Description
These pecans get a crunchy, sugary shell loaded with classic gingerbread spices — think ginger, cinnamon, cloves and a little molasses zing. They’re ideal for holiday nibbling, gifting, or sprinkling over desserts.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds pecans (about 4–6 cups, depending on nut size)
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Warm the oven. Set it to 200°F (low and slow is the trick).
- Prep the pan. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat. If you use foil, spray it lightly with cooking spray so the glaze won’t glue to the pan.
- Make the spiced syrup. In a mixing bowl combine the molasses, brown sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, white pepper, and the water. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and pourable.
- Coat the pecans. Add the pecans to the bowl and stir until every nut gets a glossy, even coating — yes, it gets messy, that’s normal.
- Spread and bake. Arrange the coated pecans in a single layer on the prepared sheet. Slide them into the oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring gently every 20 minutes to keep them from sticking together and to ensure even caramelization.
- Cool completely. Take the tray out and let the pecans cool on the pan; the coating will crisp as they drop to room temperature.
- Store. Transfer cooled pecans into an airtight container. They keep well at room temperature for about a week.
Notes
- Tips & swaps
- Paleo option: Replace brown sugar with coconut or palm sugar for a paleo-friendly version (texture and flavor will vary slightly).
- No molasses? Use maple syrup as a substitute in a pinch — it won’t be identical but still tasty.
- Using plain parchment? Avoid plain parchment without a silicone mat — the glaze can stick and make cleanup annoying. Non-stick foil or a silicone mat works best.
- If they feel sticky after cooling: Return the pan to a 250°F oven for about 10 minutes to dry them out, then cool again.
- Granulated sugar substitute: You can swap in granulated sugar, but you’ll lose some of the deeper brown-sugar flavor.
- Bonus uses for the pan crumbs
Don’t toss the sugary bits left on the baking sheet. They’re fantastic sprinkled over:
-
- Pumpkin pie or cheesecake
- Ice cream or warm fruit crisps
- Popcorn or brownies
- Pancakes or waffles
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 267kcal
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g