One of my favorite nuts is the pecan! I just love them raw or with a tad bit of salt. One day the hubby brought home some sweet and spicy pecans and I just about died. They were so good BUT quite addicting! I can usually stop at a handful for a snack but I just kept dipping my hand back into the bag he brought home. There was something to that sweet taste and yet spicy kick at the end that kept me wanting more. Of course this isn’t a great “selling” point if you are trying to lose weight or steer clear of mindless munching but since I don’t make a habit of munching, I was ‘ok’ with those occasional “binges” — if you will.
I remember asking my hubby if he could bring some home one day or why he hadn’t brought any home in a while and he said that they were pretty pricey and he only grabs them from time to time. A-ha! Of course that little light bulb went off — “how easy these would be to make“, I said to myself. And I was off in the kitchen trying to create a perfect little blend of the sweet and spicy pecan.
It did take a few tries, not gonna lie. I had it too spicy one time…..too sweet another…too charred another…..and not enough of anything at one time. They didn’t go to waste though! We liked them all, even the charred (we used to be burnt popcorn lovers too!) but I kept at it til we found one that we approved. Of course you may like less spicy or sweet and obviously recipes are all just guidlelines — always tweak to your own likings 🙂 But for me, pecans are delish no matter what you do with them!
Pecans are a rich in vitamin E and also help lowering the LDL (bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL (good cholesterol) so while they are yummy in taste, there are great benefits in eating these nuts in moderation.
If you’re a pecan eating person and would just like to change it up a bit, give this recipe a try. It’s truly easy and it’s a great little snack to munch on. I like to pack these when I know I’m going to be on the road for a bit or just know that I can’t grab a meal for a good portion of my day. It’s also a great treat to take to catch a movie — it’ll help you steer clear of the popcorn! 😛
- 12 oz. raw pecans
- 3 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- Sprinkle of pink salt
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a small pot, melt honey and ghee. Just to melting point ...
- In a medium bowl, combine pecans, ghee/honey to evenly coat. I use my hands to make sure it's evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle in the cayenne and mix in evenly (you can use hands but be careful of cuts or it'll burn).
- On a parchment lined baking sheet, place pecans on in a single layer. Sprinkle pink salt.
- Bake for 5 min -- with spatula, toss a bit and bake another 2-3 min.
- Cool and eat 🙂
Looks so yum!!!
Thx Kimmy!!! 🙂
Just made it! Very yummy. I only used 1/2 the cayenne that called for and was still spicy. Easy to make a very good.
Yay! Thanks Debbie! I appreciate the comment! 🙂