Air Fryer Candied Pecans (2024)

Published: Aug 25, 2022 · Last Updated: Nov 29, 2023 by Aimee - This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Air fryer candied pecans are easy to make and delicious. The cinnamon sugar perfectly coats the pecans to create delicious candied nuts that are great for snacking on or for giving as gifts.

Over 10 years ago I had my first experience with candied pecans. The cinnamon sugar pecans were from a speciality nut bar at a grocery store and they were expensive (but delicious).

If I had known how easy candied nuts were to make (especially in an air fryer), I would have been making them at home!

Fortunately, now I've discovered how to make candied pecans, and I've perfected making them in the air fryer. This means delicious sugared pecans anytime I want! And so easy and inexpensive to make.

These are also great for gifts! I like to add the air fryer cinnamon sugar pecans to a mason jar with a cute ribbon or a holiday-specific tin. These are perfect any time of year, but I especially love making them during the holiday season.

Why make candied pecans in the air fryer

• Easy - The candied nuts seem impressive, but they are actually very easy to make!
• Quick - Making the candied pecans in the air fryer means they cook in less than 10 minutes! Much quicker than making them in the oven.
• Delicious - The pecans have just the right amount of sweetness from the cinnamon and sugar!

Ingredients

• Raw pecan halves - I like to buy these in bulk at my grocery store. You want halves, not smaller pieces!
• White granulated sugar
• Brown sugar (I used light brown sugar, but you can also use dark brown sugar)
• Ground cinnamon
• Salt
• Ground cayenne pepper (optional) - This will give the pecans a tiny bit of spice.
• Egg white

How to make air fryer candied pecans

To a medium bowl, add your brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne.

Stir to combine! I like to do this with a fork, so I can help the brown sugar break up if needed and get properly incorporated.

In a large bowl, add an egg white. (Discard the yolk, or use it to make something else). Whisk the egg white with a fork or whisk until slightly frothy.

Add the pecan halves to the egg white and stir until pecan halves are coated in the egg white. They should look nice and glossy.

Add the cinnamon sugar mixture to the bowl and stir to evenly distribute.

Pecan mixture should look like this!

Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes, then add pecans. I did my pecans in two batches. (Also, if you are using parchment paper, DO NOT add the parchment while preheating. It can blow into the heating element and catch on fire. You need the pecans to weigh it down).

Air fry for 5-7 minutes, checking at the 5 minute mark for doneness.

Yum.

Pour or scoop cooked pecans onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a silpat mat to cool. Let cool completely. The sugar mixture will harden as the pecans cool.

Enjoy the sugared pecans!

Recipe tips

• You may need to cook in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer. (I have a large air fryer, and did these in two batches).
• Parchment paper can help keep your air fryer cleaner. However, do not add the parchment paper while preheating, it is a fire hazard (it can fly up and catch fire in the heating element due to airflow). Add the parchment paper after preheating when you're adding the pecans.

Customization ideas

These air fryer candied pecans are so easy to customize! Here are a few ideas:

• Want them spicier? Add more cayenne pepper to your mixture.
• Want more fall vibes? Add some pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice to your sugar mixture.
• Want to increase a certain flavor like cardamom? Just add some to your sugar mixture.
• Want to use a different nut? Almonds and walnuts both work well to make candied nuts.

Serving suggestions

The air fryer candied pecans are delicious served as a snack or dessert! They can also be delicious on top of salads to add a nice little sweetness and crunch.

I also love serving them on top of other desserts like air fryer pears or air fryer bananas. Candied pecans are also tasty on top of a sweet potato casserole or these chipotle mashed sweet potatoes.

How to store cinnamon sugar pecans

Candied pecans can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature or up to three weeks if stored in the refrigerator.

Make sure to cool completely before adding to a container for storage.

This recipe was adapted for the air fryer from the candied pecans on Gimme Some Oven. If you're looking for an oven-specific version, check out Ali's recipe.

Air fryer desserts

• Air fryer apple cobbler
• Air fryer puff pastry
• Air fryer apples
• Air fryer biscuit donuts
• Air fryer cinnamon toast

Looking for more air fryer recipes? Try these!