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I’m an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach with a holistic approach to wellness. I share gluten-free recipes, personal stories, and sustainable tips to help you live your wellthiest life.
Warm spices, a light crunch, and just the right amount of sweetness—these candied pecans are everything you want in a fall snack. Naturally sweetened with monk fruit and ready for the oven in 10 minutes or less, they’re a cozy upgrade for your oatmeal, salads, or holiday desserts.
My family kept bowls of whole mixed nuts on the coffee table all winter. Almonds went the quickest since they were so easy to crack, and my dad scarfed down the walnuts. Grandpa loved the hazelnuts (or “filberts”, as he called them from his days in Oregon)—a nut I still love using in Roasted Hazelnut Butterand Chocolate Hazelnut Spread. I devoured the pecans—softer, sweeter, and the hardest to crack without destroying them.
The best pecans, though, came from our neighbor’s kitchen. Every December, she gave us homemade candied pecans packed in a festive tin lined with waxed paper. Despite my best efforts to savor them, they were just too delicious to resist and disappeared in days.
This recipe for candied pecans skips the sugar but keeps the flavor. Pumpkin spices, a touch of flaky salt, and monk fruit powder create a sweet, warming crunch that works just as well on Chai-Spiced Turmeric Oatmeal as it does in a holiday snack bowl.
Beyond their buttery flavor, pecans are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants like vitamin E.
Pecans are also a great source of:
Manganese – for metabolism and bone health
Thiamine (B1) – for energy and nerve function
Magnesium – for muscle, bone, and immune support.
So, whether you’re adding them to a fall salad or Cranberry-Orange Relish or garnishing a Sweet Potato Tart, you’re getting more than just a sweet and salty crunch.
Ingredients
RAW PECAN HALVES – Pieces will work, too, but halves are best here.
EGG WHITE – Room-temperature eggs foam better. To warm one quickly, submerge it in warm water for about ten minutes.
SPICES – Ceylon cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves give these candied pecans their pumpkin spice flavor. If pre-mixed pumpkin spice is more accessible, use 2 teaspoons.
FLAKY SALT – I prefer the delicate flavor of a finishing salt such as Fleur de Sel, but Kosher salt works, too.
How to Make Candied Pecans
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with avocado oil (or use a non-stick silicone baking mat).
Whisk the egg white in a medium bowl until foamy.
Add the monk fruit powder, vanilla extract, salt, and spices, and whisk until well incorporated. Gently fold the pecan halves into the wet ingredients until the nuts are evenly coated.
Spread the pecans in a single layer and evenly distribute them so they don’t form any clumps.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the coating is set and has formed a slight crust. Stir once halfway through for even baking and to prevent burning. NOTE: Because monk fruit powder lacks the crystalline structure of sugar, the crust will not be as hard or as crunchy as a traditional candied pecans recipe.
Once set, remove the pecans from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet (about 30 minutes).
Enjoy immediately or store them in a glass jar for 1-2 weeks.
Enjoy pumpkin-spiced candied pecans by the handful as a healthy snack or as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, a fall salad, or Pumpkin Custard. For the holidays, bag them up for cookie exchanges or hostess gifts—your wellness-minded friends and family will love them!
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This post was originally published on September 27, 2023. It was last updated on December 9, 2025.
This simple recipe for candied pecans with pumpkin spice makes a healthy snack or crunchy topping for Turmeric Oatmeal or Pumpkin Custard. Best of all, there’s no added sugar!
1.Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with avocado oil (or use a non-stick silicone baking mat).
2.Whisk the egg white in a medium bowl until foamy.
3.Add the monk fruit powder, vanilla extract, salt, and spices, and whisk until well incorporated. Gently fold the pecan halves into the wet ingredients until the nuts are evenly coated.
4.Spread the pecans in a single layer and evenly distribute them so they don’t form any clumps.
5.Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the coating is set and has formed a slight crust. Stir once halfway through for even baking and to prevent burning. NOTE: Because monk fruit powder lacks the crystalline structure of sugar, the crust will not be as hard or as crunchy as a traditional candied pecan recipe.
6.Remove the pecans from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet (about 30 minutes).
7.Enjoy immediately or store them in a glass jar for 1-2 weeks.
Notes
If using pre-mixed pumpkin spice seasoning is easier for you, use 2 teaspoons in place of the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Yes! I just had some on a little goat yogurt and it was yummy. 😊