Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugared Pecans

These Quick and Easy Cinnamon Sugared Pecans are delicious and perfect for snacking, salads, and gift-giving. The perfect cinnamon and sugar mixture coats them, and everyone who loves candied nuts will love them.

 

The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.

I recall first seeing sugared pecans at a store in the mall while I was in college. They were delicious and coated in the most delicious sugar mixture. I vowed to find a way to make them at home. The traditional method takes about an hour of baking on low. Once I became an air fryer fan, I tried them there.

Well, let’s just say, it worked! And rather than baking on low and slow for about an hour, I could air fry these pecans in 15 minutes and have perfect sugar-coated pecans. These are perfect for gift-giving, topping on salads, or just snacking when you want a sweet and light snack.

I also understand not everyone has an air fryer. You can use your oven to bake them low and slow on 250 Fahrenheit for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. 

A Quick Look at the Ingredients and Tools to make this Recipe

Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Pecan Halves - Pecan halves are the perfect size for this recipe. If using whole pecans, you will likely need to cook them a few minutes longer.
• Egg white, water, and vanilla extract - these ingredients are used to make the cinnamon and sugar coat and stick to the pecans.
• White sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt - These are the ingredients for the cinnamon and sugar coating.

How to make Air Fryer Sugared Pecans

First, separate an egg and use the egg white. We won't use the egg yolk in this recipe; I usually add it to a pan and fry it. Then, place the egg white in a large bowl with water and vanilla extract and whisk until the egg white mixture is frothy. Add the pecans and stir until they are fully coated. 

Then add the white and brown sugars, cinnamon, and salt to the pecans and stir until the pecans pieces are covered.

Place in an air fryer basket and spread out; it’s ok if your pecan pieces overlap a bit. 

Cook on 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Once your 15 minutes are up, remove the pecans and lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow them to cool for about 5-10 minutes. You’ll notice that the sugar will have hardened during this time. 

Store, enjoy, or give away. 

Tanya's Top Tips

• I did not spray my basket before placing the nuts in the basket. If you are concerned with sticking, use a parchment sheet liner on the bottom of your basket or lightly spray the basket with oil. 
• As soon as I finish making the pecans, I place my air fryer basket in soap and water to ensure the sugar mixture does not stick and get stuck to the basket. That will avoid a harder clean-up later. 
• While this method is tailored for pecans, it can be adapted for other nuts like almonds or walnuts, with adjustments to cooking times as needed.
• The 15 minute cook time and stirring every 5 minutes is key! I usually set a timer on my phone to make sure I stir it at the right time. Your pecans will not be hard after 15 minutes, they will harden when you lay them on the parchment paper after they cool. It scientifically makes sense as the sugar will harden while it cools. 
• I used my 5.3 qt air fryer to make these pecans. If using a smaller basket, you'll likely need to cook the pecans in batches.

Storage Instructions

• Store the cooled candied pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 weeks.
• I suggest using mason jars for storage, which also makes them suitable for gift-giving.

Looking for other quick snack recipes? Try these out:

• Air Fried Chickpeas
• Apple Chips
• Air Fryer S'mores

If you have tried this or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

This post was originally published December 9, 2019. It has been updated with new information and photos.