Cinnamon Honey Pecans (Soy, Wheat, Milk, Fish and Egg-Free)

{I sincerely apologize that I didn't have this recipe up sooner.  The last week has been a bit insane, so I did not get this up as planned.  Hopefully, you'll find the recipe was worth the wait! :)}

So, today I want to share with you an extremely simple recipe (just 4 ingredients!) that takes about 5 minutes to make - literally.  It is so easy and so tasty!  If you're a fan of candied pecans, this may become a favorite!

This candied pecan recipe is a modification of one I found here.  It is soy, wheat, milk, fish and egg-free (if all your ingredients are), and can be modified to use another tree nut or even peanuts, if desired (see variations).  It also uses honey vs. sugar, which is a bonus for me as I cannot eat any type of regular sweetener except for honey right now (I can only eat artificial sweeteners or alternative sweeteners in small amounts with the ones I've tried, as well - agave is next on my list to try), and would be a bonus for anyone who only uses natural/unprocessed sweeteners.  It is also super simple to make, and doesn't require the oven - a definite bonus during the hot summer months!  I also found that the flavor reminds me a bit of Butter Pecan Ice Cream, which is one of my favorites.  Anyway, if candied pecans are your jam, you'll definitely want to check this recipe out!

Cinnamon Honey Pecans

2 Cups unsalted pecan halves (raw preferred)

1/4 Cup honey

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt (up to 1/8 teaspoon)

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (for cooling the pecans) and set aside. (Note: Yes, it needs to be parchment paper.  Butcher paper will work in a pinch, but wax paper or brown paper will not.  These pecans turn out very sticky at first, and they will stick to the wax paper or brown paper.)
      
2. Add all ingredients to a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat.  (Note: Unsalted halves work the best, especially if they are raw.  You can use roasted ones, though.  If you decided to use salted pecans, leave out the pinch of salt.)
     
3. When the honey starts bubbling, reduce heat to simmer.
      
4. Cook, stirring the pecans nearly constantly for 4 to 5 minutes or until excess honey evaporates and the pecans look candied.
   
   
5. Put the candied pecans on parchment paper and spread them apart so they are not touching.  (Note: As I mentioned above, the pecans will be very sticky, so this part can be a bit tricky to do.  If you don't get them apart, they tend to make clusters.  If that doesn't bother you, by all means, leave a few stuck together.)
   
   
6. Let the pecans dry on parchment paper for 24 hours for best results.  (Note:  You can eat these as soon as they begin to cool, but they are very sticky.  Letting them dry on the parchment helps minimize the stickiness a little bit, but you can definitely eat them as soon as they are cool enough to handle if you don't mind the stickiness.)

Makes 2 Cups of candied pecans.

Variations (Please keep individual dietary needs in mind when using variations!):

• Different Nuts:  If you are not a fan of pecans, you could definitely sub walnuts, almonds, peanuts, etc.  I suspect you could also use pumpkin seeds, pine nuts or sunflower seeds, too, but have not tried it.
  
  
• Add Some Heat: If you wanted a little kick, you could add up to 1/2 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper, a pinch of red pepper flake (you may want to ground up that pinch to evenly distribute it), or even a dash or 2 of hot sauce to the honey mixture before cooking the pecans.
    
• No Cinnamon or Different Spice Combination: If you are not a fan of cinnamon, you can leave it out.  You can also use up to 1 teaspoon cinnamon if you want more cinnamon flavor.  You could even try using pumpkin pie spice blend, apple pie spice blend or another sweet spice blend of choice instead of cinnamon, if desired.

That's all there is to it!  Simple, right?

And they taste better than they look!

YUM!

Have a great weekend!