Cookbook Chronicles: Just-Right Cocktail Pecans

Cookbook Chronicles is an on-going series at The Bookery. Over the course of the next year, we’re exploring Denise Gee’s Southern Appetizers, cooking one recipe a month and sharing our thoughts. 

It’s a new year, and we’re focusing on a new cookbook in 2025. One of my friends thoughtfully gifted me Denise Gee’s Southern Appetizers for Christmas, knowing my love for appetizers and simple, snacky foods. This cookbook is part party-planning guide and part recipes, so throughout 2025 we’ll delve into recipes for handheld snacks, dips, spreads and salsas, dishes that require a fork and beverages. For our first Cookbook Chronicles of 2025, we’re trying out Denise’s just-right cocktail pecans!  

The recipe: Just-Right Cocktail Pecans, p. 23

The cookbook: Southern Appetizers by Denise Gee

The details: This is a pretty straightforward recipe featuring pecans slow-roasted in butter and seasonings (and plenty of brown sugar). Since my dad grows pecans, I always have plenty on hand — and I also had everything else needed to make this recipe on hand without having to run to the grocery store. 

When I was a child, I flat-out refused to eat nuts of any kind. I still don’t like pecan pie, but I’ve relented on my hatred of nuts and sometimes eat walnuts and almonds for snacks. Now, I’m not saying that pecans coated in melted butter and spices are necessarily healthy, but they are a delicious snack or a fun addition to a charcuterie board. 

The adjustments: There’s really not much to adjust with this recipe, but I did make one small change. I used two teaspoons of cinnamon and omitted the nutmeg, which is purely a personal decision. I don’t really like nutmeg, especially when used in larger quantities, so I tend to leave it out of most recipes that call for it. 

The verdict: These seasoned pecans were tasty and, most importantly, easy. Making them simply involved melting some butter and stirring in seasoning, then coating the pecans with the mixture and baking them at 300 degrees for about 22 minutes. If you’re looking for a salty-sweet snack, a quick, easy appetizer for a party or a fun way to spice up your charcuterie board, try this one out! 

Up Next: Queso Fundido, My Darling, p. 57

As an Amazon Associate, The Bookery earns from qualified purchases.