Sweet and salty, this Maple Brown Sugar Pecans recipe is a great treat to have on hand for snacking, sprinkling on salads, and more.
This recipe was originally published in December 2017. I updated the recipe notes and photos in March 2026.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
I know you’re going to love these maple brown sugar pecans! They’ve been a favorite of mine for years, for a few reasons.
- Crunchy pecans are baked with brown sugar, maple flavor and cinnamon in this easy recipe!
- A sweet and salty snack with ingredients you actually recognize.
- So many serving options! Eat them by the handful or add to all kinds of recipes.
- A jar of maple brown sugar pecans makes a perfect holiday gift. You can make a lot at one time to keep on hand all season long.
I used my classic candied cinnamon pecans recipe as a starter…and added maple brown sugar flavor!
xo,
These are quite addicting!! I love pecans, but this recipe takes them to a new level! Great for gift giving!
– kristyn
Ingredient Notes for Maple Pecans
Iuse these ingredients to make our maple brown sugar pecans.
- Pecan halves – Using halves gives the best texture (and presentation).
- Brown sugar & Granulated Sugar- Adds the caramel depth and crunchy coating.
- Maple flavoring – Find it in the baking aisle near the vanilla extracts. Maple extract will work as well. The concentrate adds flavor without adding moisture, so avoid using maple syrup.
- Cinnamon – The perfect hint of spice.
- Egg whites – A key ingredient that helps the sugar coating adhere to the nuts.
- Kosher salt– For the sweet and salty aspect!
These nuts taste great as a snack all on their own. You can also serve them on vanilla no churn ice cream, as a garnish for desserts like pumpkin cheesecake, or tossed into strawberry salad.
Recipe FAQs
No, using maple syrup isn’t concentrated in flavor, so you would need to add more to achieve the same results. However, adding more maple syrup will add too much moisture to the nuts.
This recipe works well with walnuts, almonds and cashews too!
These homemade maple pecans stay fresh and crunchy for up to 2 weeks. I bet you won’t be able to resist eating them all within a couple of days!
More Easy Snack Ideas
- My Maple Bacon Cookies are sweet and salty and perfectly chewy too.
- Love maple? Try my maple brown sugar cookies for a sweet and chewy cookie topped with a maple glaze.
- If you love maple and pecans, my moist and easy Maple pecan banana bread is so good.
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Maple Brown Sugar Pecans Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons maple flavoring
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds Pecan Halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225°F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the pan aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, for about a minute, using a whisk. Add in sugars, maple flavoring, cinnamon and salt. Mix again until well combined.
- Fold in pecans, mixing until completely coated.
- Pour pecans onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool completely.
Notes
- Beat the egg whites until they look frothy. You can use a hand whisk for this, it doesn’t take long. Then add the rest of the ingredients right to the egg whites.
- Turning the pecans every 15 minutes as they bake helps the nuts cook evenly without overbrowning.
- They will be HOT when you remove them from the oven. Let the pecans cool completely (at least 30 minutes) before eating.
- Store pecans in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Easy to make. Very tasty! Loved the maple smell while they were baking!!!
I decided to try this for a healthier sweet snack, because frankly, my husband and I are sweet freaks. They are easy to make, and the recipe by itself needs no adjustments. However, I personally added a sprinkle of extra salt once before baking, and once during. I also tried a sugar-free version that was so delicious nobody knew the difference. (Used Monk fruit and brown sweetener). The only change with sugar-free is that they needed an additional 10-15 minutes, but I turned the oven off after the 1st five min. of that extra time. Be careful not to overbake! Delicious – you are famous in my circles!
You can make this same recipe and a little bit healthier and with only 4 ingredients. By using Pure Maple syrup, cinnamon, kosher salt and pecans.
I love this idea – will try it.
I love this idea. I will try it.
How many pieces in 1 seving?
I am allergic to eggs is there something I can use in place of the Eggs?
Well there goes my diet! I made these for a friend and my family and I ate almost half before they were even all the way cooled. These are fabulous!
Can I substitute for real maple syrup?
Yes, I did the first time I made it, it turned out well, but the maple-flavor was obscure. The syrup is not very concentrated.
The combination of brown sugar & maple is the tastiest ever on these! I also like the cinnamon with it. Warm & cozy, these are a delicious little snack!
Love the sugary crunch in this sweet treat! Such a great way to enjoy pecans!
These are quite addicting!! I love pecans, but this recipe takes them to a new level! Great for gift giving!
Can I use unsalted pecans?
These are fantastic!! I used pyure and coconut sugar in place of sugar and brown sugar. Turned out great. The maple extract gives it a nice rich flavor.
Last made these for a bake sale at church tomorrow. My husband, my official taster, have these two enthusiastic thumbs up. I don’t like nuts, but these smell divine! They are also super easy to make.