With a sweet cinnamon coating, these candied pecans are sure to be your favorite treat anytime! Enjoy them solo for a snack, put them on top of salads, use them to top keto ice cream, the possibilities are endless. With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll love this low carb treat.
The scents of caramelized sugar and cinnamon were wafting through the air paints pictures in the mind, and to this day, those smells still remind me happy holidays.
Making these keto candied pecans at home, you’ll end up with that same lovely aroma floating through the air. It just brings me straight up holiday joy. Christmas music is optional but recommended while making them, of course. 😉
Plus, outside of enjoying them in your own house – these nuts make a great holiday gift for any of your keto followin’ friends or family. You can whip up a batch and put them in a mason jar. Tie it all up with a cute ribbon and boom – gift complete.
HOW TO MAKE KETO CANDIED PECANS
The key to this recipe is using a quality low-carb sweetener. We want to skip over the regular sugar, as that will skyrocket the carb count. For example, traditional sugared pecans clock in anywhere from 12 to 25 grams of net carbs for a quarter cup.
With this version though, we’ve used Lakanto’s, golden sweetener. This is a blend of monk fruit and erythritol and is meant to mimic brown sugar in recipes. It is absolutely perfect for this dish and brings the net carb count way down.
Here’s what you’ll need to make these low carb candied pecans:
- Lakanto Golden Sweetener (or another low-carb sweetener)
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Egg white
- Vanilla
- Pecan nuts
You’ll start by making a cinnamon “sugar” blend – just mix the Lakanto Golden Sweetener (or whatever low carb sweetener you want to use) with the cinnamon and salt. Set that aside for now.
Next, you’ll whisk up your egg white in a large bowl with a splash of water and the vanilla extract. You want to whisk it for a few minutes until it’s nice and frothy. It should look like this:
You’ll then toss your pecans in that egg white mixture. Make sure they’re all nicely coated by stirring the pecans around in there several times – so they look like the image below. The egg white mixture will a) add flavor from the vanilla, and b) help the sweetener stick to them.
Now pour your cinnamon “sugar” mixture in there and give everything several good stirs to make sure they’re coated well. Here’s what that looks like:
You’ll then bake these in the oven. I recommend stirring them after about 15 minutes, then again after another 10 minutes, then again every 5 minutes after that. It should take around 30-40 minutes total for these to be done, but it’s a fine line between being toasted and finished versus being burnt. Stirring frequently towards the end of cooking not only helps to ensure even cooking but also helps you keep a close eye on them so you can remove them at the right time.
Keep in mind that I find low carb sweetener mixed with cinnamon does tend to naturally get a little dark when baking (like the photo below). The color can make it hard to see if something is starting to overcook. For this reason, I recommend watching for two things:
- When you pull them out to stir and you’re not sure if they’re done, remove one of the pecans and set it aside to cool down for a minute or two. Now touch the pecan. Does it still feel wet? If so, it needs a little more time in the oven to cook the egg white mixture completely.
- Keep your nose on high alert for any smells that would indicate they’re overcooking – and if so, remove ‘em from the oven asap.
When I cook these, they’re always done right around the 35-minute mark. Once you pull them from the oven, let them cool right on the baking sheet and then dig in!
CANDIED PECANS RECIPE NUTRITION BREAKDOWN
Each 1/4 cup serving of these keto candied pecans clocks in at 217 calories with 22 grams of healthy fats and just 2 grams of net carbs!
Some of you might feel nervous looking at the nutrition facts and seeing the total carbohydrates listed at 10.5 grams. But remember, most of that (5.5 grams per serving) is erythritol, a sugar alcohol that does not contain calories or impact blood sugar. It’s just still required to be on the label as a “carb”. And then another big chunk of that carb count is fiber (3 grams per serving).
HOW MANY CARBS ARE IN CANDIED PECANS?
Looking at the macronutrient breakdown using net carbs, you can see these nuts are ideal for a keto diet:
- 91% fat
- 7% protein
- 2% net carbs
Keto Candied Pecans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Lakanto Golden Sweetner
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 12 oz raw pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside for now.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside for now.
- Add the egg white, water, and vanilla to a large bowl. Whisk it until it’s frothy.
- Stir the pecans into egg mixture in the large bowl, being sure to stir them around well and get all the nuts coated.
- Add the cinnamon sweetener mixture to the large bowl, tossing the pecans well to make sure they are all fully coated.
- Spread the pecans on the baking sheet in a single layer. Place them in the oven.
- Bake at 300 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, stirring after the first 15 minutes, then again after another 10 minutes, then every 5 minutes thereafter. When done, the pecans will no longer be wet with the egg white mixture, and they will be a deep golden brown color.
- Let cool on the baking sheet, then remove and store in a jar, airtight container, or zip top bag. For best quality, enjoy within 2-3 weeks.