Spiced Nuts Recipe

A baked spiced nuts recipe featuring crunchy pecans and almonds tossed in cinnamon, brown sugar, ginger, and cayenne. They’re crunchy, sweet, and flavorful, with just a touch of heat, and are super easy to prepare using any combination of raw, unsalted nuts you happen to have on hand. The spices are also fairly adaptable. Plus, these baked spiced nuts make the kitchen smell absolutely heavenly while they’re roasting in the oven!

Why Did I Create This Spiced Nuts Recipe?

It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of winter. I hate pretty much everything about it: grey skies; frigid weather; dark afternoons;  disappointing produce at the grocery store; hats and scarves and winter coats (give me a sundress and sandals any day!); dry skin; chapped lips; slushy streets; and that general feeling of sluggishness from spending way too much time cooped up inside. To make the dreary weather a tiny bit more bearable, I try to “lean in” to the cozy vibes with hot drinks, chunky sweaters, heated blankets, good books, simmer pots, and plenty of baking, especially things that will fill my chilly apartment with warm, inviting scents. Featuring a fragrant blend of cinnamon, brown sugar, and ginger, plus just a hint of cayenne, these candied nuts definitely fit the bill.

Key Ingredients

• Nuts – You can use any kind of nuts you’d like in this spiced nuts recipe. I used a mix of walnut halves, pecan halves, and raw almonds, but hazelnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, or pistachios would also work. Make sure you’re purchasing raw, shelled, unsalted nuts, since you’ll be roasting and adding seasonings of your own. Also, take care to choose whole nuts or larger halves/pieces. Chopped nuts will not work well for this recipe.

• Sugar and Spices – I tested this recipe with dark brown sugar (other dark, moist sugars will also work) and spiced the nuts with a mix of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom, and ground cayenne. Feel free to adjust the spices to fit your taste. Ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground allspice, homemade mixed spice, pumpkin spice, or even garam masala could be a nice addition. You can also increase the ground cayenne for more heat, or omit it entirely if you’re not a fan of hot, spicy flavors.
• Egg White – The egg white acts as a binder, allowing the sugar and spices to adhere to the nuts. and creating the crunchy coating. Don’t omit it. I have not tested this recipe with egg replacements or vegan egg substitutions.

Tips, Tricks, and Variations

• Keep an eye on the oven, and adjust the timings accordingly. If you use smaller nuts, they will require less roasting time; larger nuts such as macadamias may take a few extra minutes. I also like to toss the nuts with a spatula every few minutes to make sure they’re evenly roasted on all sides.
• Line the tray. You can use parchment or a silicone mat, but lining the tray is a must. Without it, the nuts will adhere as they bake, and you’ll have a difficult time scraping them from the sticky surface.

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Mixed Spiced Nuts

Recipe by becky

• Total Time0 hours
• Yield400 grams (18 ounces; about 4 cups) 1x

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Easy-to-make sweet spiced nuts featuring cinnamon, brown sugar, and ginger, plus just a hint of cayenne.

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

100 grams light brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
1 egg white, lightly beaten
350 grams nuts, raw and unsalted (12 1/3 ounces; about 3 cups)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 295° F (146° C). Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat.

In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom, kosher salt, and ground cayenne.

In a separate large bowl, toss the egg white and nuts, evenly coating all nuts in the egg white.

 

Add the spice mixture and stir to combine.

Spread on prepared tray.

Bake in preheated oven, stirring periodically with a spatula, for 35-45 minutes, or until fragrant, caramelized, and dry to the touch.

Cool on tray, tossing occasionally to prevent nuts from sticking together. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

 

Equipment

ground cinnamon

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half sheet rimmed baking tray

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parchment

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• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
• Category: Appetizers
• Method: Oven

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

To make ahead: Homemade spiced nuts will keep for several weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

To share: For gifting, I enjoy packaging these in a cello bag or a pretty glass jar. Spiced nuts also ship well. Unlike cookies and brownies and other more perishable baked goods, these won’t crumble in transit or spoil before they reach their final destination, so they’re ideal for sending to out-of-town friends.

Other Sweet and Spicy Recipes You Might Enjoy

Hot Honey
Spiced Orange Almond Cake
Chai-Spiced Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Brown Sugar Cardamom Palmiers
Maple Cinnamon Pecans

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!