Gluten Free Cinnamon Spiced Pecans

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Pecans: I prefer using raw pecan halves in this recipe for cinnamon-roasted pecans. If Pecans are not your thing, raw walnuts, cashews, or almonds can be used instead.

Sugar: In all my years making this recipe, I have only used light brown sugar. If you would like to make this recipe paleo, feel free to use coconut sugar.

Cinnamon: Use high-quality ground cinnamon for this recipe such as Vietnamese cinnamon. This is the strongest, richest, and sweetest cinnamon with the best flavor. If you want to switch up the flavors, feel free to use pumpkin spice or apple pie spice in this recipe for Cinnamon Roasted Pecans.

Salt: Don't be afraid to give those pecans a good sprinkle of Kosher Sea Salt when they come from the oven. The salt helps to balance the sweetness in this recipe. I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt in all my recipes and Maldon’s Flaky Sea Salt as my finishing salt (the flaky sea salt I put on almost all my baked goods). Not all salts are created equal. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier. 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt weighs roughly 3 grams while 1 teaspoon of Morton’s Kosher Salt weighs almost 5 grams. Therefore if use another brand other than Diamonds Crystal Kosher Salt please be aware that this can throw off the entire recipe.

How to make Gluten Free Cinnamon Spiced Pecans

If you can whisk egg whites, you can make cinnamon-spiced pecans. Yes, this recipe is this simple.

Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees.

Step 2: Start out by separating the egg whites from the egg yolks. Unless you already have some egg whites in your fridge that need to use. Add the egg whites to a large bowl and with a whisk or a hand mixer, whip them to firm peaks. This should take 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: Combine the light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and add it to the whipped egg whites. Whip it all together. Yes, the egg white mixture will lose some of its volume but that's okay. If you like, add some vanilla extract.

Step 4: Add the raw nuts to your sugar mixture and fold them together. Make sure all the pecans are evenly coated with egg whites.

Step 5: Transfer the pecans prepared pan in a single layer and bake at 325F in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Step 6: After 15 minutes give the pecans a good stir. You will notice that the egg whites look puffy but the stirring will create this delicious coating for your pecans. Continue to bake for another 10 minutes, stir again and return the nuts to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. At this point, the cinnamon-sugar pecans should start to look dry with a crumbly-looking coating.

Step 7: The cinnamon-spiced pecans are ready when the sugar coating looks crisp and still has a slight stickiness to it. Just like a touch. The magic number with my oven is 35 minutes.

Step 8: Turn off the oven and allow the cinnamon sugar roasted pecans to slowly cool down with the oven door cracked open. This will ensure they will have a crunchy texture.

Storage

Once the cinnamon roasted pecans are fully cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. Their shelf life really depends on how well you store them. I like to store them in mason jars with a tight lid. Do not store them in the refrigerator.

FAQ for Gluten-Free Cinnamon Spiced Pecans

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and very affordable. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. Measuring cups are very inaccurate and can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Be also prepared that the convection oven can cause your baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Be aware that it takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.