These pecans make a wonderful holiday treat that is both vegan and gluten-free! They are the perfect blend of spicy and sweet flavors…just enough heat in the cayenne pepper that is balanced by the sweetness of the maple syrup. Plus I promise they are super-duper easy to make!
You want to be sure to use high quality ingredients for this recipe….especially when it comes to maple syrup. Check out the ingredients on your syrup bottle; most mainstream brands don’t actually have any maple syrup in them. They are basically maple flavored high fructose corn syrup. If you make the switch to pure maple syrup, your taste buds with thank you! The delicious sticky sweetness of real maple syrup cannot be beat.
This recipes calls for only 6 simple ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to make. They are a great snack to bring to a holiday party. Another fun idea is to package them in a glass container with a pretty bow as to give as a gift to someone special. Pecans can be kind of pricey so be sure to shop around to find a good price. I found the best price at Costco at $6.50lb.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups pecan halves
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
- Melt coconut oil in large pan over medium-low heat.
- Stir in maple syrup and cayenne pepper. When thoroughly mixed, add pecans.
- Allow to cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure pecans are well coated in the oil. Watch carefully because pecans (and nuts in general) can burn very easily.
- Remove from heat. Add cinnamon and salt and stir to evenly coat.
- Place nuts single layer on wax paper to cool.
ENJOY!
-Sarah
