Elana's Pantry

New York Times Bestselling author Elana Amsterdam founded Elana’s Pantry, the go-to website for easy, healthy, grain-free, Paleo recipes, in 2006

cinnamon pecan brittle

Cinnamon Pecan Brittle

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Watch out! Paleo Cinnamon Pecan Brittle is so good it’s addictive. Lightly sweetened and made with 5 healthy ingredients, it’s a wonderful holiday snack. I love serving it as an appetizer or dessert at our Hanukkah parties, but it’s so delicious that I make it throughout the year as an after school snack or lunch box treat.

I made this easy nut brittle recipe with pecans instead of peanuts so that it would be paleo, and so those of you with peanut allergies can enjoy it. It also has far less sugar than other brittle recipes, so it’s a great low-carb dessert.

Don’t let the fancy name of this dish fool you because it’s so easy to throw together, you can prepare it right before your guests arrive and enjoy the amazing smell of warm cinnamon and nuts that will fill your home as it toasts in the oven. If you’re going to a party at someone’s house, and you’re the guest, this easy desssert makes a lovely hostess gift when placed in a little tin or box, that is then tied with a pretty ribbon.

Print Recipe
Cinnamon Pecan Brittle
Serves:8
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, Whisk together egg white, agave, salt, and cinnamon
  2. Toss nuts in the egg white mixture to coat
  3. Pour nut mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
  4. Bake at 300°F for 30 minutes, until nuts are browned
  5. Allow nuts to cool for 5 minutes, then break apart and serve

I came up with this Cinnamon Pecan Brittle recipe when I messed up something I was making from Dorie Greenspan’s lovely cookbook, Around My French Table. I started out with a Spiced Nuts project, though when I pulled these out of the oven, I realized that I had actually made a healthy nut brittle. So, I made the recipe several additional times, tweaking each version along the way until I was pleased with this new permutation.

Here are some of my other low-carb dessert recipes!

Comments

  1. Love this recipe! I had the same issue as some others originally, about it being soft in the middle. Now, I just spread it far enough apart that it doesn’t have a middle. I also bake approximately 5 minutes longer. I like it a little crisp on the edges. I then let it cool for 5 minutes and then put the batch in the freezer for about 10 minutes. It makes it really crispy. I leave in the fridge thereafter, and it remains crispy. When it gets room temp, it looses its crispness. Thank you for providing this recipe. It’s a great healthy alternative to store bought brittle.

    Reply

  2. I love this. Do you have any idea how to make this on a base of Chocolate?
    would I bake this, let lit sit to cool, break it up, then put it on something.

    Reply

  4. I’ve just made these for the first time and they turned out great.
    Could not find pecans, so I used almonds instead. I left out the salt, and they are still yummy.

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    • This brittle is so good could not stop eating. Thanks Elana! Have you found a solution for the middle still being a little soft? Pecans on outside were crisp and delicious!!! Also the middle portion stuck to parchment paper. Any suggestions before i make again?? Can you use,almonds instead of pecans?? Less expensive. Agsin thanks !!! So so good…can almost do without my chocolate!!!

      Reply

      • Boo, thanks for your comment! I haven’t had any issues with the center being soft, this brittle comes out perfectly crisp though-and-through every time we make it. I hope you’ll feel free to experiment with the nuts of your choice and that you’ll stop back by to let me know if your experiments work. Thanks for letting me know this brittle is so good you could not stop eating it :-)

        Reply

  6. You don’t mention if the pecans are raw, or roasted. Shouldn’t the pecans be soaked and roasted first? I always do this for better digestibility. Thank you!

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        • Diane, if you click the green text in the ingredients portion of the recipe that says “ground cinnamon” you will be taken to a page where you can purchase this product, i.e., the Ceylon :-)

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    • Hi Mieke, if you google “temperature conversions from Celsius to Fahrenheit” you will get the temperature you need for this recipe. This google search will also help you convert the temperatures for my other recipes. Baking times will remain the same. Thanks for your question and enjoy the Pecan Brittle!

      Reply

    • Hi Michelle, that might be necessary if your oven temperature is a little off. If you put the brittle back in to firm up please keep a close eye on it and I hope you’ll let me know how it turned out.

      Reply

  9. Perfect! I did use half honey and half maple syrup (since I’m currently low on honey)—Now to stay away long enough to bring these as a snack prior to tonight’s football game! ;)
    Definitely a recipe to KEEP. Thank you.
    ♡ ♡ ♡

    Reply

  10. My kids would love this! But they are allergic to eggs. Ideas for replacement/alternative combo of ingredients? Thanks!

    Reply

  11. I made this last night to try it out. I’m planning on giving this away to friends, etc. I love it. My coworkers like it (aka my guinea pigs). And my house smelled magical.

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  14. ADDICTIVE!!! I can NOT stop eating them!! I do believe this may become my go-to dish to take to social events =)

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  15. For everyone who had problem with it being sticky, stick it in the freezer! Mine was a little goopy after 30 minutes too, so I let it cool in the freezer for a while. I could have let it set a while longer (the outside edges were hard, but the middle was still soft), but I just broke it all up and threw it in a container and popped that back in the freezer. It will keep it crunchy, I’m sure, and keep me out of it since I can’t seem to stop eating! YUM!!

    Reply

    • Another way to avoid a gooey middle is to not have a middle at all! That is, drop them on the sheet separately instead of spread them in a layer. I have yet to try this technique, but I can’t imagine it failing :)

      Reply

  16. I made these tonight and they taste great. Mine are sticky thought and not brittle – so you think I should bake them longer?

    Reply

  18. I just made these and mine turned out gooey. I left them in the oven for another 10 min but it didn’t help. Any suggestions?

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  21. This recipe is delicious and easy! As soon as I read the post today I went to the kitchen and in a matter of minutes my house was filled with a sweet, nutty smell. They are tasty little treats!
    Thanks again!

    Reply

  25. Divine!! Just popped some in my mouth and they are yummy!! It was hard waiting for them to cool, but so worth the wait :-) Thanks Elana!

    Reply

  26. This recipe sounds wonderful. I also wanted to thank you for your cookbook and blog – I recently was able to reintroduce almonds and duck eggs successfully, and since last month have been cooking and baking from your cookbook and enjoying it tremendously. :)

    Reply

  27. Wow ~ Add a couple of other spices and the original recipe you were trying (spiced nuts) is what my mom made every Christmas for many, many years… and I have continued the tradition. I have never met anyone else with that recipe. The brittle version must be excellent because the spiced nut version is a hit every time. I really encourage others to try it.

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  29. Thanks for this recipe. brittle was my go to Christmas present. But with white sugar. Now I can make it for me with Agave!

    And to those that add their ideas-Thank you!

    Reply

  31. What a serendipitous discovery! I always loved nut brittle as a kid, but this version appeals to me now so much more than those sugar- & butter- laden brittles. I’m looking forward to making this!

    Reply

  32. I make something similar to this for a healthy snack. I use 2 tbls of agave, 2 tbls of cinnamon, 2 mini scoops of stevia and whisk that together into a paste. Then I add 3 1/2 cups of almonds and stir around until they are all coated. Bake in a 9 x 13 cake pan (sprayed with pam or use parchment) at 350 for 20 minutes. Makes great cinnamon almonds, perfect for snacking.

    Reply

  37. I wish I had this recipe before Christmas! What a lovely gift this would make, for now my household will get to enjoy.

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  38. Gorgeous! I’m a big fan of anything brittle, and this is such an easy recipe that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

    thank you for linking to my (not) brittle.:-) oxox

    Reply

  40. Oh, what a divine permutation, Elana! I’m all about pecans and this brittle looks fantastic! :-) Super simple as usual, too–love that. ;-)

    xo,
    Shirley

    Reply

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