Roasted Pumpkin Pie Spiced Pecans

The incredible aroma of these Roasted Pumpkin Pie Spiced Pecans will rock your world. You only need a few ingredients and around an hour to make them! These are perfect for taking on a trip to the pumpkin patch or to eat while watching movies.

Have you ever been on vacation and been in one of the tourist areas where they have street vendors cooking candied nuts right out in the open?  That smell just lures you in. That is what these pecans smell like!

It’s next to impossible not to give in to the temptation with these incredibly delicious nuts. They are perfect as a holiday treat and as gifts to friends and family.

Why This Recipe Works

Way cheaper – You can head into your local mall and spend LOADS of money or make them yourself and save. I choose saving money!

They are freezer friendly – Yep, you read that right! Prepare and save these beauties in the freezer for up to one month. Keep them airtight, so they don’t get freezer burn and grab a handful whenever you want a sweet treat.

It’s majorly easy – After you prepare the spiced pecans, all you need to do is bake them low and slow. You’ll need to stir, but that’s super quick and easy.

The recipe makes a ton – Every time you make this, you will have enough to get eight servings. This is a game-changer if you are giving them as gifts.

🥜 Ingredients

I think you will be shocked when you see how few ingredients you actually need. Here are a few of the main ones:

Pumpkin Pie Spice – You will use a combination of cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, and nutmeg to make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice.

Pecans – Of course, the heart of the recipe is the pecans. You will need around three cups per batch, and that feeds a lot of hungry people.

Egg White – The purpose of the egg white is to make the spices, sugar, and vanilla stick to the pecans. It’s very important, so don’t try to leave it out.

⏲️ Instructions

I am all about recipes that make it look like I have worked harder than I really did. Every one raves over these candied nuts, and they are so easy to make and delicious to snack on!

Step One: Create the pumpkin spice mixture by combining the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg together. Use a small bowl and mix.

Step Two: Add the sugar and two teaspoons of the pumpkin spice together and set aside.

Step Three: Whip together the egg white and vanilla until it becomes foamy.

Step Four: Mix the pecans in the egg mixture.

Step Five: After the pecans have been added to the egg mixture, dip them into the sugar and spice mix.

Step Six: Place the coated pecans on a lightly greased baking sheet. If you have a Silpat or parchment paper, use those to make cleanup easier.

Step Seven: Bake the spiced pecans for one hour at 250 degrees. Be sure to stir every 15 minutes. Turn the pan if needed each time you stir the nuts.

🥄 Meal Prep

Because these spiced pecans are so simple to make, its easy to make an extra-large batch and save them.

This is what I like to do when I am gifting them or during the holidays when we like having them around to munch on.

Store them in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for a week. You can freeze them for a month. If you do this, make them over the long Thanksgiving weekend for gifts to give mid December for teachers and neighbors. This is a huge time saver and stress reliever.

📌 Expert Tips

Before you get busy whipping out your first batch, check out these helpful tips first.

• It’s super important to get the egg and vanilla mixture foamy. If you don’t, you will end up with white egg “strings” on the pecans. And that is not very appetizing!
• To save your sanity and give you evenly cooked pecans, turn the pan each time you stir them. It’s funny how ovens develop hot spots.
• Use a metal spatula to turn the spiced pecans. That way, you can scrape them off of the pan if they happened to stick. If you are using a Silpat, be extra careful so you don’t damage it.
• Set a timer to turn the pecans every 15 minutes. Pecans are way too expensive to waste, so you don’t want to burn them.
• When you are ready to remove the nuts from the cookie sheet, use a scoop. Use it to break up and pecans that are stuck together.

✔️ Variations

Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Pecans are equally delicious! They are made the same way except you use two teaspoons of cinnamon, ¾ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt in place of the Pumpkin Pie Spice. The Cinnamon Sugar will be a thicker coating on the pecans. These are a treat and also an amazing topping on a strawberry spinach salad. These also make oats so yummy! Just that little bit of sugar is all the sweet that you need to make plain-old oats so tasty.

Simple Roasted Pecans are just that! Simple and delish! Using the same method, toss the pecans with three tablespoons of melted butter and ½ teaspoon of salt. Spread on a baking sheet and cook the same as above. This is a great snack in lieu of candy or crackers.

Savory Roasted Pecans are reminiscent of the famous Chex Mix snack. Combine three tablespoons of melted butter, two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, two teaspoons of chili powder, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and sea salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Toss the pecans and roast as above. We think this is pretty close to the traditional Chex Mix flavoring without having the non-filling carbs that come with boxed cereal. Love you, Chex!

Rosemary Roasted Pecans are packed with earthy flavors that you will keep nibbling on! Take the same three cups of pecans and mix it with three tablespoons of melted butter, three tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary, ½ teaspoon of sea salt, and one teaspoon of cumin. Add red pepper or cayenne for a kick, but we usually are happy without it. Toss the pecans together with the melted butter and spices and cook as above.

🤔 Recipe FAQ

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!