Prep time: 10 minutes of prep time
Bake time: 40-45 minutes
Yield: 6 cups

These are naturally Gluten-Free treats that everyone will love. I make these mainly during the holidays but I also bring them to get-togethers throughout the year. Every time I make them, they disappear immediately and I usually get requests for the recipe after someone tries them for the first time. 

I love them because they’re easy to make. Plus, when you bake the cinnamon, sugar and hint of vanilla, it makes your house smell SO good! 

Ingredients (Dry):

  • 6 cups whole pecans (not roasted, unsalted)*

  • 1  1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar**

  • 2  1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 2  tsp salt

Ingredients (Wet):

  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Ingredients (Optional Substitutions):

  • 1 cup whole almonds (not roasted, unsalted) – substitute for 1 cup 
of the pecans
  • 2 cups granulated sugar – 
substitute for the sugar/brown sugar combination

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 275°F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Put pecans (and almonds, if using) in a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. Combine remaining dry ingredients together in a bowl, stirring until well combined. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and water on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
  5. Add cinnamon/sugar combination and vanilla to egg white fluff, stirring until well combined.
  6. Pour sugar and egg mixture over nuts and stir to coat completely.
  7. Spread coated nuts evenly over the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Stir. Bake for another 15 minutes. Stir. Bake for another 10 -15 minutes.
  8. Allow candied nuts to cool completely.

You can store nuts at room temperature for a few weeks in a sealed container –
but they’ll probably be gone in less than a day.

They’re great at room temperature but they’re DELICIOUS when they’re warm.
Enjoy!

 

 * You can use 5 cups of pecans and 1 cup of almonds if you want more variety. In my experience, the almonds tend to bake up harder than the pecans. So I just stick to just the pecans. 

** If you prefer, you can use 2 cups of granulated sugar instead of the 11/2 cup and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. But I love the flavor that the brown sugar adds to it.