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.
Could you use different kinds of nuts, such as cashews or walnuts?
Sure!
The Pecans Sound sooo good , cant wait to try them out . Thank u facebook !!!
I’ve made these in the past and given them as gifts but I always wonder what do others do with the leftover egg yolks? Any suggestions?
Where do you find maple seasoning? Is it a powder? Any particular brand? Thank you, cannot wait to try these!
It’s an extract, much like vanilla extract. You can usually find it right next to the vanilla…or on amazon.
gluten-free?
Do you have to let them sit for about 1 week or 2 weeks in a zip lick bag or can you eat right away
Eat right away, they can be stored for 1 to 2 weeks 🙂
They look wonderful! Thanks for sharing!!
It’s too bad that the REAL MAPLE can’t be used! All the hard work they go through just to make real Maple syrup:(
These would be lethal around me, one of those things that goes down by the handful. Hope you had a beautiful Christmas XO
They are quite tasty. Happy New Year 🙂
Can you use maple syrup instead of flavoring?
Maple syrup is not as concentrated as the flavoring, unfortunately.
Just wondering if you have to use the maple flavoring?
You can skip the maple if you prefer!
I am just making these for the first time! They are in the oven and smell delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m sure they will become a tradition in our home! Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays to you, hope you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Can you use almonds instead of the pecans?
Of course!
If you use almonds do you use almond flavoring instead of maple?
These sound addicting!
You know how much I love Fisher’s as well…these pecans look incredible and perfect for the holidays!
A holiday classic that doesn’t last long in my home.
I’d finish the whole bowl! So addicting.
These remind me of home this time of year! Perfect.
Mmmm! Fischer makes the best nuts! And these pecans? I could eat them ALL day!
I use Fisher nuts all the time! so good. Love this recipe for a fun holiday snack, Aimee. Thanks for sharing