Honey Roasted Pecans – Easy Recipe
Honey roasted pecans are a great snack option for the person on the go. They store and travel well and are a healthy addition to your diet – when consumed in moderation. Being a beekeeper, I enjoy using raw honey whenever possible – while limiting the use of regular sugar. The light honey glaze on these toasted nuts adds just enough sweetness.
How to Make Honey Roasted Pecans
One of the key points of making this recipe is to avoid soaking the pecans in liquid. You want to enhance the pecan flavor – not drown it in a sugar coating. Toasting them briefly in the oven helps bring out the natural flavor too.
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Unless you have a nut allergy, pecans are a good snack choice. They are full of important vitamins and minerals. Potassium, calcium. folic acid and magnesium to name a few. They also have a good amount of fiber per serving.
Ingredients Needed
- pecans
- honey
- brown sugar
Pecans – This recipe for honey toasted pecans uses halves. You certainly can use pieces of raw pecans instead. But the cook time may be different – I would check them sooner. Make sure they are properly hulled and all of the hard bits of shell removed.
Honey – I enjoy using raw honey but you can choose any type of honey you prefer. Regular honey is usually sold as wildflower. It is made from the nectar of millions of blooming plants.
You may choose a variety flavor of honey instead. Some examples are: orange blossom, tupelo, sourwood etc. Avoid dark honey that can have a bold flavor as it may over-power the pecan flavor. Clover honey is common and it works well in this recipe too.
Always, keep a small jar of honey in the pantry. Honey can be used in so many ways and it never goes bad.
Brown Sugar – You only need a small amount of brown sugar. It is possible to omit this step if you wish – but it makes for a nicer finished product.
Putting it All Together
1. To start – line a baking sheet or two with some parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. This really makes the whole process easier. While the oven is preheating to 300° F, combine the honey and pecans. Stir gently but well to disperse the honey.
2. This is the most time consuming part of making honey roasted pecans in my opinion. Arrange the halves (or pieces) in a single layer on the parchment paper. I try to have them not touching but if they do touch a little – that’s okay.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them after the 10 minute mark – everyone’s oven may heat differently. You should smell a nice nut fragrance but no scorching.
3. Remove pan of pecans from oven and let cool on the counter for a minute or two. Then, add a light sprinkle of brown sugar over the surface.
You might be tempted to omit this step to reduce the calorie count – but I urge you to do it. The purpose of the brown sugar is not to make the nuts sweeter. Instead, it helps cut down on some of the stickiness that honey coated nuts can have.
4. After about 5 minutes, remove the paper from the nuts. Just dump or pour them in the pan and stir gently with a fork to break them apart from each other. Now, let cool for a full 10 minutes.
Storage
Your honey roasted pecans (also called “caramelized pecans) will store well on the counter for up to a week. It is important that they be in an airtight container. They can also be frozen for up to and stored for several months..
Expert Tips
In this recipe, I use pecan halves. If you use pieces, you may need to vary the amount of honey used (average of 1 tablespoon of honey per cup of pecans). The cook time might also be a bit shorter with pieces instead of halves.
Unless you are in a very cold environment, there is no need to heat your raw honey before adding it to the pecans. Because honey is thicker at cold room temperature, you can warm it a bit if you wish to make it spread easily.
To reduce stickiness in the final product, be sure to use a small amount of brown sugar. They also work up better for me on a day with the humidity is not high.
They are delicious but don’t eat too many at one time or you will have a tummy ache.
How to Use Them
One of the best ways to enjoy pecans toasted in honey is by the handful. However, while they make a yummy honey snack on their own – they can be used in other ways.
- sprinkle them on oatmeal
- use as a topping for a salad
- add them to ice cream
Variations
The beauty of this recipe is the simplicity. You don’t need a cabinet full of special ingredients to put them together. However, you can make changes to the ingredients to vary the flavor. The same recipe works for walnuts.
Adding powdered cinnamon to the honey before coating the nuts is one method. Or, you might sprinkle some cinnamon, sea salt or even hot pepper flakes on the them during the cooling phase.
Honey is often overlooked in recipes. As long as you remember, yes it is a sugar and does have calories, you can make it a wonderful addition to your daily diet.
FAQs
No, candied pecan recipes use egg whites and sugar and glazed nuts do not.
While some feel that a water soak prior to roasting brings out more of the pecan flavor, no – you do not have to soak them.
The way way to toast pecans is the easiest method. Toast them at low heat in the oven, spread in a single layer – don’t over cook.
I enjoy using honey in many recipes. It is a dependable ingredient that never spoils or goes bad. Even commercial bakers know that baking with honey ads moisture and prevents dryness in their goods.
Main dishes like Honey Mustard Pork Chops taste great with the addition of a little bit of honey. You can also many many snacks and treats.
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Honey Roasted Pecans Recipe
Equipment
- sheet pan
Ingredients
- 4 cups pecan halves
- 4 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300° F.
- Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.
- Combine the pecans and honey in a large bowl. Gently stir well to coat the pecans.
- Spread pecans on the baking sheet in a single layer – try to space them out so they are not touching.
- Bake at 300° F for 15 minutes.
- Remove honey roasted pecans from oven and let cool for a minute or 2. Then, sparingly sprinkle brown sugar over them.
- Let cool for an additional 5 minutes. Then, dump the pecans off the parchment paper on the pan. Stir gently to separate and let cool 10 minutes.