These pecans have a bit of an unusual flavor combination – not overly sweet, a little salty and just enough spice. YUM! They are easy to make and a great activity to get the kids involved with. I like to package them pretty and give them as gifts, as a nice alternative for people who don’t love super sweet treats.
To get started, spread 4 cups of pecans on a cookie sheet. Place them in a 350 degree oven for about 5-6 minutes.
While the pecans are toasting in the oven, mix up the spice mix in a small bowl.
Add the sugar, salt, and spices to a small bowl and mix.
Set this aside. We’ll add this a bit later.
In a large sauce pan or stock pot, add the glaze ingredients (water, oil, vanilla, and brown sugar).
Whisk this over medium heat until it boils. It’s a small amount in a big pot, but we’re going to add the pecans so will need the room.
The pecans should be about done toasting in the oven by this point. Add them to the glaze and toss to coat them all with the glaze.
You can turn the heat off and just keep mixing until there is no liquid left in the pan.
Sprinkle the spice mix over the nuts.
Toss to coat.
Put these back on the cookie sheet and spread them out into an even layer.
Pop them back into the 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Make sure to set the timer because these can burn quickly if you forget about them.
Let the pecans cool on the cookie sheet, then package for gifts or put in an airtight container. When packaging for gifts, I like to put 2 cups in a