Honey roasted pecans are raw pecan halves tossed in warm, pure honey, roasted until golden, and finished with a light dusting of cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm. Some folks call them honey toasted pecans or honey glazed pecans, and whatever you call them, they come out of the oven sweet, a little salty, and crunchy with a soft honey glaze. It takes about 10 minutes of prep and 12 minutes in the oven, and one pound of pecans makes 12 servings, enough to snack on, chop over a salad, and still fill a few holiday gift tins.
Growing up in Georgia, a lot of our friends had pecan trees in their yards, and picking them up was kind of a fall thing to do. We’d grab a brown paper grocery bag, fill it with pecans, carry them home, and then put on a movie and start shelling. We made several kinds of roasted pecans, like my roasted buttery pecans and candied pecans, and these honey-roasted pecans were always one of my favorites.
Main Ingredients Needed For Honey Roasted Pecans
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Pecan Halves: Raw, unroasted pecan halves are what you want, since they roast right along with the honey. A pound is about 4 cups. Skip the pre-roasted kind, or they’ll overcook by the time the glaze is done.
- Honey: Use good-quality, pure honey. I always check the label, because pure honey is what clings to the pecans and gives them that glossy glaze, and a jar with anything else mixed in won’t stick the same way.
- White Sugar: A couple tablespoons of plain white sugar get mixed with the cinnamon and salt and sifted over the warm pecans after they rest for a few minutes. That sugar gives them a little crisp outside and cuts down on the stickiness.
- Ground Cinnamon: Only a quarter teaspoon goes in, enough to add a warm hint of spice without covering up the honey.
How To Make Honey Roasted Pecans
There are two quick stages here, roasting and seasoning, and the full honey roasted pecans recipe with every detail is in the card below.
Pro Tip: The best way to know they’re ready is by scent; the aroma will turn sweet and nutty when they’re perfectly toasted.
Tips for Honey Glazed Pecans That Aren’t Too Sticky
Honey pecans are always going to be a little sticky, and I think that’s part of the fun, because I enjoy licking my fingers after every bite. Still, these are the things that keep them from turning into one big clump:
- Give them room. Spread the pecans in a single, uncrowded layer and split a full pound across two parchment-lined baking sheets, so they roast instead of steam.
- Stir halfway. Pull the pans out at the 6-minute mark, stir, and spread them back out.
- Separate during the rest. While they cool for those 4 minutes, use a fork to pull apart any pecans that are stuck together.
- Sugar them while they’re warm. The cinnamon sugar sifted on after the rest is what gives them a less sticky outside.
Easy Ways to Change Up These Honey Pecans
I’ve tested a few twists on these, and these are the ones I keep coming back to:
- Add a little heat. Stir a few pinches of cayenne into the cinnamon sugar for some spice and a nice bit of heat.
- Swap in hot honey. Use my hot honey recipe, my Mike’s Hot Honey copycat, in place of regular honey. It’s really good, with a sweet heat that builds as you eat them.
- Mix in other nuts. Toss in almonds and cashews with the pecans, but make sure both are already roasted.
Making These Pecans Ahead for Thanksgiving and Christmas
You can make these up to a week ahead and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, but with all three of my pecan recipes, I like to give them away or serve them within a few days, especially if you live somewhere with a lot of humidity. They’ll get a little stickier as they sit, because the cinnamon sugar slowly soaks into the honey. If the room is on the warm side, the refrigerator is the better spot. I don’t freeze these, because the honey glaze stays soft and sticky, and I don’t think they’d thaw well.
When a batch has been sitting a few days, I freshen it up before serving with a sprinkle of extra cinnamon sugar, or I pop the pecans in a 300°F oven for a few minutes and recoat them with cinnamon sugar. Then I chop them up over salads, set them out on cheese boards, or package them as a snack trio with my other two pecan recipes for Christmas gifts.
Questions When Making Honey Roasted Pecans
They’re similar, but not the same. Candied pecans get a sugar coating that bakes into a crisp shell, while honey pecans are coated in honey, so the glaze stays lighter and a little soft. If you want that crunchy sugar shell, make my candied pecans, and if you love honey glazed pecans, these are the ones for you.
No, you don’t need to soak pecans for this recipe. Raw, unroasted pecan halves go straight into the warm honey and onto the baking sheets. Just make sure they’re raw and not pre-roasted, so they don’t overcook while the honey glaze bakes on.
They’ll always be a little sticky, because honey is a natural product that stays slightly soft on the pecans even after they cool. Humidity makes it more noticeable, so they’ll feel tackier on a muggy day. The tips above help a lot, but a little stickiness is part of the fun.
Honey Roasted Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 pound pecan halves, unroasted (about 4 cups)
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Prepare the oven
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Coat the pecans
- Place honey in a small microwave-safe bowl and warm for 20 to 30 seconds until slightly runny.⅓ cup honey
- In a medium mixing bowl, add pecans and pour the warmed honey over them.1 pound pecan halves
- Toss until all pecans are evenly coated.
Roast the pecans
- Spread pecans in a single layer on the two prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 6 minutes.
- Stir the pecans, spread them out again, and bake for another 6 minutes until fragrant and lightly toasted.
Season and cool
- Let pecans cool on the pans for 4 minutes. Use a fork to separate any that are stuck together.
- Combine the sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Using a small screened sifter, evenly shake the cinnamon sugar mixture over the warm pecans.
- Using a spatula, flip the pecans and sprinkle the other side with cinnamon sugar.
- Allow pecans to cool completely for 30 to 45 minutes.
Gina’s Notes and Tips
- Room Temperature: Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container up to 1 week. They get a little stickier as the cinnamon sugar soaks into the honey.
- Fridge: Keeps for up to 3 weeks; great if your home is warm or humid.
- Freshen Up: Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon sugar before serving, or warm in a 300°F oven for a few minutes and recoat with cinnamon sugar.
Tried this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!Showing Hospitality With Honey Pecans
A welcome tin for a new neighbor is my favorite way to share these, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas, when roasted and candied nuts are part of the holidays at our house. I grab a divided gift tin and fill each section with a different nut: these honey-roasted pecans, my candied pecans and roasted buttery pecans, plus my sweet and spicy roasted cashews and candied cashews, so there’s a little something for everybody in the house. Tie on a ribbon, tuck in a note with your name and phone number, and walk it over to the family that just moved in down the street. Moving is hard, and the holidays can feel lonely when you don’t know a soul yet, so I love that Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,” because that first knock on the door is one sweet way to live it out. A tin of pecans tells them somebody noticed they’re here and is glad they came, and it might be the start of a friendship and an open door for gospel conversations down the road.