Why are my candied pecans soggy?

Why are my candied pecans soft and sticky? If your pecans are soft, it's most likely because they weren't baked long enough and are still retaining moisture . The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts.

How do you keep candied pecans from sticking together?

Under-cooking the pecans is the likely cause of stickiness, but the risk is low when they're oven-baked. After the sugar-coated nuts have darkened and turned very fragrant, about 20 minutes in the oven, stir the pecans and separate any pieces that have stuck together. Continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes .

Why do you soak pecans before roasting?

Wet pecans allow the salt to stick easily to the nuts. Plus, soaking nuts helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which can harm your digestion, and reduce phytates, which decrease nutrient absorption . Just submerge your nuts in water while the oven is heating up and you'll be good to go.

How long to toast nuts on the stove?

Stovetop method: Place the nuts in a dry skillet (no oil) over medium heat. Heat, shaking the pan and stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the nuts are fragrant and golden brown or one shade darker, about 3 minutes for pine nuts and 4 to 5 minutes for harder nuts like pecans, walnuts and almonds.

What pan is best for toasting nuts?

A cast iron or other heavy skillet is an excellent choice for toasting nuts.

Do you need oil to toast nuts?

You don't need any oil because the nuts and seeds that you are toasting naturally have a lot of oil in them. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan and pour the nuts on top. Spread them out so that they are in a single layer.

What is the difference between roasted and toasted pecans?

Now, some of you may be wondering, “What's the difference between roasting and toasting a pecan?”. The answer is simple. Roasting is when the nut is cooked fully through, and is usually done in an oven. Toasting means to brown the nut on the outside, and is usually done over a fire or on the stove .

Is it better to toast pecans whole or in pieces?

Lift the parchment paper, with all the toasted nuts, off the baking sheet to cool. Then store in an airtight container until ready to use. It's best to toast nuts whole, then to chop them if you need smaller pieces. When nuts are chopped before toasting, they are more likely to burn.

How do you toast nuts without burning them?

The key to an oven-toasted nut is a low heat. I would recommend preheating your oven to a mild 300 degrees F. This way, the nuts will toast evenly throughout instead of the outsides taking on color before the insides even have a chance to warm up.

Stove Top Candied Pecans Recipe (2024)

Published: Jan 5, 2019 · Modified: Dec 20, 2020 by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Stove top candied pecans are super easy to make, using only 4 ingredients and done in under 10 minutes. Great added to salads or given as a gift!

Original recipe: January 2019 | Updated: December 2019

One of my food specialties is making unique and tasty salads that have that extra little touch of delicious perfection. One of my salad secrets is adding chopped Candied Pecans. It gets people every time!

Making candied pecans takes an extra 10ish minutes, but it is well worth that little bit of effort. They transform a great salad into an out-of-this-world salad. Trust me!

Candied Pecans are also an irresistible snack to have sitting on the counter during holiday gatherings or for any party. Try not to eat them all yourself!

And last but not least they are great gifts, especially around the holidays. Everyone loves a delicious homemade gift, right?

HOW TO MAKE STOVE TOP CANDIED PECANS

Add these sugar coated pecans to your list of easy recipes that make a regular recipe turn out to be excellent!

STEP 1

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and pecan halves and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and becomes a light brown liquid in the skillet (approximately 5 minutes).

STEP 2

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla to the sugar mixtures; mix well.

Pour the pecans onto the lined baking sheet in a single layer. Let cool for a minimum of 5 minutes.

Chop to use in a salad or add the pecans to a serving dish for snacking!

HOW LONG DO CANDIED PECANS KEEP

When stored in an airtight container, candied pecans will last up to 2 weeks at room temperature, 4 weeks in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer.

HOW TO STORE YOUR PECANS

Once they’ve cooled, candied pecans are ready for storing. Make sure they are sealed tightly in either a plastic or glass container.

WHAT TO DO WITH STOVE TOP CANDIED PECANS

Add Candied Pecans to any or all of these delicious recipes, plus so many more!

Topping on a bowl of ice cream with some homemade hot fudge!
Healthy Lunch Bowl
Grape Pecan Summer Salad
Chopped Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Break them apart and add them to a mason jar with a fun ribbon tied around the rim to give as a gift!
Add to the top of a pumpkin pie or as the final touch on your skillet chocolate chip cookie!
See Also
Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe | Homemade Food Junkie Easy Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels Recipe {Video}Homemade Butterfingers Recipe {3 Ingredients} - Inside BruCrew Life Keto Taco Seasoning Recipe

OTHER HOMEMADE GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

A perfect gift that’s affordable and thoughtful is a homemade one! Here’s some great DIY gifts that can be easily made to giveaway.We’ve got something for everyone!

Homemade Chocolate Fudge Sauce – You’ll enjoy spoonfuls of this gooey homemade chocolate fudge sauce perfect for summer treats!
Salted Caramel Sauce – There’s just 4 ingredients needed to make your own salted caramel sauce. Top or fill your next batch of baked goods with this delicious, irresistible sauce.
Exfoliating Coffee Scrub – Make your own face scrub at home in minutes! This DIY recipe is the perfect any-occasion gift made with coffee and coconut oil.
Homemade Vanilla Extract – Make your own Vanilla Extract at home! This recipe requires only TWO ingredients and you will be so happy with the way homemade vanilla flavors your baked goods.
Homemade Caramels are my FAVORITE. They are chewy and gooey and sooo delicious. You won’t want to eat just one but they make a perfect treat for holiday parties OR holiday gifts!
Everything But The Bagel Seasoning – Make Trader Joe’s famous “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning blend at home in less than 5 minutes and for a fraction of the cost of store bought!