about that and thanks for pointing it out!
You can actually use Lakanto
Actually for diabetics maple syrup and Monk fruit sweetener do not cause a blood sugar spike as regular sugar would, so it is better for diabetics than any other sweetener choice. As a diabetic myself I would consider these diabetic friendly but definitely not sugar-free as you mention.