Learn all about pecan nutrition and get the recipe for the easiest, most scrumptious, homemade Maple Vanilla Pecan Butter, plus more delicious & nutritious pecan recipes!
Do you say pe-can or pe-cahn?
No matter how you say it, there’s no denying pecans are not only delicious, they’re jam-packed with nutrients too!
And, while I’m an equal opportunity nut lover (or just a plain nutty-ha!), I feel like pecans don’t get all the love they deserve. And, that makes me sad. 🙁 Which is why I’m going to do my darnedest to convince you to eat more pecans today. Deal?!
Pecan Nutrition 101
What are the health & nutrition benefits of eating pecans?
- Pecans are a superfood for your heart. While more research is needed, pecans have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol (1), and decrease LDL oxidation (2) in humans. In addition, more than half of the fat in pecans is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.
- Antioxidant Power. Pecans contain beta carotene, and gamma-tocopherols (vitamin E), plus they are rich in phytonutrients to promote overall health and longevity-like other nuts. (3)
- Better digestion. Pecans, like other nuts, contain fiber to help with gut health and digestion. Bonus! If you’re following a low FODMAP diet for IBS, pecans are low FODMAP too!
- Boost your brain health. Like other nuts, pecans are an important component of the MIND Diet which has been found to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 53%!
How many calories are in 1/4 of a cup of pecans?
- 1/4 cup of raw pecans has 171 calories
- 3.5 grams carbohydrate
- 2.5 grams fiber
- 2.3 grams protein
- 18 grams fat (1.5 g saturated fat, 10 g monounsaturated fat, 5.5 g polyunsaturated fat)
Source: USDA, Nuts, Pecans
In addition to the nutrition benefits of pecans, they’re just so darn tasty too, which may be the best reason of all to add them to your diet!
And, while there are SO MANY delicious ways to enjoy pecans, one of my favorite SUPER EASY ways to eat them, is this Toasted Maple Pecan Butter. All you do is toast your pecans, add ’em to a food processor (this is the one I use), along with vanilla extract, a little maple syrup, and salt, and process away. That’s it!
Bonus! Besides being a super healthy, yet indulgent treat, you’ll save loads of $$$ by making your own homemade pecan butter!
How to eat this scrumptious homemade Maple Pecan Butter
- Spread it on apples & sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Slather it on your favorite gluten-free toast.
- Stir it into oatmeal.
- Blend it into a smoothie.
- Dark Chocolate is a perfect pairing with this Maple Pecan Butter. Just sayin’.
- And, last but not least, savor it straight off a spoon!
Toasted Maple Pecan Nut Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw pecans
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast for
8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove pecans from baking sheet immediately, and allow to cool. Be careful not to over toast! - Place pecans and sea salt in a food processor and process for approximately 10
minutes, or until desired consistency is achieved. Scrape down the food
processor bowl as needed during the process, and add the maple syrup and
vanilla extract towards the end. - Store pecan nut butter in a glass jar in the
refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Now that we’ve chatted about the nutrition benefits of pecans, hopefully, I’ve convinced you to add more pecans to your diet!
MORE NUTRITIOUS & DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH PECANS!
Let’s Chat!
Did you learn anything new about pecan nutrition today? Have you ever made homemade pecan butter? Which of these pecan recipes would you most like to try???
