Going Nuts for Pecan Green Beans

Candied pecan green beans, a holiday favorite!

This is one of those healthy side dishes, that I so excited for you to try! And what better time to make this recipe than during the holidays. And whats the best thing making candied pecans? Of course the smell of cinnamon that will fill your household.

Not only am I obsessed with the smell of the household after making these, I love the fact these only have 220 calories and 6.5g of net carbs per serving! Because of these, these healthy candied pecan green beans make for a a perfect side dish for the family... or in my case, just for me! And wait, there is even a bonus benefit to these healthy candied pecan green beans, they are also beneficial for those following a variety of lifestyles, to include; ketogenic, low carb, gluten free, plant based or just an overall balanced diet.

And wait there is more, there is an added benefit to this recipe. If you don't want to eat the green beans, then you can just eat the candied pecans! Or you can use half the pecans for your recipe and the rest you can keep to yourself. In fact, I may or may not do the latter.

So instead of belaboring this, let's get cooking!

Candied Pecan Green Beans Ingredients:

1.5 lbs green beans

1 cup whole pecans

2 tbsp butter (divided)

½ cup granulated swerve (or sugar)

2 tbsp brown sugar (or swerve)

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

Directions: First step is making the candied pecans. Add pecans to a large frying pan over a medium heat. Lightly roast until fragrant. Once pecans become fragrant, add to a bowl. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan. Once it’s almost completely dissolved, add in sugars, vanilla extract and salt. Mix and thoroughly combine all ingredients. Once mixed, turn off the heat and add back the pecans. Make sure you coat all the pecans in the mixture and then add in cinnamon. Once cinnamon is fully combined, place the pecans on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Look cool for 10-15 minutes.

While the pecans are cooling, prep the green beans by cutting the ends off and thoroughly rinsing. Add remaining butter to the pan over a medium heat. Add in green beans. Liberally salt the green beans (this will help draw out moisture and cook the green beans faster). Cover green beans and cook for about 10 - 12 minutes. I tend to flip them every 2 minutes. While green beans are cooking, add the pecans to a cutting board and chop coarsely. Once green beans are tender, add pecans to the pan, turn off the heat and mix for about 1 minute. The sugar will melt and should caramelize onto the green beans. Place in a bowl and serve.

Nutrition (6 servings)

Calories: 221

Protein: 3.2g

Fats: 18.6g

Carbs: 10.9g

Fiber: 4.5g

Net Carb: 6.5g