Chocolate Pecans are crunchy, salty, chocolatey delicious nuts that you can make yourself or others in just a few minutes.
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These nuts make great and easy homemade gifts for friends around the holidays. But they’re also a delicious treat to keep in the pantry.
I like to eat them as they are because nuts, whether covered in sugar or plain or chocolate, are a great snack.
BUT, you could also use them to top coffee yogurt or ice cream. Or throw them in a batch of snack mix or trail mix.
Honey Roasted Peanuts are another favorite snack in my household.
More holiday gift ideas: Pecan Bark, Gumdrop Nougat Candy, White Chocolate Chex Mix or Easy Peppermint Bark Candy Recipe or look through my white chocolate buying guide.
Or for more easy holiday treats, check out this easy chocolate slow cooker candy recipe or White Chocolate Chex Mix or Holiday Muddy Buddies.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
-Use your favorite chocolate.
This recipe will work well with milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate.
I love the milk chocolate pecans combo but I usually dip them in dark chocolate. I tend to keep dark chocolate in the pantry.
-Easy, just two ingredients, well three if you’re going to top them with sea salt, which I highly recommend.
-Quick with minimal effort needed. You could find out you need teacher gifts for your kids at 8 p.m. on a long, grueling Tuesday. You can still have these done and wrapped up in cute gift packaging by 9 p.m., 9:30 at the latest.
-Economical: You can pay anywhere from $15 to $30 a pound for chocolate covered pecans at a store.
OR you can get a deal on pecans at Sam's Club or at your grocery store and use a cup or two of chocolate you may already have. This way you'll easily get two pounds of chocolate pecans for the price of one at a store.
Since I upped my makeshift double boiler game, one of my favorite things is to melt chocolate. I love to dip things in melted chocolate.
Like Chocolate covered dates and
Snickers Dates and
How To Make Chocolate Pecans
-Roast pecans either in a skillet on your range over medium heat for six to eight minutes.
Or roast them on a parchment lined cookie sheet in a 350F oven for six to eight minutes.
Flip the nuts half way through. Roasting pecans brings out their flavor.
Pay attention to how the nuts smell, ovens vary in temperature. Nuts burn quickly.
-While toasting pecans, get chocolate ready for melting.
-Let roasted pecans cool for a few minutes before dipping them.
-Melt chocolate either in a heat-safe, microwave safe bowl in a microwave, heating chocolate in short 10 second bursts. Stir thoroughly after each time. Or melt chocolate in a double boiler or a makeshift double boiler.
-Once pecans are ready, dip them in the chocolate either halfway or all the way. Remove with a fork or tongs or a slotted spoon. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper to set up. (Make sure cookie sheet has cooled or use one that wasn’t in the oven.
-Sprinkle pecans with sea salt or kosher salt, if you like. This is optional.
-Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Melt chocolate low and slow or risk it burning and having to start over.
You can use chocolate chips if you like but disks or a chopped block of chocolate will be easier for you. Remember chocolate morsels are made to keep their shape, even when exposed to heat. So, the chips will melt, but it will take a little bit of effort on your part, stirring and scraping.
If the melted chocolate seems too thick to easily dip the roasted pecan halves, thin the chocolate by adding a teaspoon of coconut oil or vegetable oil. Stir thoroughly.
Whatever bowl you’re using to melt the chocolate should be scrupulously clean or your chocolate may seize and you’ll have to start over.
Make sure you’re using fresh pecans. Pecans can go rancid so eat a test pecan to make sure they still taste good.
To get a good price on pecans, check out Sam’s Club. I can usually find a two pound bag of fully intact pecans (no broken pieces) for less than $13 around the holidays.
There are few things better in this life than pecans fresh off the trees in Texas. So if you know someone going or you have a good source there, splurge on Texas pecans. Soooo good!
If you're having trouble getting the chocolate to set, your kitchen may be too warm or too humid. Put the dipped pecans on a parchment lined baking sheet and put in the refrigerator to set.
Chocolate Pecan Storage
Dipped pecans are best consumed within two weeks if kept in an airtight container, such as a tin, at room temperature.
Freeze chocolate covered pecans in a freezer-safe container for up to six months. This is what I usually do. Then I don’t have to worry about them going bad prematurely. Pull out of the freezer about 30 minutes before consuming. Or, eat them frozen, still good!
Storing in the refrigerator may keep pecans fresh for up to two months.
Chocolate pecans will last in an airtight container at room temperature for at least two weeks.
Freeze for longer storage–up to six months. Be sure to wrap well and tuck into a freezer-safe container.
Nutrient information for pecans and other nuts
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Recipe
Chocolate Pecans
Chocolate Pecans are crunchy, salty, chocolatey delicious nuts that you can make yourself or others in just a few minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound roasted, salted pecans
- 1 to 2 cups chocolate, milk, dark or white
- 1 teaspoon or more sea salt or kosher salt (optional for topping)
Instructions
Roast pecans either in a skillet on your range over medium heat for six to eight minutes.
Or roast them on a parchment lined cookie sheet in a 350F oven for six to eight minutes, flipping them half way through. Roasting pecans brings out their flavor.
-While toasting pecans, get chocolate ready.
-Let roasted pecans cool for a few minutes before dipping them.
-Melt chocolate either in a heat-safe, microwave safe bowl in a microwave, heating chocolate in short 10 second bursts and stirring thoroughly after each time. Or melt chocolate in a double boiler or a makeshift double boiler.
-Once pecans are ready, dip them in the chocolate either halfway or all the way. Remove with a fork or tongs or a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper to set up. (Make sure cookie sheet has cooled or use one that wasn’t in the oven.
-Sprinkle pecans with sea salt or kosher salt, if you like. This is optional.
-Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Melt chocolate low and slow or risk it burning and having to start over.
You can use chocolate chips if you like but disks or a chopped block of chocolate will be easier for you.
Remember chocolate morsels are made to keep their shape, even when exposed to heat. So, the chips will melt, but it will take a little bit of effort on your part, stirring and scraping.
If the melted chocolate seems too thick to easily dip the roasted pecan halves, you can thin the chocolate by adding a teaspoon of coconut oil or vegetable oil.
Whatever bowl you’re using to melt the chocolate should be scrupulously clean or your chocolate may seize and you’ll have to start over.
If you're having trouble getting the chocolate to set, your kitchen may be too warm or too humid, put on a parchment lined baking sheet and put in the refrigerator to set.
Make sure you’re using fresh pecans. Pecans can go rancid so eat a test pecan to make sure they still taste good.
To get a good price on pecans, check out Sam’s Club.
I can usually find a two pound bag of fully intact pecans (no broken pieces) for less than $13 around the holidays.
There are few things better in this life than pecans fresh off the trees in Texas. So if you know someone going or you have a good source there, splurge on Texas pecans. Soooo good!
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