Savory Roasted Pecans

When people come here for dinner, they know to arrive hungry! To stave off hunger before we eat, I put out small dishes of nuts to nibble on while gathering in the kitchen for the first hellos and catch-up conversation.
But so many "party nut" recipes are sugary. Instead, these are totally savory nuts, dark and sultry with just a touch of heat and only slightly addictive – okay that's a lie, they're totally addictive! Even at the last minute, roast some pecans in the oven for a quick appetizer or hostess gift.

Fast & Easy Appetizer. Just Pecans & a Handful of Pantry Ingredients. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Potluck & Party Friendly. Low Carb. Naturally Gluten Free. High Protein.

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COMPLIMENTS!

• "... quick, easy and turned out great. These will not last long ..." ~ Julie

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Roasted Nuts, Savory Not Sweet

The holiday season can seem sugar-coated – candy canes, cookies, chocolate, Christmas cakes.

In contrast, these spicy pecans will tickle another part of your palate. If you have pecans leftover from holiday baking, this is a good way to use them up.

I make Savory Pecans often – after baking, the brown-black nuts look nice in glass jars for hostess or last-minute holiday gifts. They’re also popular at parties and on buffet tables and in small bowls on a charcuterie board.

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Just updated! First published way back in 2002.

SAVORY ROASTED PECANS

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Makes 2 cups

• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1 – 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups (8oz/225g) pecan halves

Set oven to 300F/150C.

Combine all the ingredients except pecans. Add the pecans and stir well to coat, really stirring again and again to completely cover the pecans.

Transfer the nuts to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 – 35 minutes (or most recently in a new kitchen, 40 minutes), stirring occasionally; the nuts are done when they're deeply, darkly brown: taste a small broken piece each time you stir. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MAKE-AHEAD Make the nuts ahead of time, then just before serving, warm in a 325F/160C oven for 5 – 6 minutes.

ALANNA's TIPS Fresh nuts really matter here. I have little luck with expensive supermarket pecans, even now (late fall and early winter) when the season is just coming to a close. In the fall, I some times order pecans or pecan meal from Sunnyland Farms in Georgia. Closer to home for both freshness and great prices? Trader Joe's. What's with the imprecision of 1 – 2 tablespoons Worcestershire? Here's why. If you're serving the pecans right away, I recommend using 1 tablespoon. But if you're making them ahead of time, use 2 tablespoons and be sure to stir in the extra liquid while they're in the oven. With 2 tablespoons, the nuts will roast faster and darker, definitely worth the extra attention.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Quarter Cup: 200 Calories; 20g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 7mg Cholesterol; 180mg Sodium; 4g Carb; 3g Fiber; 1g Sugar; 2g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS WW Old Points 5 & WW Points Plus 6 & SmartPoints 7 & Freestyle 7 & myWW green 7 & blue 7 & purple 7

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Nuts: Quick, Protein-Packed Nibbles

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More Quick Bites for Parties

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~ more appetizer recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade

~ more appetizer recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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