Sweet and salty, this Maple Brown Sugar Pecans recipe is a great treat to have on hand during the holidays! Delicious for snacking, sprinkling on salads, and more.
Why not make a batch of my Candied Cinnamon Pecans too? I can’t choose a favorite between them!
Why This Recipe is Best
I know you’re going to love these maple brown sugar pecans! They’ve been a favorite of mine for years, for a few reasons.
- Crunchy pecans are baked with brown sugar, maple flavor and cinnamon in this easy recipe!
- A sweet and salty snack with ingredients you actually recognize.
- So many serving options! Eat them by the handful or add to all kinds of recipes.
- A jar of maple brown sugar pecans makes a perfect holiday gift. You can make a lot at one time to keep on hand all season long.
Once you try these nuts, you’ll want to make them all the time. Just a warning: it’s tough to stop eating them once you start!
Ingredient Notes
We use these ingredients to make our maple brown sugar pecans.
- Pecan halves – I always have a 2 pound bag of pecans on hand for baking and toasting.
- Brown sugar – for that rich candied flavor.
- Granulated sugar- for additional sweetness.
- Maple flavoring – Find it in the baking aisle near the vanilla extracts.
- Cinnamon – for the perfect hint of spice.
- Egg whites – helps the sugar coating adhere to the nuts.
- Kosher salt
These nuts taste great as a snack all on their own.
You can also serve them on vanilla no churn ice cream, as a garnish for desserts like pumpkin cheesecake or tossed into strawberry salad.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, maple extract and maple flavor can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
This recipe works well with walnuts, almonds and cashews too!
No, you will not get the same result from maple syrup. It is not concentrated so the maple flavor will be obscured by flavors of the other ingredients.
These homemade maple pecans stay fresh and crunchy for up to 2 weeks. I bet you won’t be able to resist eating them all within a couple of days!
More Easy Snack Ideas
- Maple Bacon Cookies
- Chocolate Covered Oreos
- Instant Pot Apple Crisp
- Maple Walnut Fudge
- Peach Hand Pies
- Brown Sugar Pound Cake
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Maple Brown Sugar Pecans
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons maple flavoring
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 lb Fisher Nuts Pecan Halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225°F. Line a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, for about a minute using a whisk. Add in sugars, maple flavoring, cinnamon and salt. Mix again until well combined.
- Fold in pecans, mixing until completely coated.
- Pour pecans onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool completely. Store in an airtight container (or gallon sized ziploc bag), for about 1-2 weeks. ENJOY!
Notes
- Beat the egg whites until they look frothy. You can use a hand whisk for this, it doesn’t take long. Then add the rest of the ingredients right to the egg whites.
- Bake the nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Turn the pecans every 15 minutes as they bake. This helps the nuts cook evenly without overbrowning.
- They will be HOT when you remove them from the oven. Let the pecans cool completely (at least 30 minutes) before eating.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
I decided to try this for a healthier sweet snack, because frankly, my husband and I are sweet freaks. They are easy to make, and the recipe by itself needs no adjustments. However, I personally added a sprinkle of extra salt once before baking, and once during. I also tried a sugar-free version that was so delicious nobody knew the difference. (Used Monk fruit and brown sweetener). The only change with sugar-free is that they needed an additional 10-15 minutes, but I turned the oven off after the 1st five min. of that extra time. Be careful not to overbake! Delicious – you are famous in my circles!
You can make this same recipe and a little bit healthier and with only 4 ingredients. By using Pure Maple syrup, cinnamon, kosher salt and pecans.
I love this idea – will try it.
I love this idea. I will try it.
How many pieces in 1 seving?
I am allergic to eggs is there something I can use in place of the Eggs?
Well there goes my diet! I made these for a friend and my family and I ate almost half before they were even all the way cooled. These are fabulous!
Can I substitute for real maple syrup?
Yes, I did the first time I made it, it turned out well, but the maple-flavor was obscure. The syrup is not very concentrated.
The combination of brown sugar & maple is the tastiest ever on these! I also like the cinnamon with it. Warm & cozy, these are a delicious little snack!
Love the sugary crunch in this sweet treat! Such a great way to enjoy pecans!
These are quite addicting!! I love pecans, but this recipe takes them to a new level! Great for gift giving!
Can I use unsalted pecans?
These are fantastic!! I used pyure and coconut sugar in place of sugar and brown sugar. Turned out great. The maple extract gives it a nice rich flavor.
Last made these for a bake sale at church tomorrow. My husband, my official taster, have these two enthusiastic thumbs up. I don’t like nuts, but these smell divine! They are also super easy to make.