Candied Vanilla Pecans
You know how they say you should bake fresh cookies before an open house so that your house will smell more enticing to potential buyers? I’m going to go ahead and claim that instead of cookies, you should make these Candied Vanilla Pecans. My house smelled AMAZING last night when I made these. They bake for an entire hour, so the wonderful sweet vanilla scent lingers for a good while. I honestly didn’t want to go to bed and miss any of the awesome smelling air in our place.
The pecans were still warm when I went to bed so I didn’t get to try them until today. Let me tell you, they taste better than they smell. This recipe is amazing. If you’re looking for a last minute holiday gift to make or even a snack to take to a holiday potluck, definitely give this simple recipe a shot.
One Year Ago: Toffee Pecan Cookies
Two Years Ago: Pecan Pie
Four Years Ago: Squash Bisque
Candied Vanilla Pecans
Ingredients:
4 cups (~1 lb) pecans
1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 heaping tsp sea salt
3/4 cup vanilla sugar (If you don’t have vanilla sugar, substitute regular sugar and increase the vanilla extract to 1 tsp)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 250 and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and sea salt.
In a large bowl combine the egg white, vanilla and water. Beat the egg until it’s light and frothy. Stir in the pecans and mix well. Pour in the sugar mixture and stir until all the pecans are coated.
Dump the mixture onto your large baking sheet and spread the nuts out evenly.
Bake about 1 hour making sure to stir every 15 minutes and break up any large clumps.
Cool completely on the baking sheet on a wire cooling rack.
Recipe from Miss Lemonie
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Happy blog birthday!! I love the idea of making these for Halloween with orange and black sprinkles…and black or cute pumpkin cupcake liners. I’m all excited to make these now. Fabulous job!
beantownbaker — August 28th, 2013 @ 7:25 am
AND, you could use the Halloween Oreos that have orange filling in them if you wanted 🙂 Oh, now I’m thinking orange Oreos to get the orange/black colors. Then use just purple sprinkles. Or maybe purple and green to round out the festive Halloween colors.
Happy blogiversary, Jen!!!!!!!!!! More exclamations! 🙂 these cupcakes look amazing! Congratulations on 6 great years! You’re one of the blogs I followed before starting my own! You’re amazing!
beantownbaker — August 28th, 2013 @ 7:27 am
Thanks Julie! And thanks for all the exclamation points 😉 It’s crazy to think I’ve been doing this 6 years now…
6 years of blogging!!! These cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate!
beantownbaker — August 28th, 2013 @ 1:37 pm
They sure are!
Happy 6th Blog-verisary!!! I can’t wait to see what the next 6 years will bring ya!! Been a loyal fan for the past 6 years or so!!
beantownbaker — August 28th, 2013 @ 1:38 pm
Thanks! Who knows where life is going to take me in the next 6 years, but I hope I’m still enjoying blogging. I know I’ll still love baking 🙂
what a great way to celebrate 6 delicious years!! congrats 🙂
beantownbaker — August 29th, 2013 @ 9:08 am
Thanks!
Do you think I could make these cupcakes in advance, freeze them, and then decorate them the day of a birthday party? Or do you think the oreos inside the cupcakes would be compromised by freezing?
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2013 @ 9:41 am
I’ve never put these Oreo cupcakes in the freezer, so I’m not sure how they’d work… If you try it, please let me know how they do.
Happy Blog-o-versery! I couldn’t imagine making oreo cupcakes more festive, but you certainly did so! Sprinkles are a fantastic idea!
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2013 @ 9:42 am
Thanks 🙂
Happy blogiversary! I love any dessert with an Oreo in it: these cupcakes seem like an excellent choice to celebrate with!
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2013 @ 9:42 am
I love Oreos in desserts too!
Okay, funfetti AND oreo, just stop it please 😉 this is a dream dessert!
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2013 @ 9:43 am
My thoughts exactly 😀
Happy blogiversary! I can’t remember who recommended your blog to me, but I’m so glad they did! And I think I will definitely make these cupcakes next weekend for the first weekend of the NFL season. Last year I bought a package of black and gold sprinkles (GO STEELERS!) and I’ve been saving them for a good occasion. I also have friends who request the mini ham & cheese sandwiches every single year on kick-off weekend, though we call them butter sandwiches. These cupcakes will be a great addition to the no-diet day, haha. Thanks!
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2013 @ 9:44 am
Thanks! Great idea calling those sandwiches butter sandwiches. I’m going to have to adopt that name as well 😉 These cupcakes would be great for NFL kickoff next weekend (even if I don’t agree with your choice in teams to root for…)