Name: Sweet & Savory Roasted Pecans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for pan; 8 cups whole pecan halves ((about 32 ounces)); 1/3 cup pure maple syrup; 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed; 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice; 4 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, divided; 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

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Are you in search of a recipe for roasted pecans that can be tossed in salads, served with some cheese & fruit or just enjoyed all on their own? You don’t want them to be too sweet or to have a sticky coating. Definitely not too spicy. These Sweet & Savory Roasted Pecans are for you.

The basic formula is found in Ina Garten’s recipe for Rosemary Roasted Nuts. The original recipe is featured in Ina’s cookbook Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? Happens to be one of my favorite cookbooks.

The perfect blend of sweetness and saltiness.

The roasted nuts end up with a very light glaze …not too heavy at all.

It’s not as if I’m not familiar with those roasted nuts. I’ve been making huge batches of them for years. I gather them up in decorative glass jars and they become the best (always appreciated) holiday gifts.

So for this one, I just tweaked the ingredients and used only pecan halves. The rest of the recipe remains the same. Why mess with flavor and texture success, right?

Here’s what you’ll need to make your Sweet & Savory Roasted Pecans…

Neutral vegetable oil – Even though it’s not really neutral, I like to use extra-virgin olive oil. It’s a healthy choice and adds a pronounced peppery fruity flavor. As an alternative, you could use any neutral oil such as avocado oil. It’s advisable to avoid seed oils since they can be toxic when heated.
Whole pecan halves – Do your best to avoid using too many broken pieces.
Pure maple syrup – Pure maple syrup is a natural sweetener derived solely from the boiled sap of specific maple trees. Unlike imitation syrups, pure maple syrup contains no additives, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.
Dark brown sugar – In contrast to its white counterpart, brown sugar boasts a richer, caramel-like, slightly nutty flavor due to its molasses content.
Orange juice – Freshly squeezed is best.
Fresh rosemary leaves – Roughly chopped. Fresh rosemary is recommended over the dried version for its brighter, more delicate flavor.
Kosher salt – The coarse texture of kosher salt is ideal for this recipe. If need be, table salt can be used with caution. Table salt is finer and more dense than kosher salt, so a teaspoon of table salt will contain more actual salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. When substituting, use about two-thirds the amount of table salt specified in a recipe using kosher salt.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil.
Place the pecan halves in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar and orange juice.
Pour mixture over the pecan halves.
Stir to fully incorporate.

To save some clean-up time and effort, the oil, maple syrup, brown sugar & orange juice can be tossed together with the pecans, right on the sheet pan.

I prefer to mix it all in a large bowl before turning it out onto the pan. That way, I’m sure every pecan half is coated with every bit of possible deliciousness.

When the nuts are fully coated with the liquid ingredients, add two teaspoons of the salt along with two tablespoons of the chopped fresh rosemary leaves.
Once it is all combined, turn the nuts onto your prepared sheet pan.
Do your best to spread them out evenly in a single layer.

Pop the tray in the preheated 350°F oven for about 25 minutes.
But don’t stray too far from the kitchen.
The nuts need to be moved around twice during the roasting process.
And it is very important that you use a metal spatula.
The coating is very sticky while it is still very hot.

Remove from the oven.
Sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of rosemary & two teaspoons of salt.
Toss well to combine.
Set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool.
Taste for seasoning.

As the roasted pecans are cooling on the sheet pan, be sure to stir them often to prevent sticking.
Once completely cooled, they will no longer be so sticky.
At that point, they can be transferred to an airtight container to be stored at room temperature.

Enjoy your Sweet & Savory Roasted Pecans…

As an addition to your next cheese tray.
Sprinkled on your favorite green salad.
Straight from the jar.

5 from 2 votes

Sweet & Savory Roasted Pecans

Adapted from Ina Garten's Chipotle & Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Featured in Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That?

Enjoy as an addition to your cheese tray, sprinkled over your next salad or straight from the jar.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 2 quarts

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for pan
8 cups whole pecan halves (about 32 ounces)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
4 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, divided
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Place the pecan halves in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar and orange juice. Pour mixture over the pecan halves and stir to fully incorporate. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again to coat the nuts evenly. Turn onto the prepared sheet pan.
Spread the pecans in a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt. Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning.
Serve warm or cool completely , then store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

If you like your snacks to have that extra kick of spiciness, add up to 2 teaspoons of ground chipotle powder to the liquid ingredients before coating the nuts. If you're not sure of how much to use, try adding the powder 1/2 teaspoon at a time taste-testing as you go.

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