Make this quick, small batch homemade butter pecan syrup in 15 minutes. Rich, buttery, and filled with toasted pecans, it’s perfect for pancakes, waffles, or coffee.
Toast the Pecans: Place a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the pecans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until they’re lightly browned. Transfer the pecans to a plate and let the pan cool for a few minutes before continuing.
Once the pan has cooled slightly, add the brown sugar, water, and maple syrup. Stir to mix everything together.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Chop the toasted pecans and stir them into the saucepan.
Turn the heat down to low and let the syrup simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the butter until fully melted, then remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
Let the syrup cool for about 10 minutes, then pour it into a jar or container for storage.Note: The syrup will thicken in the fridge. Warm it in a small saucepan over low heat or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each one.Recipe yields about 1 cup of syrup.
Notes
Toast the Pecans: Toasting gives the syrup a deeper, nutty flavor. Stir often and watch closely so they don’t burn.
Cool the Pan: Let the pan cool for a few minutes after toasting the pecans before adding liquids. This prevents the sugar from burning and helps avoid splattering.
Simmer Gently: Keep the heat low while cooking so the syrup stays smooth and doesn’t thicken too much.
Stir Occasionally: Stir as it cooks to keep the sugar from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Cool Before Storing: Let the syrup cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a jar.
Reheat Gently: The syrup will thicken in the fridge. Warm it in a small saucepan over low heat or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each one.