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.
Cinnamon Pecan Brittle
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup agave nectar or honey
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups pecans
Instructions
- In a large bowl, Whisk together egg white, agave, salt, and cinnamon
- Toss nuts in the egg white mixture to coat
- Pour nut mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Bake at 300°F for 30 minutes, until nuts are browned
- Allow nuts to cool for 5 minutes, then break apart and serve
Equipment
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!
Katie says
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.
Elana says
Katie, I haven’t tried that so not sure :-)
Sara says
Just made them – delicious. Great recipe!
Elana says
Sara, thanks for letting me know this is a delicious, great recipe :-)
Beth says
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.
Elana says
Beth, thanks for letting us know this was great!
Boo says
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!!!
Elana says
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 :-)
Mary Ann Gates says
What size pan should these be baked in?
Elana says
Mary Ann, if you click the green text in the instructions portion of the recipe you will be given that info :-)
Claire Letkiewicz says
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!
Elana says
Hi Claire, thanks for your question; use raw pecans for this recipe. Enjoy!
Diane says
Elana, I haven’t been able to find d Ceylon Cinnamon. Any suggestions?
Elana says
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 :-)
Mieke says
I have a gas oven, lowest degrees is 180 degrees celsius. How do i know how long to cook /Bake it for?
Elana says
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!
Michelle Hopkins says
Just tried these and mine are gooey even after sitting out. Should I cook longer?
Elana says
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.
SunnySky says
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.
♡ ♡ ♡
Elana says
Sunny, so glad to hear this was perfect :-)
Kara says
My kids would love this! But they are allergic to eggs. Ideas for replacement/alternative combo of ingredients? Thanks!
Elana says
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
Natasha says
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.
Elana says
Natasha, thanks for letting us know your coworkers loved this!