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.
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How to make Sweet Spiced Nuts:
Recipe
Sweet Spiced Nuts
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.
kristin says
YUM!! This sounds so so good. I bet these would be great gifts for the holidays!
Sara says
Now THIS is what gets me out of bed 🙂
krystal says
What a fun idea – could make a cute gift for the holidays too all packaged pretty! Looks delicious too.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Marissa Zurfluh says
These are seriously the perfect snack. I have always enjoyed all kinds of nuts.
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!
Cat says
I am definitely adding these nuts to my must-try list! They sound (and look) tasty!