Five-Spice Maple Pecans

This simple and easy recipe for Five-Spice Maple Pecans features an Asian twist on a classic holiday treat. Crunchy spiced pecans lightly coated in maple syrup make for great homemade holiday gifts.

What are pecans?

Pecans are nuts that grown primarily in the southern United States and Mexico. 

They have a brown, textured appearance, making them similar to walnuts.

However, pecans are smaller in shape and darker brown in color, compared to walnuts.

What do pecans taste like?

Pecans have a sweet, buttery, rich nutty flavor, making them suitable for pecan pie, or praline candy.

What is Chinese five spice?

Chinese five spice powder is a mixture of 5 spices used in Chinese cuisine.

There are many variations, but most commonly they include:

• star anise
• cinnamon
• cloves
• Sichuan pepper
• fennel 

Chinese five spice is predominantly used in savoury dishes, especially in flavoring meats (duck, chicken, or beef).

You can find Chinese five spice in Asian grocery stores or supermarkets. Every brand will have a different blend of spices, so find one that you like.

Why you'll love this recipe

Easy to make: This Five-Spice Maple Pecans recipe is really simple to make.

Delicious snack: it's oil-free, dairy-free, and egg-free, and is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Great for gifting: make a large batch and package them into jars for holiday gifts.

Ingredients you'll need

You'll only need 5 ingredients to make this!

• pecans: de-shelled, unsalted
• maple syrup: use 100% real maple syrup
• fine sea salt: balances out the sweetness
• five spice powder: you can find already-blended powders in Asian supermarkets or you can make your own
• ground cinnamon: optional, but highly recommended

How to make maple pecans

Place the pecans, maple syrup, sea salt, 5-spice powder and ground cinnamon into a saucepan or pot.

Bring the mixture up to a low simmer over medium-low heat and stir intermittently to coat the pecans evenly.

Once the mixture begins to become sticky, bubbly and thickened, remove from heat.

Transfer the maple-coated pecans in a layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 300F for 20-25 minutes.

Remove pecans from oven and let cool completely on the parchment.

Break into clusters and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

How to store

Store the Five-Spice Maple Pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Alternatively, you can store the maple pecans in the freezer or fridge in an airtight container.

How to use 

Enjoy the maple pecans as is for a snack, or try them on overnight oats, yogurt, oatmeal, as part of granola, or on chia pudding.

Variations

You can use any other nuts such as walnuts, almonds or peanuts.

Expert tips

For more crunchier pecans, pop them into the freezer, which will crystallize the sugar.

Maple syrup crystallizes once heated to a temperature of 235F/113C, so baking the maple pecans in the oven will ensure that the syrup reaches that temperature.

For gifting, package the maple glazed nuts into a jar and tie with a pretty ribbon.

Other snack recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Korean Seaweed Rice Snacks (Bugak)

Crispy Crunchy Mochi Bites (Fried Kirimochi)

Prawn Crackers/Shrimp Chips (Keropok)

Crunchy Sesame Peanut Candy

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!