glazed spiced pecans

I recently took my grandfather grocery shopping and while we were perusing the aisles and loading up on eggs and his favorite strawberry jam, I came across a bag of glazed pecans. They looked and sounded really good.  I must have been hungry, because they wound up in the basket.

On my trip home from his house, I ate the whole bag.  Let’s ignore my obvious gluttonous tendencies for a moment and consider those glazed pecans.

I don’t know if it was the crunchiness of the nuts, the sweet glaze that was tacky, but not sticky, or the hint of spice that hit my tongue a few seconds after I swallowed.  Maybe it was the combination.  I couldn’t get them out of my head.

Obviously, I had to make them — and I was stunned to realize how deceptively simple they were to recreate at home.  You would think “glaze” would require a candy thermometer at the least.  Nope.  This recipe took about 10 minutes.   It required longer to cool than to cook.  This one’s definitely a keeper!

Faintly sweet, these pecans add a yummy crunch to salads, are delicious sprinkled over ice cream or desserts, or simply addictive with a cocktail.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Glazed Spiced Pecans

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 200 kcal

Great for topping salads or snacking out of hand, these lightly sweetened spiced nuts are addictive!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups pecans
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
2. Add all ingredients into a heavy, medium-sized saucepan. Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Mixture will foam initially, then subside and begin to toast. The entire cooking cycle should take between 4-6 minutes. Pecans and glaze should be very fragrant, but not to the point of burning.
3. Transfer the glazed nuts to the baking sheet and spread evenly into a single layer. Let cool completely. Nuts can be stored in a airtight container for several days.

Nutrition Facts

Glazed Spiced Pecans

Amount Per Serving

Calories 200 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17g 26%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Sodium 73mg 3%

Potassium 112mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 11g 4%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 8g

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 0.3%

Vitamin C 0.3%

Calcium 2.3%

Iron 3.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.