Easy Keto Candied Pecans Recipe — A Full Living (2024)

FAQs

How many pecan nuts can I eat on keto? ›

With carb restriction of about 20-50g per day, adding pecans to your keto diet is a good idea, since you'll get 1g of net carbs if you eat about 19 halves of pecan nuts. The nuts also have about 70% fats, which is an excellent addition in achieving ketosis.

Trader Joe's Candied Pecans (1 serving) contains 6g total carbs, 4g net carbs, 19g fat, 2g protein, and 200 calories.

Under-cooking the pecans is the likely cause of stickiness, but the risk is low when they're oven-baked. After the sugar-coated nuts have darkened and turned very fragrant, about 20 minutes in the oven, stir the pecans and separate any pieces that have stuck together. Continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Why are my candied pecans soft and sticky? If your pecans are soft, it's most likely because they weren't baked long enough and are still retaining moisture. The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts.

Nuts, in general, are high in calories, and having too many can cause weight gain. Considering that most nuts are high in fat and low in carbs, you will be able to maintain ketosis even if you have one too many.

Almonds stand out as a true keto-friendly gem. With approximately 2-3 grams of net carbs per 1-ounce serving, almonds are amazing additions to your diet. They are not only low in carbs but also high in healthy fats, predominantly monounsaturated fats, which support heart health.

Yes, they add more fat and calories to your salads, but they full of the heart-healthy fats and tons of nutrients (thiamine, phosphorous, zinc, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper and Vitamin E).

If after they have cooled down, the pecans are still sticky, this means that the sugar mixture never reached a high enough temperature when on the stove. To fix them, place the nuts back into the skillet and cook a bit longer.

Why do you soak pecans before roasting? ›

Wet pecans allow the salt to stick easily to the nuts. Plus, soaking nuts helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which can harm your digestion, and reduce phytates, which decrease nutrient absorption. Just submerge your nuts in water while the oven is heating up and you'll be good to go.

Store in a Cool, Dry Place

Keep your candied pecans away from sources of heat and moisture. This means avoiding storing them near your stove, dishwasher, or even on top of your refrigerator. Instead, store them in a cool pantry or cupboard.

If you beat too long, the candy will seize and start to crumble. If you don't beat it long enough, then pralines won't set properly and will stay soft and sticky.

Measurements and Substitutions

If you happen to have pecans in their shells, remember that 1 pound equals 3 cups shelled, about 4 cups pecan halves, and about 3 3/4 cups chopped nuts. Equivalents to know when using shelled pecans are that 1 pound equals 4 cups and 1 cup of pecan halves equals 3/4 cup chopped.

In fact, a handful of pecans (one ounce of pecans) contains only 4 grams of carbohydrates! That means that nutrient-dense pecans can add flavor, nutrition and disease-fighting properties to any diet that limits carbs.

Pecans have the lowest net carb content of any nut. In fact, one ounce of pecans contains just 1.1 grams of net carbs! This means that you can enjoy pecans as snacks and in some of your favorite pecan recipes all while sticking to a low-carb diet.

The carb counts of different nuts vary quite a bit, though. The three lowest carb options are to the left – Brazil, macadamia and pecan nuts. These should be the first choices for nuts when following a low carb diet as they are low in carbs, high in fat, and most people find them delicious!

Recommended daily serving of nuts

As all nuts have a similar nutrient content, a wide variety of nuts can be included as part of a healthy diet. One serving is approximately 30 grams – or 1/3 of a cup (or one handful). This equal to about: 30 almonds.