Maple Butter Candied Pecans

These 4-ingredient Maple Butter Candied Pecans are perfect to sprinkle on a salad, toss in a snack mix, add to a fancy charcuterie board or give as a thoughtful Christmas gift. Sweetened only with maple syrup, this recipe is totally free of any refined sugar, and is super quick and easy to make.

Here in the Northwoods, many people make their own maple syrup this time of year. Thankfully for us, my parents are among the maple syrup producing crowd, so we have pretty easy access to high-quality, local maple syrup all year long. This time of year, it is not uncommon to see bright blue sap bags or buckets hanging on trees in every wooded area you drive through. This year, our oldest son tapped a few trees in front of our house and has been diligently collecting his sap every day. Now that he has become part of the process, he loves maple syrup even more than he did before (if that’s even possible).

Unlike most candied pecans, these Maple Butter Candied Pecans are sweetened with maple syrup and no refined sugar. Mixed with butter, the maple syrup caramelizes in the oven and then hardens as it cools to create the most delicious salty and sweet, crisp coating on the toasty pecans. They are simple enough to whip up for a quick snack, yet decadent enough to wrap in cute packaging and give as a homemade Christmas gift. I promise whoever receives them is going to ask you for the recipe.

Ingredients

• Pecans, whole or chopped
• Pure maple syrup
• Butter, melted
• Salt

For this recipe, whole or chopped pecans both work just fine. I usually decide which to use depending on what I’m planning to use them for. Today, I’m putting them in a salad so I opted for chopped pecans. I would use whole if I was going to stash them for snacking or give as a gift. The rest of the ingredients and instructions remain the same.

I love to use pure maple syrup to sweeten just about everything around here. Not only is it delicious, but it also has some added health benefits – it is high in antioxidants and even offers nutrients like riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium (source). Make sure you’re using pure maple syrup and not the imitation cheap stuff!

How to Make Maple Butter Candied Pecans

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spread the 2 cups of whole or chopped pecans over the parchment paper.
• Mix the melted butter and the maple syrup and drizzle over the pecans, and stir to make sure all of the pecans are coated evenly. Spread the pecans back out into an even layer and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Toast the coated pecans in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring ever 5 minutes. In the last 5 minutes, keep a very close eye on the pan to make sure the pecans don’t burn.
• The candied pecans are done when the syrup starts to bubble more slowly. This means the syrup is thickening and will create a crispy coating when it cools.
• Take the pecans out of the oven and let them cool completely. The syrup will harden as they cool.
• Break apart any big pieces that stuck together and enjoy!

Maple Butter Candied Pecans Variations

If you like a little kick, add a little sprinkle of cayenne pepper for some heat to balance the sweetness.

For warm spiced pecans, add 1/2 t of cinnamon to the melted butter and maple syrup. This combo will also make your house smell like heaven when the pecans are in the oven.

If you want to use other nuts, you can definitely swap out the pecans. Pecans are definitely my top choice, but almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc. also work great.

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