Pumpkin Spice Pecans

Why This is the Best Recipe

I love an easy homemade snack mix for adding to candy bowls at the holidays. I think this is the best pumpkin spice pecans recipe because:

1. Sweet and Spicy: The pumpkin spice flavor has just a bit of a kick with the dried ginger. It's not a hot spice, but definitely filled with flavor.
2. Yummy Snack: You can eat the pumpkin spice pecans all by themselves as a delicious snack. I love them with fresh crisp apple slices.
3. Dessert Topping: Use them whole to garnish a Thanksgiving pie or cheesecake or chop them up to add a bit of crunch to any fall dessert.

Ingredients

This easy recipe only requires a few key ingredients:

• Pecans: I use whole pecan halves, you can buy them cheaper in bulk at a place like Costco
• Honey
• Sugar
• Canola Oil
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: there's no pumpkin flavoring in pumpkin pie spice. You are only adding a pre-mixed blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
• Ground Ginger: Yes, this is in the pumpkin pie spice but by adding more you boost the ginger flavor.
• Cinnamon: Same as the ginger, yes this is in the pumpkin pie spice but you are boosting the cinnamon flavor.
• Salt

Prepare the Pecans

Set out a large baking sheet.

Combine the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and ginger in a small bowl.

You will be tossing the pecans in the sauce directly in the pot where you prepare the sauce. Choose one large enough to have room to stir the pecans.

In the pot, bring the water, honey, and oil to a boil.

Add the pecans and cook while stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Transfer the pecans to the prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer.

Sprinkle the pecans with cinnamon.

Baking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Bake the pecans for 15 - 20 minutes or until they are lightly browned.

Stir the pecans every 5 minutes or so to ensure they don't burn.

Storage Tips

Let the pumpkin spice pecans cool completely before you package them up.

Store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

You can freeze the spiced pecans in an airtight container or bag for up to 3 months.

There are so many ways to enjoy pumpkin spice pecans:

Snack Bowl Filler: Add pretty bowls of the spiced pecans to your holiday buffet table or cocktail party drink station.

Healthy Fall Snack: Enjoy a few pumpkin spice pecans with fresh slices of crisp juicy apples.

Fall Salad Topper: Add a few chopped spiced pecans to my apple pear salad.

Cheesecake Topping: Press whole pecans as garnish or chop them and sprinkle over a store bought cheesecake for a crunchy cheesecake topping or to add crunch to my crescent roll cheesecake bars.

Chex Mix: Use pumpkin spice pecans to add some fall flavor to your favorite Chex mix. My apple cinnamon chex mix or this amazing sweet and salty Chex mix would work perfectly.

Cereal Treat Mix-In: Make a batch of my Pumpkin Spice Cheerios treats and then add a few chopped pecans to the mix.

Sweet Potato Garnish: Use these pecans in place of plain pecans in my sweet potato casserole topping, to add crunch to my mashed sweet potatoes with pineapple, or to top a slowcooker sweet potato with butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans.

Thanksgiving Dessert Garnish: Chop them up to add crunch to my pumpkin pie recipe or use them as garnish over any of these delicious Thanksgiving desserts.

Fall Ice Cream Sundaes: Drizzle salted caramel sauce over vanilla ice cream and add chopped pumpkin spice pecans for a fall sundae.

Add to a Breakfast Dish: Stir chopped pumpkin spice pecans into my pumpkin pecan waffles or add them to my overnight french toast casserole.

Add to a Quick Bread or Muffin: You could add chopped pumpkin spice pecans to my pumpkin bread or add crunch to my cranberry orange muffins.

Fall Cake Garnish: You could make my fresh apple cake or a store bought cake mix and frost it with homemade brown butter frosting. Add chopped pumpkin spice pecans for garnish on top.

Homemade Gift: Add one of the easiest ways to use them of all, simply package them in a pretty jar with a bow for a sweet homemade gift at the holidays.