Candied Pecans Recipe

I have made candied pecans before but they didn’t turn out. Don’t get me wrong, it’s literally impossible for pecans paired with sugar to taste “bad”, but it just wasn’t what I expected to get if…say…I ordered a salad with candied pecans at a restaurant. The sugar had crystallized and clumped in parts, and the pecans were missing a crunch…oh that was one unhappy day.

So when I had to make candied pecans again for a salad, I searched for another recipe. I’ll admit, when I first read it, I questioned the use of balsamic vinegar, and I don’t know if that was what made them so amazing but they were absolutely fantastic. The balsamic doesn’t overpower at all, in fact, I barely noticed it there because I think all the top notes must have cooked away. But they turned out perfectly glazed, sweet and nutty, with a really lovely crunch.

It’s kinda scary how easy they are to make, because that means I’m going to invest in a safe to lock them up before I can make them again…or may be I’ll just lock myself up and eat them all in the safe…

People say these are not only good on salads (with goat cheese, strawberries or apples, and lemon poppyseed dressing please!), but also good as a snack…yeah right…good luck stopping at a “snack” portion.

Adapted from Epicurious

Prep Time: 5 Minutes | Cook Time: 10 Minutes | Yields: 8 Servings
Vegetarian|Gluten-Free|Dairy-Free|Egg-Free|Seafood-Free

55g (1/4 cup) Brown Sugar, packed

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 cup (108g) Pecan Halves

1. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
2. Lightly toast pecans for 3-4 minutes in toaster oven, being careful not to burn them.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir brown sugar, olive oil and balsamic vinegar together until well combined.
4. When the mixture bubbles, take pecans from the toaster oven and add them to the saucepan, stirring to coat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
5. Pour the pecans out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them out so that they are not touching one another. Cool for coating to harden.

Per each of 8 Servings (10 candied pecan halves per serving)