Slow Cooker Candied Cinnamon Pecans are a total breeze to make and will leave your house smelling so delicious. Try making these today!
Candied Pecans are a classic warm and wonderful holiday treat to eat during Thanksgiving and Christmas time. If you’re looking for more classic Holiday Snack ideas, be sure to check out my Slow Cooker Chocolate Peanut Candy and Muddy Buddies recipes.
Sabrina’s Slow Cooker Candied Cinnamon Pecans Recipe
Every year I try and come up with fun new food gifts for friends that are different from your normal box of chocolates or cookies. One year I did a Pumpkin Spice Bark and everyone was so excited to get something so unique. I started looking for more fun recipes to play with. I can also tell you, if you were to buy these in the store you’d pay 3 to 4 times more than the cost of just buying the pecan halves. Long story short, make these Slow Cooker Candied Cinnamon Pecans. You won’t regret it!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 large egg white , (or the egg whites from two small eggs)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups pecan halves
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 5 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ cup water
- vegetable oil spray
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl add the egg white and vanilla together and whisk until frothy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the pecans.
- Add in the sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Spray the inside of the crockpot with vegetable oil spray.
- Add the pecan mixture to the slow cooker on low for 3 hours.
- Stir every hour, and when the nuts are half an hour away from being done, pour in the water and stir one final time.
- To ensure crispy exteriors spread the nuts out on a baking sheet to cool.
Notes
- Change Serving Size: Click on the yield amount to slide and change the number of servings and the recipe will automatically update!
- Conversion: To convert measurements to grams, click on the Metric option next to Ingredients in the recipe card.
- Kitchen Timer: Click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
Nutrition
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Table of Contents
Chef’s Note: Don’t Change These Two Things
I’ve made many different flavored nuts in the slow cooker in the past but these Slow Cooker Candied Cinnamon Pecans have been the runaway hit of the bunch. The only two things about the recipe that I will caution you against changing:
- Make sure you whisk the egg white until you see lots of little frothy bubbles.
- Make sure you add the water, stir well, and let cook the last thirty minutes.
The reason you don’t want to skip these steps is they are key in the resulting gorgeous shiny, glassy candied pecans!
Ingredients
- 1 Egg White: This is whisked to create a frothy base that helps the cinnamon-sugar mixture stick to the pecans. See variations for a vegan substitution idea.
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract: Be sure that this is pure vanilla extract and not imitation for the best flavor.
- 4 cups Pecan Halves: Roasted pecan halves do not have to be perfectly shaped. You can substitute with almonds or walnuts if desired or mix them for variety!
- 1 cup Sugar and ½ cup Light Brown Sugar: The sugars caramelize during cooking and the brown sugar helps to bring a molasses flavor. Dark brown sugar can be used for an even bolder flavor.
- 5 teaspoons Cinnamon: This is the main seasoning of the candied pecans and pairs perfectly with the sugar.
- ¼ cup Water: This is used to help the final caramelization get nice and crunchy.
- Vegetable Oil Spray: Non-stick spray is used to coat the crock pot which prevents the pecans from sticking. Any neutral oil spray, such as canola or coconut oil, can be used. You can use butter or even use it with a crock pot insert so it cleans easier.
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
- 4-Quart Slow Cooker: A perfect size to make this recipe and still have room to stir. If you are using a smaller slow cooker, you can easily halve the recipe ingredients (except keep the one egg white) and cook for the same amount of time.
- Baking Sheet: A baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper is the perfect place to cool the pecans, or you can use some foil lined on the counter and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Can This Be Made Ahead?
Yes, these Cinnamon Sugar Pecans can be made ahead. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. They maintain their crunch and flavor well.
Recipe Tips & Tricks: Getting Crunchy Pecans
- First, let them cool completely, the sugar will harden once cooled. The nuts can hold a lot of residual heat inside, so pop them in a fridge or freezer if it’s taking a long time.
- You could place a Tea Towel under the lid during the last 30 minutes to collect any added moisture if they seem too moist.
- High humidity can prevent the pecans from becoming fully crispy. So if it’s a humid day or environment, try letting them cool in an air-conditioned room or pop them in a low-temperature oven (at 250 degrees) for 10-15 minutes after cooking.
How to Store
- Storing: Keep leftover pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. Just make sure that they are fully cooled before storing so they stay crispy.
- Freezing: Store extras in an airtight freezer bag or container for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Ideas to Serve
- Mason Jars: I LOVE giving these as gifts to friends, I fill up these mason jars with the nuts and tie a little card to it with twine that has the recipe printed on it and a little holiday season note.
- Colored Twine: I keep different colors of twine on hand for all occasions/holidays. Green and red twines are easy enough options for the Christmas season and it is even cuter if you use two strands instead of one.
Frequent Questions
Yes, almonds or walnuts can be substituted for pecans for a fun variety of flavors and textures.
The water helps dissolve the sugars which helps the coating to be nice and crunchy.
Yes, you can make a double batch with the recipe and cook for the same amount of time! Just be cautious to not overfill the pan.
Use your cover. The temp has to be high enough or your pecans will be sticky, not crunchy. Keep it on the whole time except when stirring.
Variations
- Spiced Maple Pecans: Substitute the sugar with an equal amount of maple syrup. Reduce the water to 2 tablespoons. Cook as directed but stir more frequently to prevent sticking.
- Pumpkin Spice Pecans: Replace the cinnamon with 2 teaspoons of Pumpkin Spice and 1 teaspoon of ground ginger. Cook as directed.
- Vegan Coconut Sugar Pecans: Substitute the egg white with 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (chickpea liquid) and replace the sugars with coconut sugar. The cook time remains the same.
Related Recipes
More Holiday Snacks
Photos used in previous versions of this post:
Mine came out wet too even after cooling. I tried putting them back in the slow cooker for an additional hour but still wet. Suggestions?
It’s usually from not cooking long enough but if you said you put it in for another hour, I’m not sure. Maybe your slow cooker didn’t get hot enough?? If you’d like you can email me at contact @ dinnerthendessert .com and we can try and troubleshoot.
My moms making these and they don’t seem to be melting! Can we turn up the crock pot? They only have an hour left and there’s a lot of dry mix left
To me that says the crock pot is running not hot enough. I’d ditch the crock pot and put them in a 250 degree oven, on a baking sheet for 1 hour, stir every 20 minutes. If you got the mixture right and the egg whites were frothy they should be just fine, these pecans are resilient little things.
I am sorry if someone already asked this. But, I went through the year comments and didn’t see it. What is the shelf life of these after they are done? Meaning, how long do they stay good and how should they be stored?
They last about a week in an airtight container.
I didn’t make these but a coworker did and omg they were amazing.. She did a batch with almonds also.
Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed them!
Mmmm,
Made my first batch tonight . Smells wonderful. Can’t wait till they cool.
My husband is allergic to cinnamon. Do you have any ideas for other seasonings that would be delicious for this? Obviously it won’t be as good as this recipe, or even similar but I would love to make something for him.
Thanks!
I haven’t tested it but maybe try having a bit of spice to them by using cayenne. You might be able to check online for recipes that are more spicy than sweet. Good luck!
Can you double the ingredients in a big crockpot
I haven’t tested it. I wonder how it would turn out because the deeper the nuts go, the more moisture to work out. If you double in a bigger pot you may have to cook longer, so just be sure you’re not in a time crunch. I’d love to know how it turns out if you decide to try.
Was absolutely delicious!!! You won’t be sorry if you try this – so simple..
Thanks, Pam! I appreciate the 5 stars!
Hello,
I’m making these right now! Assuming, I can hide them, how long will they keep in pint jars! Should I put them in the refrigerator due to the egg white in the recipe?
Thank you,
Oleeta
I’ve had them for up to two weeks before we devoured them all! No need to refrigerate but you can if you’d like. Enjoy!!
Delicious! My family has a pecan business, so I always love trying new pecan recipes! The instructions were clear and super easy…and the results were great. After making half the recipe once, I decided to make a full batch again and share the recipe with my followers on my business page (linking back here, of course)! Thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe with us!
Does the egg white need to be room temperature?
I didn’t worry about it being room temperature.
I made these candied pecans last night and they turned out fabulous. No issues. Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Hey Sabrina, Do you have a peppered pecan recipe by any chance? If not if I were to send you one do you think you would be able to adapt it to a larger quantity and be able to do it in the slow cooker?
I don’t have one but you can email me your recipe at contact @ dinnerthendessert . com and I can take a look at it.
Is there anything that can be substituted for the egg white? (Egg sensitivities)
No, sorry. I haven’t tested any substitutes so I’m not comfortable giving any recommendations.
I made these I have given them plenty of time to dry they have great Flavor and excellent coating. But there still wet. Can I put them in them in oven to dry them out more.
Yes, you can put them in the oven if needed.
I made these today and they are delicious! Not too sweet. Just right! I added a little pink himalayan salt but otherwise kept the recipe the same.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Hi there, thanks for the recipe! I made these last night and they taste great. Mine are not as ‘golden’ as yours though-came out darker. Question, throughout the recipe, you say egg white, but in the ingredients you say only 1 egg white. Was I supposed to use more than 1? Thanks!
Whoops! I meant to say egg whites when referring to the recipe.
Yes, it’s just one egg. Sorry for the confusion.
This recipe is absolutely perfect. What a great extra to the Christmas candy baking I do every year. This is definitely a new favorite. Love love love!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but I Just made these & they are a big, sticky, gooey mess 🙁 My house smells good though, lol
Oh no!! Sounds like it needs to cook longer. Some crock pots run differently as far as regulating heat and I’m not sure yours got hot enough 🙁 I” glad at least your house smells good so it’s not a total loss.
Just made these to give as Christmas treats, the house smells amazing!! Going to have to make a batch for us! Easy recipe, thanks a bunch!!
I’d like to make these for gifts that will be given out in about a week. I saw above you mentioned they’ve stayed fresh for a few weeks but I’d like to make sure the recipient’s have time to eat then as well before they soften. What would you say is the best way to keep them fresh once made?
These make such great gifts!! I like keeping mine in Mason jars because they have a tighter seal so they stay fresher longer.
Just finished mine, they wanted to burn. Any suggestions?
All slow cooker brands tend to run differently and it sounds like the one you have runs hot and may have lead to them wanting to burn. If you want to make them again using that same slow cooker, possibly stirring more would ensure that they don’t burn. I have a few links for slow cookers in the above “tools used” section if you’re in the market for a new one. I hope this helps!
How much pecans do go Use for this recipe?
I used 4 cups of pecan halves for this recipe. Enjoy!
I made these tonight. I would stir every 1/2 hour… some of mine burned
Bummer, it sounds like your slow cooker might run a bit hot. Glad you didn’t lose them all to getting burned.
Omgosh! These were so easy to make! Cabellas move over! These r way more delicious!!! Thank you for sharing…great job on this posting….applause to you?????
That’s quite the compliment!! Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Has anyone actually made this recipe?
Mine turned out moist (after about 45 min of “cooling”. Do they harden eventually?
It sounds like you may have needed to cook them more. Your slow cooker temperature might be off and the pecans would need more time in it. I hope they still tasted great.
How many pint size mason jars did one batch fill?
This recipe will fill 2 pint sized mason jars. Enjoy!!
can the be dry canned in the oven to keep them longer
I’m so sorry but I don’t have any experience with it so I’m not comfortable recommending it. If you decide to try, I’d love to know if it’s possible.
I have fresh picked pecans, do I need to roast them first
No need to roast them first for this recipe. Easy peasy!
I made these soooo many times last year for Christmas snacks and as gifts and have already have fielded six requests from people begging me to make these for them again as a Thanksgiving treat because apparently waiting for Christmas is simply too long. Thank you for sharing this recipes–these REALLY are amazing, simple to make, they look as good as the picture and they taste even better!!!!
How awesome!! This just totally made my day, thank you!!
Sounds delicious! It sounds like from the above comments that different kinds of nuts would work. Peanuts, cashews?? Would these work? Do you start with raw nuts or just reg nuts?
Just about any type of raw nuts would work for this recipe, that’s what makes it so great! Hope this helps.
I have a 6 quart, have you ever doubled this recipe?
I haven’t. I wonder how it would turn out because the deeper the nuts go the more moisture to work out. If you double in a bigger pot you may have to cook longer, so just be sure you’re not in a time crunch. But hey its not like the nuts need to be tender, haha.
Does the size of the pecans make a difference?
I just used standard pecan halves so I’m not sure how big started out. You should be good either way! Enjoy!!
Would this be better with butter in it somehow?
No, it would make it wetter and that’s not really what you want for this recipe. Sorry.
Everyone keeps saying these LOOK good, has anyone tried this recipe yet?
I am tomorrow
I have, multiple times. They ARE delicious!!!
Can you use walnuts?
Of course, swap in walnuts!
Hi, how long do these stay fresh in a sealed container?
I would say I’ve had them for a few weeks before we finish them with no problems? Haven’t tested any longer than that though, sorry :/
Do you leave the lid on or off the slow cooker
Yes, you’ll want leave the lid on while cooking.
Can it be the whole egg or does it have to be just the egg whites?
You want to use just the egg white. Enjoy!
Hi! Will a pinch of sea salt adversely affect the glazing? I need a tiny bit of salt in any sweet treat. I’m pretty surevI have all the ingredients…just have to check my pecans to be sure I have enough. Can’t wait to enjoy these! Thank you!
A pinch of sea salt would be amazing. I am a huge sweet and salt person too, so definitely go for it!
Hi! Can you make this in a six quart slowcooker? Thanks!
Yes, of course!
Hi! Can I use a six quart slow cooker for this recipe? Love your blog! Thanks!
Of course! Thanks!
Dangerous!!! I’d grab a handful every time I walked by!
I LOVE that you can make these in the slow cooker!
I know, right?!
My husband’s absolute favorite way to eat nuts!
Pecans are my favorite and now I have such a mad craving for a handful of these cinnamon candied pecans!! What a great gift idea for the holidays!
These look dangerously delicious!
Thank you Melanie!
Oh man! These candied pecans look addictive! I surely won’t be able to stop eating this!
They definitely keep calling my name to have just one more, haha!
Candied nuts are some of our favorite holiday treats, although I’m ashamed to admit. We. Have. Yet. To. Make. Them,. There, I said it. Thanks for the inspiration and we wish you the Merriest of holidays and the best of Congrats on your new addition!
Happy to be your inspiration!
I am such a sucker for spiced nuts and candied nuts, so my mouth is watering right now – these look amazing! I’m going to try these for Christmas this year.
Thanks Heather!
These look so good! I was wondering if the recipe could be used (and perhaps the cook-time adapted) for almonds? If you’re not sure, it’s no problem. I’ll keep searching. But I do plan to make these to give to my sons’ teachers and bus drivers. They’re such a great idea and packaging them in mason jars with colorful twine sounds like the perfect touch.
Thank you so much for posting the recipe!
Absolutely, swap in the almonds. They’ll be great!