Sugar Free Pumpkin Spice Pecans
These Sugar Free Pumpkin Spice Pecans are coated in layers of fall flavor and roasted to crisp and crunchy perfection. Made with wholesome, natural food ingredients, these roasted nuts are the quintessential healthy snack!
Cutting back on sugar and craving something sweet? These pumpkin spice roasted pecans are like candied pecans but with a sugar-free spin. Instead of sugar and egg whites, pecan halves are coated in a rich layer of buttery ghee and sweet coconut oil and spiced like pumpkin pie!
Sugar-free pumpkin spice pecans taste indulgent, but these roasted pecans are the perfect low carb and Whole30 snack in moderation. Hold the ghee and double up on the coconut oil for a yummy vegan treat. Double or triple this recipe to make a big batch to use for gift giving!
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Sugar-free roasted pecans are similar to candied pecans but with no sugar and no egg whites.
- A handful of pumpkin spice pecans is a nearly zero-carb snack
- Pecans are a good source of monounsaturated fat (healthy fat)
- Perfect Keto, paleo, Whole30, and vegan-adaptable snack
🥧 Ingredients You’ll Need
- Raw pecan halves – Pecans are delicious raw but even tastier roasted. Their nutritional makeup is the ideal keto and Whole30 snack.
- Ghee – aka liquid gold. Brown butter ghee gives the nuts a toffee-like crunch. Make them with vanilla ghee, and they’re basically candy.
- Coconut oil – for an extra layer of healthy fats and subtle creamy coconut flavor.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – The core of warm, spiced pumpkin treats!
- +extra cinnamon – for good measure.
- Salt – just a pinch to make everything taste sweeter.
🥣 How To Make Roasted Pecans with Pumpkin Spice
1️⃣ Prep pecans for roasting.
Start by preheating your oven to 325F. Meanwhile, toss the pecans, sweetener, cinnamon, salt, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl.
2️⃣ Melt ghee & coconut oil.
Melt the ghee and coconut oil in the microwave or a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
3️⃣ Coat pecans.
Add the melted coconut oil mixture to the bowl of spiced nuts, and toss to coat every pecan half well.
4️⃣ Roast pecans.
Spread the pecans out in a single even layer on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven to roast for 15 minutes or until they are deep golden brown and fragrant, tossing halfway through. Cool before serving.
👉 Recipe Tips
- Nuts tend to burn quickly, so watch over the oven and toss them a few times while roasting.
- I recommend pulling them from the oven a minute before they’re done. The nuts will finish cooking on the hot baking sheet and be perfect.
- As tempting as it may be to start snacking, let the pecans cool completely for the perfect crunch
🔀 Variations
Not a fan of pumpkin spice? You have plenty of options. See below for modification recommendations:
- Sweet & spiced – add dry heat to enhance the warm spices like cayenne, chili powder, and paprika.
- Nutmeg & cinnamon – for subtle warm, and cozy fall flavor.
- Gingerbread-spiced – use ground gingerbread spice (like McCormick).
- Apple pie-spiced – use ground apple pie spice (like McCormick).
I should add that you can use just ghee or coconut oil instead of half and half. See below dietary specific substitutions:
- Keto roasted pecans – Stir in 1/3 cup monk fruit syrup, erythritol, or a zero-calorie sweetener like Swerve.
- Vegan & paleo roasted pecans – Swap the ghee with an additional tablespoon of coconut oil.
- Whole30 roasted pecans – The ghee-coconut oil combo is compliant but skip all sugars and sweeteners.
🧊 Storing & Freezing
Storing: When stored properly, roasted nuts have an excellent shelf-life. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks or in the fridge for 3 months.
Freezing: Let the nuts cool completely before placing them in a freezer-safe bag and freezing for up to 6 months.
❔FAQ
Candied pecans and roasted pecans are baked at approximately the same time and a low temperature. The difference is in the coating. Candied pecans typically use sugar and an egg white, while roasted pecans are coated in healthy fat and spices and seasonings.
The words are often used interchangeably, but they are different techniques. Toasting is done quickly with high heat to brown the surfaces. Roasting intends to achieve a nice golden color on the outside and cook the nuts through.
Yes, all nuts and seeds are okay as long as they’re made without added sweetener and cooked with compliant oils.
Roasted peans are practically a zero-carb snack. A quarter cup of roasted pecans has about 2 total carbs and 1.5 grams of fiber, equally .5 net carbs.
More Healthy Snack Recipes
Coconut Trail Mix
Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas
Crispy Buffalo Chickpeas
Spiced Candied Pecans
Sugar Free Pumpkin Spice Pecans
Ingredients
- 4 cups pecan halves raw
- ½ tablespoon ghee
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the pecans, sweetener, cinnamon, salt and pumpkin pie spice together.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the ghee and coconut oil in the microwave until they become liquid.
- Add the oil mixture to the bowl of spiced pecans, and toss together until combined and well coated.
- Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet, and roast for about 15 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Let cool completely before serving.
Notes
- The pecans will continue to cook once they’re out of the oven, so be sure not to overcook them.
- Pecans tend to burn quickly, so keep an eye on them, tossing often, especially if your oven runs hot.
