Combine the sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until combined and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, water, and vanilla together until stiff white peaks form.
Add the pecans to the egg whites and use a rubber spatula to fold and coat the pecans with the egg whites.
Add the sugar mixture in thirds to the pecans and fold with the rubber spatula. Once all combined, lay in an even layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake for 40 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes or so.
Remove the parchment paper and allow the pecans to cool fully on the baking sheet before jarring as gifts or serving as snacks.
Notes
The baking process can get really sticky and take a bit to flip the pecans. If some end up off the parchment paper and on the baking sheet itself after the first flip, it’s okay. They will not stick too bad to the baking sheet.