Caramelized Pecans in Air Fryer
Crunchy and sweet pecans, quickly cooked in the air fryer. Perfect as a snack or dessert.
Steps
- 1
In a bowl, mix pecan halves with egg white, water, and vanilla until well coated. Let sit for 1-2 minutes.
- 2
Meanwhile, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl and mix well.
- 3
Gradually sprinkle the sugar mixture over the pecans, stirring after each addition, until evenly coated.
- 4
Spray the air fryer basket with grapeseed oil or line with parchment paper.
- 5
Place the pecans in a single layer in the basket and cook in the air fryer at 160°C (320°F) for 8-10 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- 6
Repeat with remaining pecans – in the Ninja Foodi air fryer, they fit in 3 batches.
Shopping list
16 oz pecan halves, 1 large egg white, 1 Tbsp water, 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract, 1 Cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 Tsp salt, grapeseed oil spray for air fryer
Recipe story
Pecans are native to North America, cultivated for centuries by Native American tribes. In the 18th century, French and Spanish colonists discovered them and incorporated them into Louisiana cuisine. Today, caramelized pecans are popular worldwide as a snack or dessert.
Ingredient Secrets
Sea salt
Sea salt, extracted from ocean waters by evaporation, was one of the most precious goods of antiquity, used both as food and as currency. In ancient Rome, soldiers were paid with salt, which is the origin of the word 'salary'. Salt roads connected entire civilizations, and in the Middle Ages, salt was so valuable it was called 'white gold'.
Cinnamon
In ancient Rome, cinnamon was more precious than gold, used in sacred rituals and royal perfumes. Legends told of fabulous birds called cinnamologus that built their nests from cinnamon sticks on inaccessible cliff tops. The cinnamon trade was long shrouded in mystery, with Arab merchants inventing fantastic stories to protect their sources.
Vanilla
Vanilla, native to Mexico, was discovered by Spanish conquistadors who brought it to Europe in the 16th century. In Aztec culture, vanilla was used to flavor a royal cocoa drink. For centuries, hand-pollination was a closely guarded secret, and it wasn't until 1841 that a 12-year-old slave on Réunion discovered the method that allowed widespread cultivation.
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