Roasted pecans, often called the "little black dress of appetizers," are one of the easiest, healthiest, and quickest snacks or appetizers to prepare. Toasting pecans in the oven brings out their natural oils and intensifies their rich, irresistible, nutty flavor.
1teaspoonkosher saltor to taste, may substitute sea salt flakes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Spread out the pecan halves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with either aluminum foil or parchment paper, and top with chunks of butter.
Place in your oven and bake for approximately ten minutes.
Remove the nuts from the oven and toss to coat with the melted butter. Sprinkle lightly with about a teaspoon of kosher salt or sea salt flakes, and toss the pecans again.
Place the pecans back in the oven and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes. Then start tasting them every five minutes and remove them from the oven when fragrant and one shade darker.
Add additional salt if desired and allow to cool completely.
Notes
Store the baked pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for about one week. Or, you can freeze the pecans in an air-tight plastic storage container or freezer bag for up to a year.This is the best recipe for roasted pecans, and I use it when I plan to serve them whole as appetizers or snacks. However, if you are in a hurry or are going to be using them as an ingredient in baking, you can speed up the process by increasing the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Then, roast them for 10-12 minutes. But watch them; they can burn in seconds.Pecans that have been just harvested or are very fresh take a little more time to roast because they have more oil and moisture. However, older, drier pecans take less time.Always use pecan halves when roasting pecans. Pecan pieces will burn quickly due to their small size.When I use pecans in recipes or baking, I always roast them, whether the recipe calls for it or not. I think the flavor and texture are much improved.When tasting the pecans to see if they are done, allow them to cool first. Nutritional values below are for one cup of roasted pecans.