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    Home » Recipes » Jams and Spreads

    Praline Pecan Paste - Candied Maple Pecan Nut Butter

    Published: Oct 25, 2021 · Modified: Aug 13, 2022 by Liz Mincin · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    An epic maple pecan paste, made with stovetop candied pecans. Spiced maple pecans blitzed to a nut butter, makes for the perfect tea time accompaniment to a scone, a spread for bread or a topping for toast.

    A knife being pulled out of a jar of candied pecan nut butter, showing the pecan paste.

    This recipe requires two stages:

    1. Make the stovetop candied maple pecans.
    2. Then, use a food processor to make the nut butter.

    Ingredients

    The ingredients for maple pecans can really be as easy and simple as maple syrup and pecan halves. But, to give it a little spice, my recipe calls for:

    • Maple syrup
    • Pecans
    • Cinnamon
    • Salt
    • Nutmeg
    • Smoked paprika
    Ingredients for maple candied pecans.

    Spices that work well with pecans

    Pecans work well with many spices! My personal favourite is cinnamon (especially in the autumn), but you can also incorporate:

    • Nutmeg
    • Ginger
    • Cloves
    • Mixed spice or pumpkin spice mix
    • More spicy flavours like chilli or paprika

    Making Candied Pecans Stovetop

    Maple candied nuts on the stovetop couldn't be easier - simply add all ingredients to a shallow saucepan. This should ideally be non-stick to avoid any issues as the syrup reduces.

    Cook over a medium heat, stirring to help the spices dissolve and ensure you coat all pecans well in the syrup. Then, continue cooking for about 20 minutes.

    The syrup will go through a few stages - first it will begin to thicken, then will become quite sticky. As it reduces, you are looking for it to begin crystallising. You want to avoid the nuts catching on the heat, so continue to stir occasionally.

    All ingredients for candied nuts in a non-stick shallow frying pan.
    Spices dissolved in saucepan of nuts and maple syrup.
    Maple syrup beginning to thicken over nuts in a saucepan.
    Maple syrup becoming thick and sticky and beginning to crystallise on nuts.

    Since this recipe is intended for making a nut paste, you don't need them to be completely dry crystallised (and this recipe calls for more maple syrup that you would use for just standard candied pecans).

    When the nuts start to crystallise and your syrup is well reduced, tip the pecans out onto a piece of parchment to cool for at least half an hour.

    Now, you can feel free to snack on them a bit, but be careful of the hot syrup!

    Crystallised maple syrup coating nuts, cooling on a piece of parchment paper.

    Easy Pecan Nut Butter

    Once you have your candied pecans (and these are cool), you are ready to make your pecan paste!

    All that is needed at this stage is a food processor. Place all of your nuts into the bowl of the food processor and begin to blitz. Run this on high for about 5 minutes or until you've reached your desired consistency.

    Due to the amount of syrup in these nuts and the cooking process they've been through, they will break down far quicker than nut butters made of pure nut, like my pistachio paste.

    Food processor bowl full of candied pecan halves.
    Pureed nut butter in food processor.

    FAQs for Pecan Paste

    How should I store pecan paste

    Pecan paste should be stored in an airtight container or jar. This does not need to be sealed, like with canning jams or preserves. For best shelf-life, keep in the refrigerator.

    How long does pecan nut butter keep?

    You can keep nut butters for several weeks or even a few months, if they are stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

    Can I freeze candied pecan paste?

    Technically yes, you can freeze this pecan paste. But, as nut butters last well outside of the freezer, freezing does not extend the shelf life.

    My nut paste is too soupy, what has happened?

    If you've not reduced the syrup enough, it is possible that there will be too much liquid left in the recipe when you are using the food processor. This can be fixed by adding some additional pecans (plain pecans straight from the package will work, or lightly roasted if you have a little time). This should help to thicken the nut butter.

    Do be aware that nut butters tend to separate a little, so don't be alarmed if it looks a little on the runny side.

    Jar of pecan nut butter with an antique knife sticking out.

    If you like this recipe, you might also like:

    • Pistachio Nut Butter
    • Maple Praline Eclairs
    • Chocolate Pecans
    • Candied Walnuts
    A knife being pulled out of a jar of candied pecan nut butter, showing the pecan paste.

    Candied Pecan Paste

    Liz Mincin
    The ultimate praline nut butter made with maple candied pecans. Easy recipe for stovetop candied pecans, blitzed into the perfect accompaniment to a holiday afternoon tea or a piece of toast anytime!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Cooling 1 hour hr
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 tablespoons
    Calories 104 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups pecans
    • ⅓ cup maple syrup
    • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

    Instructions
     

    • Begin by adding all ingredients to a shallow non-stick saucepan. Place on the stove over a medium heat stirring occasionally until the spices dissolve.
    • Bring to a boil, continuing to stir as the mixture thickens. The syrup will become sticky and then begin to crystallise on the nuts.
    • Once the syrup has reduced and crystallised on the nuts, tip these out onto parchment paper to cool for about half an hour.
    • Add the nuts to the bowl of a food processor and blitz on high until a paste. Due to the nuts being cooked with a high syrup content, this should only take a few minutes.
    • Decant into a bowl or jar and store in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 104kcalCarbohydrates: 6.4gProtein: 1.3gFat: 8.8gSaturated Fat: 0.9gSodium: 74mgPotassium: 67mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 4.4gCalcium: 16mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @waitingforblancmange or tag #waitingforblancmange!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carole Arborio

      November 29, 2023 at 4:31 pm

      I want to use this as a filling for rolled Christmas cookies. 1 teaspoon for each cookie. Is there any adjustment to the recipe for this use?

      Reply
      • Liz Mincin

        November 30, 2023 at 9:05 pm

        Hi Carole - that sounds like such a fun idea! For a cookie filling, you may find you need to thicken the paste as homemade nut butters can be a bit runnier than standard store bought peanut butter. If you do think you want to thicken this, you can either reduce the maple syrup a bit (from 1/3 cup to 1/4) at the start, or you can also add some more pecans to the food processor when blitzing into the paste. I hope your cookies turn out great - let me know how they go!

        Reply
        • Carole

          December 06, 2023 at 1:43 pm

          Thank you for your advice. I will let you know. It’s such a shame no one can locate or may not have saved my mother in laws recipe.

          Reply
          • Liz Mincin

            December 11, 2023 at 9:00 am

            No problem at all! I hope these turn out for you!! It's such a shame when family recipes go missing - but recreating them can be fun too 🙂 best of luck experimenting!

            Reply
    2. menfashioncloth

      October 26, 2021 at 2:14 am

      It looks beautiful

      Reply
    3. designflagstore

      October 25, 2021 at 8:01 am

      Having read this I believed it was really enlightening.
      designflagstore

      Reply
      • Liz Mincin

        October 25, 2021 at 4:55 pm

        Thanks so much! Glad it was useful!

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    Image of Liz Mincin blogger and recipe developer behind Waiting for Blancmange.

    Hi, I'm Liz! I'm an American expat in the UK, with over 20 years experience baking and creating desserts. Taught tricks and tips by my mother and grandmothers, I'm sharing recipes and baking tips from my Italian American and Southern roots, along with a few British staples picked up from my time living across various regions in the UK.

    More about me →

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