Cinnamon Sugar Pecans Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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.

Pecans also contain significant amounts of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, vitamin A, zinc and magnesium. Not to mention that these maple cinnamon pecans are free from refined sugar and naturally sweetened with real maple syrup, making this the perfect healthy snack.

The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts. How do you fix candied nuts that are too soft and sticky? You can place them back into the oven for 5 to 15 minutes or until they dry out more. They will continue to firm and dry out as they cool.

What is the difference between candied pecans and pralines? Candied pecans are pecans coated in egg whites, sugar, and spices, then baked until crispy. Pralines are a drop-candy with a caramel-like base and crunchy pecans mixed in.

Drain, Rinse, and Roast - After soaking your pecan nuts for about 8 hours, it's time to drain and rinse them. Once you're done with that, spread them over a baking sheet or dehydrator evenly to get them ready for roasting.

Your oven is also a great tool for toasting pecans. For this method, preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake until they begin to brown and become aromatic, making sure to toss halfway through, 7 to 10 minutes.

Like many other nuts, pecans contain a high percentage of fat and can lead to diarrhea if too many are eaten in a short amount of time. Over-consumption may also lead to digestive issues like gas and bloating.

Pecans are also uniquely high in good fats and other heart healthy nutrients which is why this special nut is certified by the American Heart Association's® Heart-Check Program.

“Eating a handful of pecans each day can help satisfy cravings for unhealthy snacks and provide a nutritious boost to any meal. Furthermore, pecans can also be included as part of a healthy diet when combined with other nutrient-rich foods in moderation.”

Measurements and Substitutions

If you happen to have pecans in their shells, remember that 1 pound equals 3 cups shelled, about 4 cups pecan halves, and about 3 3/4 cups chopped nuts. Equivalents to know when using shelled pecans are that 1 pound equals 4 cups and 1 cup of pecan halves equals 3/4 cup chopped.

How to make candied pecans less sticky? ›

Pecans too sticky: If your nuts are still sticky after cooling, heat your oven to 325° F and bake for 5 to 10 minutes to help harden the candy coating.

How long will candied pecans keep? They will keep for up to two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, at least three weeks in the refrigerator, or up to two months in the freezer. No matter where you store them, keep in a tightly sealed, airtight container.

Since the problem is mostly that the sugar in the pralines gets hard and crystallized, you might try softening them the way you'd soften hard brown sugar. Place a terracotta sugar saver in the container or something else that's slightly damp, like a few slices of apple or a slice of fresh bread.

Praline may have originally been inspired in France by the cook of Marshal du Plessis-Praslin (1602–1675), with the word praline deriving from the name Praslin. Early pralines were whole almonds individually coated in caramelized sugar, as opposed to dark nougat, where a sheet of caramelized sugar covers many nuts.

Don't Stop Stirring Until the Pot Talks – Here, she's referring to the step of cooling the syrup before dropping the candies to harden. It starts off very loose and liquidy. As you stir, sugar crystals start to form and the syrup will start to feel thick and grainy against your spoon.

Soaking nuts in salted water and then allowing them to dry gently, makes the nuts much more digestible and allows our bodies to better assimilate the nutrients that are in nuts.

Soaked nuts and seeds are hydrated, so their flavor is a bit more buttery and creamy. As the nut absorbs more and more water, it becomes plumper and the texture softens (hint: it is always a good idea to soak your nuts and seeds in a larger container to give them plenty of space for expansion).

Your body can better absorb nutrients if you soak nuts and seeds. Nutrient-dense nuts and seeds include nutrient inhibitors that guard and guarantee the survival of those nutrients. By soaking nuts and seeds, you can reduce or get rid of the harmful and nutritious inhibitors that are absorbed into the water.

Other reputed benefits of soaking your nuts and seeds include increased enzyme activity, greater absorption of the food's nutrients by the body, and increased digestibility. When soaked, nuts and seeds will begin the sprouting process, which bumps up their nutrient profile considerably.