Mulling Spiced Pecans Recipe

These homemade spiced pecans make a great last-minute gift. Don't forget the cute packaging! I've got all the inspiration you need for the perfect teacher, coworker, or mail man gift!

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Food gifts are my favorite gifts to give, naturally.

This recipe is one I've used for several years now. I give these spiced pecans to the girls' teachers, friends who have us over, the sweet mail lady, and my in-laws. I also usually have a bowl of them out on the counter because I like to torture myself.

They're always a hit, and they're so easy to make that you could totally do these at the last minute (which, you probably already realize, is NOW!)

The magic in this recipe is the homemade instant mulling spice. I HIGHLY recommend making your own. It's not difficult, and the ingredients aren't obscure–most likely stuff you already have on-hand. The recipe for my homemade instant mulling spice is below.

Isn't it beautiful? The flavor is so fresh and bright, which cuts through the sweetness and cinnamon perfectly. I made a double batch and packaged the extra up in a mason jar. I'll probably keep it around for future use, but it would make a great gift by itself!

The pecans, when they're finished, are SO. DANG. GOOD. Try not to eat them all in a sitting, I dare you. The crunch is absolutely perfect and they're not hard as a rock like the roasted pecans you get at the store or the mall.

Once the pecans have cooled from the oven, packaging them is a lot of fun.

You can get cute bale-top jars like the one below at Wall-Mart or Target. You could also use a mason jar or a basic lidded glass canister. You can create a winter-y scene on top or keep it simple and classic. A hot glue gun is always a good idea when you're trying to attach anything to glass or metal, so have one handy.

I've included some of my iterations below, along with a small gallery of inspiration jars.

Sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The key is to not overthink this. Don't make more than one trip to the store for supplies. Any cute twine, ribbon, tags, or sprigs of greenery will work! Decide which look you want to go for and do a bunch of the same to make quick work out of it. These are great to keep in your car in case you run into someone you remember to give a gift to!

Mulling Spice Pecans

2 Cups (1/2 lb) raw, shelled pecan halves

1 egg white

One recipe Homemade Instant mulling spice (see below) or a package of store-bought instant mulling spice (I love Martinelli's organic because it does not contain artificial sweeteners)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

Homemade instant mulling spice

1/2 C Sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground clove

1 tsp orange zest and 1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Whisk the egg white to make it frothy. Add in the vanilla, salt, and mulling spices.

Spread the raw pecans out onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven until just fragrant. Watch them carefully so as not to over-cook them.

Remove toasted pecans from the oven and allow them to cool.

Add cooled pecans to the bowl with the mulling spice mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread the coated pecans out on the baking sheet in an even layer.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, turning every 15 minutes.

Allow the pecans to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet.