All About Pecans (And the Start of Fun Fridays!)

Anyone else feel like life has gotten far too serious and stressful lately?? 🙋‍♀️ Starting now until the end of social distancing, I’m kicking off Fun Fridays! 🤗 These posts are going to be more light-hearted, and a lot of cooking new vegan recipes. Hang on, because I’m an especially terrible baker. 🙈 Today’s post is all about pecans and creative ways we can cook with them!

Pecan Health Benefits

• Good source of fiber
• Rich in protein
• Contain “healthy fat” (monounsaturated fat and very little saturated fat)
• Great source of vitamin E (antioxidant)
• Can lower LDL (bad cholesterol)
• Contain polyphenols which act as antioxidants
• Pecans are rich in flavonoids, which have been linked to heart benefits (pecans actually have twice the amount of flavonoids found in almonds, cashews, and pistachios; and seven times the amount in walnuts)
• Rich in minerals, especially thiamin, zinc, manganese, and copper
  • Thiamin (vitamin B1) helps the body’s cells change carbohydrates into energy
  • Zinc helps the body fight off bacteria and viruses
  • Manganese helps regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and forms collagen (which gives skin its firmness and elasticity.)
  • Copper aids in iron absorption, supports immunity, and helps keep blood vessels, nerves, and bones healthy.

Pecan Fun Facts

• Beginning in the 1500s, Native Americans utilized and cultivated wild pecans
• The word “pecan” is a Native American word used to describe nuts requiring a stone to crack
• Only major nut tree native to North America
• 80% of the world’s pecan crop comes from the United States
• Outside of the U.S., pecans are grown in Australia, Brazil, China, Israel, Mexico, Peru, and South Africa
• With more than 600,000 pecan trees, Albany, Georgia is the pecan capital of the world
• It takes 12 years for a pecan tree to mature
• Pecan trees can live (and be productive) over 200 years
• Pecan trees usually range in height from 70-100 feet; some trees can grow as tall as 150 feet or higher
• There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans
• Harvest season runs September through November
• Pecan trees produce nuts on alternate bearing years: one year heavy production, one year little to no production
• Pecan pie became popular in the mid-1920s when a recipe for the holiday dessert was printed on cans of Karo syrup. (Ok, anyone else besides me never try pecan pie? 🙋‍♀️)
• In 1972, roasted pecans were provided as snacks for the crew aboard Apollo 16. (Unopened packets are now owned by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum).

Cooking With Pecans

Pecans have a slight natural sweetness that other nuts don’t have. When most people think of pecans, they think of using them in desserts. (But I personally prefer them in savory dishes.)

Do a rough chop on the cutting board or toss them in a food processor. Toast them whole or use them raw. I do a little bit of everything!

April also happens to be National Pecan Month, so here are some of my favorite ways to use pecans. (I have provided links to the original recipes.)

Apple Pecan Chickpea Salad

Healthy, easy to make, and delicious–need I say more?! I love dijon mustard, so I cut back on the amount of lemon juice and added a little dijon. I also topped with more pecans, craisins, and chives. 

Tip: you can mash chickpeas with a fork, but I like using a pastry cutter. It works really well and takes less time.

Candied Pecans

These were sooooo good! I’ve never candied nuts before, and since I equate that to the difficulty of baking, I didn’t have high hopes of myself. 😬 But this recipe was super simple, and oh so delicious! A little too sweet for me, so I topped with sea salt flakes, and they were perfect. 😋

Sweet and Spicy Pecans

The best of both worlds in a snack: sweet and salty with some heat! Packed with protein, this is a really tasty treat. (I didn’t have walnuts so I used cashews instead. Use whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand.) 

Ok, I baked them a little too long. 😬 Honest to goodness, everything I put in the oven gets botched! 🙈🤣

Pecan Chickpea “meat”

This recipe is really good. Like really, really good! It made a great meat substitute in these delicious burrito bowls. 🤗

Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Wild Rice Pilaf

Not vegan as written, so substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth. I made this for Thanksgiving last year, and not only was it delicious, but it’s beautifully colorful too! 🌱 I topped with fresh green herbs, and it will definitely be back on the menu this year.

Vegan Pecan Pie

For those of you that like pecan pie, here is a recipe that’s vegan. 😍

Everything Pecan

Pecans are hearty, meaty, and extremely versatile; they are a great addition to a plant based diet! Ready to try some new pecan recipes? Head over to my Pecan Pinterest board for more inspiration. 😊