Candied nuts are a great addition to many recipes as well as for snacking. Sweet Spiced Nuts are a combination of pecans and cashews, with simple ingredients that bake into a crunchy treat in 15 minutes!
The only thing better than nuts is candied nuts! Did you know you can make them at home with a few simple ingredients and only 15 minutes cooking time?
Fall is a great time to make Sweet Spiced Nuts to add to many recipes, for delicious snacking and for homemade gifts. Their lightly sweet, lightly spicy, crunchy texture is irresistible!
What are Candied Nuts?
Sweet Spiced Nuts are a candied nut recipe that includes brown sugar, hot sauce, salt, pepper and some olive oil.
All the ingredients are mixed together and the nuts baked for 15 minutes with the sauce caramelizing during the baking.
When they are cooled, the nuts become crunchy with a light sweet, lightly spicy candied coating.
Egg-free Candied Nuts recipe
Many recipes for candied nuts include an egg, this recipe does not use egg.
How to use Sweet Spiced Nuts?
For years I would visit restaurants that featured candied nuts on salads and as I devoured them I’d marvel at how much more interesting they made a simple green salad. Even if I wouldn’t finish the salad I’d make sure there were no nuts left behind!
Sweet Spiced Nuts are great for:
- snacking
- salads
- sandwiches
- in oatmeal,
- on ice cream,
- in grain dishes, and
- are a fantastic holiday hostess gift (or gift for anyone really).
They can be chopped to add in place of regular nuts in cookies or other desserts.
They can be made so quickly if last minute entertaining plans pop up, you can make a fresh batch to add to a charcuterie platter. The options are truly unlimited.
How to store Sweet Spiced Nuts?
When the nuts have fully cooled, break them up and store, sealed, in an air tighter container for up to two weeks in a cool spot.
Since nuts have a high percentage of oil, if left in hot temperatures the oil can turn rancid.
How to make Sweet Spiced Nuts:
Sweet Spiced Nuts
Easy spiced nuts are sweet, crunchy with some warming spices. Great as a snack, on salads and for gifts.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pecan Halves raw and unsalted
- 1 cup Cashews unsalted
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Cholula Mexican Hot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Spray lightly with non-stick spray.
Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stirring to fully combine ingredients, coat the nuts and allow the sugar to dissolve. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes stirring one to two times during baking to coat the nuts. Allow to cool fully on pan. NOTE: nuts will be soft when taken out of the oven but will become crisp when cooled. Break nuts apart and store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
These look so good! I can see serving these as part of dessert of just finger food to dig into during the holidays. Om nom nom.
Daniell says
That. Looks. AMAZING! I love nut recipes like this. They make great snacks to have on hand all the time, and they’re perfect for the holidays. GREAT recipe!
Jeni Hawkins says
This is too funny. I was just looking up a recipe for spiced nuts last night! It must be fate that I found yours because it looks absolutely delicious and easy to make!
Colleen Lanin says
A 40 minute prep time for these delicious nuts is awesome! I want to make up a huge batch of these for the holidays.
Toni Dash says
AND it’s really 5 minutes of active time from you; mixing the ingredients in the bowl, putting them on the baking sheet and stirring once during cooking. The rest is cooking and cooling! Don’t you love lazy recipes with fabulous results?!
Jeanette says
I love snacks like this! It gives me a little bit of sweet and a little bit of spice. It’s a great way to get your protein and it tastes really good.
Liz Mays says
This sounds like such a delicious snack. I’m really liking that bit of spice. My boyfriend always has to have nuts when we watch movies together and these would be perfect!
Sadie Roach says
This is a great snack idea and they look like they would be so good. I love how versatile they are and how simple it is to make.
Dwan says
These sound great. I love snacking on spicy and candied nuts so I’ll try this recipe for sure.
Claudia Krusch says
Sweet Spiced Nuts sound like a delicious snack. I will have to get the ingredients I need to make this recipe on the weekend. I am sure they will be a hit.
Lisa Bristol says
I am always looking for new snack recipes. I am excited to make these Sweet Spiced Nuts for movie night this week.
Amy Desrosiers says
I am on a high-protein diet so these look especially good! I love sweet and savory snacks!
AnnMarie John says
This sounds really good! It’s perfect for snacking on in between meals and it’s also nice to have on salads! I think adding them in smoothie bowls and oats or grains would be really nice! Thanks for the recipe!
travel blogger says
These sound so delicious! I will have to give this recipe a try. There are so many things you can do with these. Thanks for the tips for storing. I never thought about the oil making them rancid in hot temperatures.
Kelly Hutchinson says
These sweet spiced nuts sound delicious! I could eat these all day long while watching TV!
Dawn McAlexander says
You know, I am not sure that I have ever had candied nuts before. I like that these don’t take long to make.
Toni Dash says
Dawn! It’s time to try them. They have a wonderful crunch with a delish coating. So easy too. Now is the time to try them!
TColeman says
I love to make snack mixes like this with different kids of nuts. This looks like it would be so tasty!
Maureen says
I am a nut fanatic, this snack fo sweet spiced nuts sounds super delicious! I will have to try to make it for a mid day snack sometime!
Toni Dash says
Me too!
Michelle Waller says
These look like something fun I could make with my children for a cool weather snack. They look so delicious!
Carol Cassara says
There’s not better season to make this recipe than in the Fall! I’m sure it tastes amazing on its own or when you add it to your favorite recipes!
Jocelyn @ Hip Mama's Place says
I’m sure the flavor is amazing and it would be tough to not enjoy these candied nuts! I love adding mine in salads as well, thanks for the recipe!
Cat says
I am definitely adding these nuts to my must-try list! They sound (and look) tasty!
kristi says
Yum.. would be a great gift idea for the holiday time. Put them in a nice tin or decorate a fun jar.
Toni Dash says
Definitely! If you can keep them long enought to give them!
Marissa Zurfluh says
These are seriously the perfect snack. I have always enjoyed all kinds of nuts.
Theresa says
I love to give homemade spiced nuts out at the holidays. I haven’t tried a recipe like yours before so I am printing it off now to give it a go next month for our Thanksgiving festivities.
Toni Dash says
Do give it a try Theresa. It’s easier than boiling recipes and has a different texture than recipes with egg in it. So fast and easy!
Sherry says
My husband will love these. He’s always snacking on nuts. I’ll eat all of the cashews for him though. They are my favorite.
Janis @MommyBlogExpert says
Those candied nuts look really good and easy to make. What a great presentation idea to serve them in recycled cans to add to the rustic idea.
Sarah says
These sounds so tasty! What a great appetizer to set out at a holiday party. I think my hubby would eat them all.
krystal says
What a fun idea – could make a cute gift for the holidays too all packaged pretty! Looks delicious too.
Sara says
Now THIS is what gets me out of bed 🙂
kristin says
YUM!! This sounds so so good. I bet these would be great gifts for the holidays!
Shannon Gurnee says
This is such a cute idea, especially for the holiday season! I would love to put these together.
Kiwi says
Great recipe for this! Looks delish and a good easy snack to create.