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 Christmastime. With just a few minutes of prep, a slow cooker, and this recipe you can make this favorite treat hands-free while you make the rest of your holiday meal. 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.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Slow Cooker Candied Cinnamon Pecans Recipe
Slow Cooker Candied Cinnamon Pecans are such a joy to make for holiday parties. They smell so amazing! 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!
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 some non-stick cooking spray.
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 real vanilla extract 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 are caramelized 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 in 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.
How to Make
Time needed: 3 hours and 5 minutes.
- Whisk the Egg White
Whisk the egg white with vanilla until nice and frothy.
- Coat the Pecans
Add pecans to the egg white mixture and stir them in. Then, mix in granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and make sure everything is coated. (You can use a separate bowl, but you don’t have to.)
- Prepare the Slow Cooker
Lightly spray the inside of the slow cooker with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Pour in the coated pecans, cover, and set the slow cooker to low.
- Cook the Pecans
Stir the pecans every hour for about three hours, allowing the sugars to slowly caramelize and coat the pecans evenly.
- Add Water for Final Caramelization
In the last half-hour of cooking add the water. Stir one last time and replace the lid and let it finish cooking.
- Cool the Pecans
Spread the cooked pecans out on a baking sheet to cool for 20-30 minutes. Once cooled, they’ll be perfectly crunchy and ready to enjoy or pack as a gift. Enjoy your delicious treat!
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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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 will result in these gorgeous shiny, glassy candied pecans!
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.
Nutritional Facts
Tips for Crunchy Candied Nuts
Both the added water at the end of the cooking time and the fact that they’re spread out on a baking sheet should allow them to get crispy. If not, here are my best tips and troubleshooting if your candied pecans or other candied nuts are not coming out crunchy:
- 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.
- Also, 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.
Gifting Ideas
- 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.
Can you use a bigger crock pot?
Yes
Can I use this recipe with almonds? I haven’t tried making it yet but my mouth is already watering???. Thank you in advance??
I haven’t tested this recipe using Almonds. If you try it, please let us know how they turned out!
Made these as Christmas gifts and everyone loved them. ? Thanks for the great recipe!
Curious though, could I double the ingredients and still cook for the same amount of time?
Yes you can double the recipe and cook the same amount of time! Do not over fill the pans.
Best results ever. Been trying different recipes for the last several years. By far, THE BEST EVER!!! I’m so glad I came upon it. Thanks for sharing!!!
Sabrina, I have been making these for about 15 years. Today I made these for a family get together. They are the BEST EVER!!!
Mine are still cooking, can’t wait to try them! What size mason jar do you usually use? (Since it says the recipe makes 16 servings, I’m curious)
Pint size! Let us know how they turned out!
Do you use the cover while cooking or leave open?
Use your cover. The temp has to be high enough or your pecans will be sticky.
Super easy and a huge hit!
I just made these and I used a combination of pecans and walnuts. Can out great. I’ve had them laying out to dry and they’re still not too crunchy but that’s ok. I had some juice leftover so I’m gonna keep it and make sticky buns using some of the pecans. I think the leftover juice is from taking the lid off to stir and letting the water on the lid go into the pot. Will be making these again. ????? Had to add more stars since 5 wasn’t enough ?
So tasty but mine didn’t get crispy, they’re quite soft. Any tips for next time?
Slow cookers can be touchy with temperatures, so I’d try cooking for another 30-45 minutes next time and see if that helps!
ALWAYS my “go to” recipe. Turns out perfect every time. I have an overabundance of walnuts, thinking of using this same recipe to make candied cinnamon walnuts, will it work or do I need to adjust the recipe?