Brown Butter Roasted Pecans
Brown butter roasted pecans with honey and sage are a delightfully savory take on classic buttered pecans. They make a delicious – but not too sweet – addition to your line up of holiday treats. Add them to a cheese board. Serve them at your holiday party. Wrap them up in pretty glass jars for a thoughtful homemade gift. No matter what you are celebrating, you can’t go wrong with simple, homemade, holiday treats.
From Hanukkah to Christmas to Boxing Day, birthdays, New Years Eve and all the other obscure holidays in between (I’m looking at you National Bacon Day!) there sure is a lot to celebrate during the month of December. The one thing most of these celebrations have in common? There will be food.
Whether you are planning a four course foodie extravaganza, a cocktail party with appetizers, or a pajama and wine party with your closest friends, these brown butter roasted pecans will be a welcome addition. If you aren’t throwing the party this year, they make a beautiful hostess gift too!
Crunchy, salty, with a hint of sweet, these simple roasted pecans are five ingredients and take fifteen minutes to make. They are a homemade holiday treat that no one can resist.
Oven Roasted Pecans
For the best tasting pecans they must be roasted, which can also be known as toasted pecans. Toasting/roasting helps draw some of the moisture out of the nuts, making them a bit crunchier and extending their shelf life. When working with brown butter roasted pecans, the roasting process also helps to bake in the flavor of the butter and leaves you with nuts that aren’t as greasy.
I’ve seen recommendations from temperatures ranging from 275 degrees all the way to 350 degrees. I get the best results with a higher temperature and shorter roasting time, so I recommend 350 degrees.
If you are dry roasting the pecans (meaning no sugar or oil-based glazes), the nuts should take 5 – 10 minutes. For glazed or buttered nuts, like these brown butter roasted pecans, they typically take 10 – 12 minutes.
The most important thing to remember when roasting pecans is to give them enough space to roast. Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer with a little space between the nuts. Crowding the nuts or layering them will prevent airflow, causing some nuts to scorch and others not to roast at all. This version of roasted pecans works best in a 12″ x 17″ rimmed baking sheet, which holds 5 cups of pecans perfectly.
Storing Roasted Pecans
Pecans have the longest shelf life and are least likely to pick up off flavors from other foods when stored in an airtight container in the freezer. Your home freezer has a temperature of 0ºF, which should keep even shelled and roasted nuts for a few years.
However, once you have them roasted with brown butter, honey, and sage, they probably won’t last very long anyway. For shorter storage, store in the fridge in an airtight container, which should keep them for six to nine months.
If this pecan storage knowledge is new to you, you may be wondering why pecans at the store aren’t refrigerated. That’s because they do last for about 3 – 4 months at room temperature. However, there is a catch. When stored at room temperature, roasted or raw pecans need to be in a well ventilated container. Since my kitchen storage is all airtight, it’s more convenient to store them in the fridge.
For more information about pecan storage, check out this Pecan Storage Guide by LSU’s AgCenter.
Brown Butter Roasted Pecans Recipe
Brown butter roasted pecans with honey and sage are a delicious addition to your holiday parties, no matter what you are celebrating. Oven roasted to bring out the crunch and lock in the salty, savory, and slightly sweet flavor. They are the perfect compliment for cheese boards, cookie tables, and cocktail bars. Make extra and gift them to your favorite hostess too.
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Brown Butter Roasted Pecans
Ingredients
- 5 cups of pecan halves
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 TBSP honey
- 1 TBSP thinly sliced fresh sage
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat stirring occasionally. Butter will bubble up and foam. When it begins to brown and gives off a nutty aroma (about 3 – 5 minutes), remove it from the heat.
- Add in the sage, salt, and honey and stir to combine, then add in the pecans. Stir thoroughly to evenly coat the pecans.
- Spread the mixture in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely on cookie sheet before transferring to an airtight storage container.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.
Just made recipe. So quick and easy. Thks. I used approx 1/2 tsp of dry sage, 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika , 1/4 tsp cayenne. 1/4 tsp salt —-2 tbls honey. I still had butter left in pan so I coated and spiced another 2 cups pecans . Very nice . I was looking for something less sweet and savory .
You’re welcome! Glad you were able to tweak them to fit your palate!
Made these today. I should’ve trusted my instincts… 1 Tbl honey for 5 cups of nuts seemed like it wouldn’t be sweet. I increased to 2 and it produced no noticeable sweetness. So now I am trying to fix by adding brown sugar and baking for a few extra minutes.
They are also quite salty.
I won’t make them again.
Hi Sue! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts. These roasted pecans are meant to be savory, not sweet. I hope you are able to find a sweet recipe that better fits your taste buds.
Renee
I’ve made these a half dozen times now and they are gone in just a couple days. We love them! Such a simple recipe that is so good!
These are so simple but so amazing! Everyone asks for the recipe! Thank you!!!
You are welcome! Sometimes the simple things are the best.
Renee