This Ultimate Homemade Candied Nut Makes A Perfect Last Minute Gift

Many years ago, I decided to create a better candied pecan—or at least one that checked all the boxes for me. They were a common homemade Christmas gift in North Carolina, but most of them were too sticky or greasy for my liking. I longed for a crisp, crunchy, sweet and slightly spicy nut that was enrobed in a light crust similar to a dry praline.

My solution was to beat an egg white until it was frothy and use that to keep the sugar and spice coating on the nut. The pecans are tossed in the beaten egg white and then they are sprinkled and tossed with the mixture of two kinds of sugar, spices and salt. 

My good friend Bob Blumer makes them so often that they are now part of his repertoire. He calls it “the ultimate host gift and the greatest use for a leftover egg white ever.” And explains, “as the nuts bake at a low temperature, the beaten egg white puffs up and hardens like a meringue (which is not coincidentally made from beaten egg whites), and the sugar melts into it. As the nuts cool, so does the sugar. The result is a gloriously roasted nut, swaddled in an airy, crispy, sweet and savory crust.” 

The first time I made them, I couldn’t stop eating them. After that, I tried the sugar and spice recipe with all kinds of nuts. It goes without saying that pecans are heavenly, but walnuts are amazing as are cashews and I often make a mixture with all three. If you like peanuts, they are next level—like the black-kettle sugared peanuts that you used to get from street vendors—but lighter and a bit spicy. The only nut that didn’t work for me was brazil nuts and macadamia nuts—maybe because of their high fat content.

This is my go-to hostess gift and I make them year ‘round. I pack them up in a pint Mason jar and add a bow. Sometimes I include a small ceramic bowl to the gift so the recipient has both the nuts and the serving piece. But most of the time, they end up eating them straight from the jar! 

They are perfect on their own, and even if you’ve finished your shopping, make them for yourself, for snacking, for nibbling on with drinks, and adding to your next cheese board.  A nut with a schmear of blue cheese is one of those perfect bites—no crackers or bread needed!

Elizabeth’s Sugar and Spice Pecans

This recipe can be easily doubled, tripled or quadrupled for all your gift giving needs—just remember to save some for yourself!

1/3      cup dark brown sugar

2/3      cup granulated white sugar

1          teaspoon Kosher salt

3          Pinches of cayenne pepper or more to taste

½         teaspoon ground cumin

1          teaspoon ground cinnamon

1          pound pecan halves (or other favorite nuts)

1          egg white, room temperature

1          tablespoon water

Pint Mason Jars

Preheat Oven to 300°F

Mix together sugars, salt, cayenne, cumin and cinnamon; set aside.  Beat egg white in a deep bowl that is large enough to hold the pecans.  Beat until frothy but not stiff, add water and stir until well combined—it should still be frothy.  Add pecans and stir to coat evenly, Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture and stir until evenly coated.  I usually toss the nuts in the bowl to coat with the egg white and then toss again to evenly coat with sugar and spice.

Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with a SilPat or parchment paper. If you want each one to be it’s own puffy piece, separate the nuts from each other. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally as needed.  Remove from oven and separate nuts as needed as they cool.  

Let cool for at least hour before storing in tightly closed container.