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

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cinnamon pecan brittle

Cinnamon Pecan Brittle

December 27, 201088 Comments Affiliate Links

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
  • 1 egg white
  • ¼ cup agave nectar or honey
  • ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups pecans
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° 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!

  • Pecan Shortbread Cookies
  • Low-Carb 3-Ingredient Fudge
  • Nut-Free Paleo Carrot Cake
  • Yummly
  • Tweet
« Sunbutter Ice Cream
Larkspur: Gluten-Free Mountain Dining »

Comments

  1. Taylor says

    March 19, 2018 at 5:23 pm

    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
    • Elana says

      March 20, 2018 at 5:46 pm

      Taylor, thanks for letting me know that you love this recipe :-)

      Reply
  2. Katie says

    February 23, 2018 at 9:12 pm

    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
    • Elana says

      February 26, 2018 at 6:24 pm

      Katie, I haven’t tried that so not sure :-)

      Reply
  3. Sara says

    February 4, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    Just made them – delicious. Great recipe!

    Reply
    • Elana says

      February 4, 2018 at 12:26 pm

      Sara, thanks for letting me know this is a delicious, great recipe :-)

      Reply
  4. Beth says

    January 6, 2017 at 6:59 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Elana says

      January 6, 2017 at 12:25 pm

      Beth, thanks for letting us know this was great!

      Reply
    • Boo says

      November 12, 2017 at 3:37 pm

      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
      • Elana says

        November 12, 2017 at 4:46 pm

        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
  5. Mary Ann Gates says

    December 22, 2016 at 8:04 pm

    What size pan should these be baked in?

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 8:21 am

      Mary Ann, if you click the green text in the instructions portion of the recipe you will be given that info :-)

      Reply
  6. Claire Letkiewicz says

    February 14, 2016 at 6:18 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Elana says

      February 16, 2016 at 4:56 pm

      Hi Claire, thanks for your question; use raw pecans for this recipe. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Diane says

        April 29, 2017 at 9:09 pm

        Elana, I haven’t been able to find d Ceylon Cinnamon. Any suggestions?

        Reply
        • Elana says

          May 1, 2017 at 4:13 pm

          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 :-)

          Reply
  7. Mieke says

    December 3, 2015 at 12:18 am

    I have a gas oven, lowest degrees is 180 degrees celsius. How do i know how long to cook /Bake it for?

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 3, 2015 at 9:21 am

      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
  8. Michelle Hopkins says

    November 22, 2015 at 6:30 pm

    Just tried these and mine are gooey even after sitting out. Should I cook longer?

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 3, 2015 at 9:23 am

      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. SunnySky says

    October 29, 2015 at 9:18 am

    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
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:19 pm

      Sunny, so glad to hear this was perfect :-)

      Reply
  10. Kara says

    October 28, 2015 at 10:40 pm

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

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:21 pm

      Kara, I haven’t tried that so not sure. Here’s a link to my Egg-Free Recipes page for you!

      https://elanaspantry.com/diets/egg-free/

      Enjoy!
      Elana

      Reply
  11. Natasha says

    December 10, 2014 at 9:46 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:24 pm

      Natasha, thanks for letting us know your coworkers loved this!

      Reply
  12. Michele Masson says

    December 2, 2014 at 5:15 pm

    Can you sub something for the egg whites? I can’t have eggs.

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:25 pm

      Michele, I haven’t tried that so not sure. Here’s a link to my Egg-Free Recipes page:

      https://elanaspantry.com/diets/egg-free/

      Enjoy!
      Elana

      Reply
  13. ncherven says

    December 21, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    Do you soak the pecans before using?

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:26 pm

      Ncherven, I use plain, raw pecans for this recipe, that are not soaked :-)

      Reply
  14. Kristin says

    October 25, 2011 at 6:35 pm

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

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:28 pm

      Kristin, so great to hear these were ADDICTIVE!

      Reply
  15. Allison says

    February 25, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    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
    • Reiko says

      March 13, 2011 at 10:58 pm

      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. Elizabeth says

    January 23, 2011 at 9:48 pm

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

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 10:24 pm

      Elizabeth, if that happens, put the brittle back in a warm oven (with the heat off) to dry them out a bit more :-)

      Reply
  17. Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday says

    January 7, 2011 at 7:01 am

    Do you think you could make this vegan somehow?

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:30 pm

      Samantha, I haven’t tried that so not sure. Here’s a link to my Vegan Recipes page for you!

      https://elanaspantry.com/diets/vegan/

      Enjoy!
      Elana

      Reply
  18. KR says

    January 1, 2011 at 10:06 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Mindy says

      January 9, 2011 at 7:49 pm

      I had the same problem…gooey. Still pretty tasty, but not brittly. Any ideas on how to fix?

      Reply
  19. marla {family fresh cooking} says

    December 31, 2010 at 4:49 am

    I love how little agave is in these pecans – must try this recipe asap! xo

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:30 pm

      Thanks Marla!

      Reply
  20. connie newman says

    December 30, 2010 at 3:27 pm

    looks Yummy!

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:31 pm

      Thanks Connie!

      Reply
  21. Kenna says

    December 29, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    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
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:31 pm

      Thanks Kenna! So glad to hear this recipe is delicious and easy!

      Reply
  22. Iris says

    December 29, 2010 at 8:21 am

    Mmm…I love when a mistake turns into something even better! Happy New Year Elana!

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:31 pm

      Thanks Iris. Happy New Year!

      Reply
  23. Heather Babcock says

    December 28, 2010 at 12:59 pm

    That looks AMAZING!!!

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:32 pm

      Thanks Heather!

      Reply
  24. Tracee says

    December 28, 2010 at 12:25 pm

    Oh yum…this looks so good. Great mess-up!

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:32 pm

      Thanks Tracee!

      Reply
  25. Susan Maki says

    December 28, 2010 at 11:18 am

    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
    • Susan Maki says

      December 28, 2010 at 11:19 am

      BTW – didn’t have enough pecans so I added some almonds I briefly ran through the food processor and some pumpkin seeds.

      Reply
      • Elana says

        December 28, 2016 at 9:33 pm

        Susan, thanks for letting us know how adaptable this recipe is and that it was divine!

        Reply
  26. Valerie @ City|Life|Eats says

    December 28, 2010 at 8:32 am

    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
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:33 pm

      Valerie, so glad to hear you are enjoying my blog and cookbooks!

      Reply
  27. Cindi Johnson says

    December 27, 2010 at 9:04 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:36 pm

      Thanks Cindi!

      Reply
  28. Mia says

    December 27, 2010 at 4:45 pm

    This looks great! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:55 pm

      You’re welcome Mia!

      Reply
  29. Tamra says

    December 27, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    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
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 10:00 pm

      You’re welcome Tamra!

      Reply
  30. Lisa M says

    December 27, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    This sounds so good! I’ll have to make it soon.

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 10:00 pm

      Thanks Lisa!

      Reply
  31. Lauren says

    December 27, 2010 at 12:56 pm

    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
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 10:01 pm

      Lauren, I agree! So much better than those sugar and butter laden brittles!

      Reply
  32. Rudy says

    December 27, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    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
    • Elana says

      December 29, 2016 at 6:43 pm

      Thanks Rudy!

      Reply
  33. Georgia Pellegrini says

    December 27, 2010 at 11:55 am

    The scent of warm cinnamon pecan…really smells like home

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 29, 2016 at 6:44 pm

      Agreed Georgia!

      Reply
  34. Kathy Foulk says

    December 27, 2010 at 11:13 am

    Looks good!!!

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:44 pm

      Thanks Kathy!

      Reply
  35. newrose says

    December 27, 2010 at 10:03 am

    I love pecans any why but in brittle they are even more delicious and rather addictive more me.

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:43 pm

      I totally agree :-)

      Reply
  36. Melissa says

    December 27, 2010 at 9:45 am

    That looks yummy!

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:43 pm

      Thanks Melissa!

      Reply
  37. Sandra Wells says

    December 27, 2010 at 9:29 am

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

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:43 pm

      Thanks Sandra!

      Reply
  38. Stephanie O'Dea says

    December 27, 2010 at 8:34 am

    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
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:42 pm

      Thanks Stephanie!

      Reply
  39. Meagan says

    December 27, 2010 at 8:23 am

    Looks great! I love “candy” ideas

    Reply
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:41 pm

      Thanks Meagan!

      Reply
  40. Shirley @ gfe says

    December 27, 2010 at 5:02 am

    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
    • Elana says

      December 28, 2016 at 9:39 pm

      Thanks Shirley!

      Reply
  41. Alta says

    December 27, 2010 at 4:20 am

    Yum! Hooray for happy mistakes!

    Reply
    • james says

      February 13, 2013 at 8:51 am

      can i leave out the salt?

      thanks

      Reply
      • Elana says

        December 28, 2016 at 9:37 pm

        James, I haven’t tried that so not sure. If you do please let us know how it goes :-)

        Reply

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