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These Air Fryer sugared pecans, aka candied pecans, are a delicious snack perfect for the holidays. All you need is a few pantry staples, your trusty Air Fryer and under 15 minutes to make a batch of this crunchy and addictive snack that you can enjoy at any time of the day.
I love carrying these around in a little box in my bag whenever I’m leaving home to run errands or just heading out- it’s such a nice on-the-go snack to have- just like my Air Fryer Chex Mix.
Fall is just around the corner, and I’ve been busy in the kitchen, whipping up some delicious sweet treats and snacks. I recently made a big batch of my Air Fryer pumpkin spice pecans and Air Fryer pumpkin seeds and everyone absolutely loved them!
This time, I thought of trying something a bit differently, just to make the pecans more crunchy and flavorful- and that’s when I made these sugared pecans.
Quick Look At This Recipe
✨ Flavor: Crunchy, sweet and delicately spiced.
⏱️ Prep time: 5 minutes.
🔥 Cook time: 8 minutes.
⏲️ Total time: 13 minutes.
👥 Servings: 6 servings.
🥄 Tools: Air Fryer.
❄️ Freezer friendly: No.
👩🏻🍳 Tip: Use them as a topping for you cakes and baked goodies or sprinkle them on your morning breakfast bowl or oatmeal for some irresistibly delicious crunchiness.
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They’re so easy to make. All you need is a few pantry staples and less than 15 minutes!
- They’re the perfect crunchy snack– just like my Air Fryer candied walnuts.
- You can customize the flavors to your liking! Add some extra fall deliciousness to them and make Air Fryer spiced pecans.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pecans: The nutty, crunchy base for the recipe. Use raw pecan halves that haven’t been roasted.
- Egg white: To create that nice coating around the pecans and help the sugar and cinnamon stick to them.
- Seasonings: I used a mix of white sugar, ground cinnamon and a dash of salt. To make things quicker, you can also just use some cinnamon sugar if you have it at hand. I like to make a batch of homemade cinnamon sugar to use for all my fall recipes.
See recipe card for quantities.
Find this recipe along with over 35 others for the ULTIMATE list of Air Fryer Thanksgiving Recipes.
Variations
- Don’t have pecans or just want to try using some other nuts? Walnuts and almonds are good alternatives to try.
- You can also add a bit of homemade pumpkin pie spice for that extra bit of fall deliciousness.
How to Make Air Fryer Sugared Pecans
- Preheat your Air Fryer to 350° F. Combine egg whites and water in a small bowl and whisk for 1 minute until the mixture is frothy.
- In a separate bowl, combine salt, sugar, and cinnamon and set it aside. Add the pecans to the egg mixture and toss until fully coated.
- Pour in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and toss the pecans to coat them fully.
- Spread out the coated pecans in the prepared Air Fryer basket. Air fry at 350°F (177°C) for 6-9 minutes, shaking the basket often.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
You can enjoy these Air Fryer sugared pecans as a snack on their own, or sprinkle them on your favorite fall sweet treats to add a bit of crunchy element to them. I love using them as a topping over my Air Fryer pumpkin cheesecake and Air Fryer carrot cake.
They also taste splendid when slightly crushed and sprinkled over my Air Fryer Bloomin’ Apples. And of course, you can also team them up with a cheese appetizer or feature them on a holiday charcuterie board- I sprinkled them over my Air Fryer Brie the last time I was hosting a holiday party and it was such a hit!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- This recipe can be quite sticky, thanks to all the sugar. To tackle this, line your Air Fryer basket with some parchment paper and grease it with a bit of cooking oil spray.
- Toss the pecans a couple of times during the cooking time to ensure they don’t end up sticking to each other.
- If you’re working with a lot of pecans, it makes sense to air fry them in batches. Overcrowding the Air Fryer basket is a big no-no regardless of what you’re cooking in there.
- To lend the air fried sugared pecans a deeper flavor, you can use brown sugar instead of white sugar- like I did when I made my Air Fryer pretzel bites.
- Allow the sugared pecans to cool down completely before you enjoy them. They will turn even more crunchy as they come down to room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Store your leftover sugared pecans in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a week. I wouldn’t recommend refrigerating or freezing them, as they can turn sticky due to the moisture.
If your sugared nuts don’t have that crunchy texture, it could probably be because you haven’t cooked them long enough. Make sure you air fry them for at least 6-8 minutes and let them cool down first before you have them.
To make the soft sugared pecans crunchy again, air fry them for 3-6 minutes, then let them cool down and quickly transfer to an airtight container.
More Air Fryer Fall Snacks
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Apple Chips
Desserts
Air Fryer Cinnamon Twists
Breakfast
Air Fryer Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes
Desserts
Air Fryer Apple Pie Taquitos
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Air Fryer Sugared Pecans
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb pecan halves
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (177°C). In a small bowl, mix egg whites and water with a whisk for 1 minute until the mixture is frothy.
- Mix the salt, sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the pecans to the egg mixture and toss until fully coated.
- Pour in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and toss the pecans to coat them fully.
- Spread out the coated pecans in the prepared air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 350°F (177°C) for 6-9 minutes, shaking the basket often.
- Remove from the air fryer and allow them to cool before serving.
Notes
- Make sure you toss the sugared pecans frequently while you’re air frying them. This will keep them from sticking to each other.
- You can store the leftovers at room temperature for up to a week. Use a clean, airtight container to maintain their crunchiness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love pecans in my baked goods, but what would be a good choice to use these candied pecans for?
Hi Kat. I love to just snack on these, but they are also great in salads, or chopped on top of cookies, cupcakes, pies, mixed in granola, or ice cream toppings. Just a few of my favorites. Hope that helps!
If I have a stove that the oven has air fryer will these recipes work the same way?
This recipe was made with a basic (countertop) style air fryer appliance. It will definitely take longer in the stove since the appliance is much larger. I don’t have a specific time, but you will definitely need to add time to this recipe for a stove with built in air fryer feature.
Where does the salt come in? No mention of adding the 3/4 tsp salt into the method of the recipe .
You add the salt to the sugar and cinnamon mixture. I have that corrected! Thanks for pointing that out. 🙂