My sweet mother, Kelley’s grandmother, BeBe, perfected the art of toasting pecans on the stove top. I have such fond memories of watching her laboriously stirring this recipe, prior to serving them, at dinners and parties. With her dress clothes on and wearing an apron, she stirred the pecans in a large black cast-iron skillet, conversing with her guests at the same time. She always called them “toasted pecans,” but the more apt description may be “fried pecans,” since they are prepared on top of the stove.
Recipes From Gran Nan’s Kitchen
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Since the process can be time consuming and the price of pecans continues to increase through the years, this recipe is definitely a labor of love. That’s why this is the ideal item to serve to your loved ones at the beginning of a holiday dinner, feature on a charcuterie board as an appetizer or to give as a gift.
Where Do You Find Good Shelled Pecan Halves?
A small bag of shelled pecan halves at the grocery store can be expensive and the yield is typically small. When I lived in South Alabama, I loved to search out the best farms that sold a variety of pecans in late fall. Who knew there were so many pecan varieties and I loved choosing from the offerings. It was definitely worth it to buy pecans in bulk that had been cracked. I’d bring them home and remove the remaining pecan shells and pith and store the pecan halves in quart-sized zip loc bags in the freezer. The pecan halves were definitely the prize, but i also bagged the broken halves and smaller pieces to use for baking. **As a tip, the shelled raw pecan halves also make a wonderful gift!
These days I’ve found that Costco sells raw pecan halves in a large bag. (I saw them there this week for $11.99 for a 32-ounce bag. Trader Joe’s is another good source. I’ve also found them at Buc-ee’s and purchased them there! I always store pecans in the freezer if I’m not using them immediately.
What Ingredients Are Needed To Make Toasted Pecans?
The beauty of this recipe is only a few ingredients are required. You only need:
- Shelled pecan halves
- Butter
- Olive Oil
- Salt
What Kitchen Tools Are Needed To Prepare Toasted Pecans?
The only kitchen tools I use to make toasted pecans is a large seasoned cast-iron frying pan and a large stirring spoon. This recipe doesn’t require measuring, so measuring spoons or measuring cups are not needed. Of course, you can certainly use a measuring spoon to measure the olive oil, if you’re more comfortable using that method.
Can Other Nuts Be Used For This Recipe?
I’ve also “toasted” whole raw almonds using this method and they are also delicious! I typically toast the almonds after I’ve toasted the pecans. Since the pan is hot, their cooking goes pretty quickly. You will find that the almonds pop while they’re cooking. That’s how you’ll know they’re done!
How Do You Store Toasted Pecans And Other Toasted Nuts?
After the nuts have cooled, I store them in parchment paper-lined storage tins. I then keep the tin in the pantry and serve them in small quantities. The nuts will typically stay fresh for at least a month (if they last that long!) when they are stored in this method.
Helpful Tips When You Are Toasting Your Pecans
These are the important tips I follow when toasting pecans:
- If you have stored your pecans in the freezer, bring them to room temperature before you start the cooking process.
- The pan must be hot when you start cooking, but not too hot.
- Don’t overload the pan…only one layer of pecans should be cooked at a time. (A little overlap is fine.
- Pecans must be gently stirred continuously while they are cooking.
- Flip the pecans so that both sides are cooked.
- There’s nothing wrong with blackened pecans. (These are actually my brother’s favorite!) But you don’t want all of the halves to be black.
- At first you will be removing one pecan from the pan at a time when it is cooked. But more and more will be ready at the same time, so you’ll have to work quickly to remove them from the pan.
- The pecans will continue to cook after you’ve removed them from the pan. As they cool, taste one to make sure it is toasted and has enough salt, since a lot of the salt stays in the pan.
- Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel after each pecan batch is toasted.
- Add more salt to taste to the pecans when they are cooled.
When To Serve Toasted Pecans
One of our family’s traditions is to always serve these on Thanksgiving Day as an appetizer/addition to a simple charcuterie board. Other times to serve these are:
- Showers
- Parties
- Tailgates
- Holiday meals
- They are also an extremely special gift to give during the holidays to anyone who will appreciate the effort!
Can This Recipe Be Doubled/Tripled?
If I’m going through the effort, I actually prefer to make a larger batch of toasted pecans at once, since I typically only make them once a year. You still need to toast one layer of pecans at a time. When they are toasted, wipe the pan clean and then re-add the butter, oil and salt for the next batch. As the pan gets hotter with each batch that is cooked, lower the heat and adjust the cook time if needed so that the pecans don’t cook too quickly or burn.
Can Other Flavors Be Added To This Toasted Pecan Recipe?
When it comes to preparing toasted pecans, I’m a purist and only use salt for seasoning so that the pecan flavor shines through. I imagine the addition of powdered cayenne pepper or cumin would add a nice bit of spice. Sugared pecans are also delicious and Kelley Nan has a recipe for Sweet & Spicy Pecans HERE.
As An Additional Tip…
These toasted pecans, roughly chopped, are the perfect, decadent topping to a hot fudge sundae or baked in to homemade brownies.
Toasted Pecans
Cooked on the stovetop, these toasted pecans are the perfect appetizer or addition to a charcuterie board. They also make a great gift to give during the holidays! Raw whole almonds prepared in this manner are great, too.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt
Instructions
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Heat cast iron frying pan over low to medium heat.
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Add one tablespoon of butter and let melt.
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Add one half tablespoon of olive oil and swirl in with the melted butter.
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Sprinkle the pan liberally with salt.
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Add pecans (approximately one cup) in a single layer to the pan. Gently stir the pecans to allow them to coat with the butter, olive oil and salt.
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Continue stirring the pecans gently and turn them over while they are cooking.
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When the pecans are toasted, remove them quickly from the pan and place them on a paper towel-covered plate to cool. Sprinkle additional salt on the pecans if it is needed.
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If cooking an additional batch(es), wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Then repeat the above steps to toast additional pecans.
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When the pecans are cooled, store them in a wax paper or parchment paper-lined covered tin.
Recipe Notes
If toasting almonds, follow the same process and steps. Serve in a small pretty bowl.
Have you made toasted pecans in the past? If so, do you make variations to the recipe? We hope you will give these a try and we would love to know what you think!
–Gran Nan
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