At age 12, I got the Holiday Baking edition of Martha Stewart’s magazine and used it so thoroughly that icing and butter glued together most of the pages. One of my favorite recipes in the magazine was candied pecans, which were pictured packaged in jars for gifts.
For years, each December, I would prepare a batches of these candied pecans. I rarely had enough to give away, as my family and I would devour them straight from the baking pan.
I remember the magazine recipe had egg white and lots of refined sugar. I set out to make a version with less refined sugar, holiday spice, and candied ginger.
Set out a bowl of these candied pecans for holiday gatherings, or pack them into jars tied with colorful ribbon, and give them as gifts.
About the ingredients in Ginger Spice Candied Pecans
I pick up bulk organic pecans from my local health food co-op, and you can also find get Thrive Market’s high quality organic pecans. I bet walnuts would make a good substitute if you prefer.
Cinnamon and cardamom provide warmth and pair beautifully with the candied ginger.
Coconut sugar is an unrefined sweetener made with coconut sap, higher in minerals and lower in glycemic index than refined sugar. It also lends a brown sugar flavor.
Candied ginger is made by preserving fresh ginger with sugar. If you’re a refined-sugar-free purist, there’s no substitute here… I have yet to discover candied ginger made without cane sugar.
- Avocado or coconut oil
- ¾ cup coconut sugar, available here
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. cardamom
- ¾ tsp. salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 lb. (about 4 cups) pecan halves
- ¾ cup cubed candied ginger (5 oz. by weight), available here
- Arrowroot flour, for dusting (a teaspoon or two)
- Line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper, and grease the parchment with avocado or coconut oil. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Toss in the pecans to coat. Then add the coconut sugar mixture, and toss to coat the pecans.
- Spread the pecans in a single layer on the baking sheets. Bake for about an hour and a half (90 minutes) until dry. They may be ever-so-slightly sticky, but will harden and crisp when cooled.
- While the pecans bake, chop the ginger into a fine dice. You may need to dust your knife with arrowroot powder to prevent sticking. Once chopped, toss the ginger with the tiniest bit (1/2 tsp. or so) of arrowroot powder to "seal" the sticky edges.
- Let the pecans cool, then toss them with the ginger pieces. Store in airtight jars. (I used 4 12-oz Ball jars) If making more than a few days in advance, I recommend storing in the freezer to preserve freshness.
I’m allergic to eggs, but I’m going to try to make these with aquafaba and see how they turn out and report back!
I told myself I would comment back! I tried this over Christmas as come cheap gifts for Family and they worked out so perfectly with Aquafaba, everyone was in love!!