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Sweet and Spicy Almonds (or Mixed Nuts)

November 14, 2017 by Lindsay 31 Comments

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These Sweet and Spicy Almonds (or mixed nuts) are lightly sweetened, with just the right amount of spice. They make a great party appetizer or holiday gift!

These Sweet & Spicy Almonds (or mixed nuts) are lightly sweetened, with just the right amount of spice. They make a great party appetizer or holiday gift!

*This post was originally published 12/2013. Photos and text were updated 11/2017*

Hi Friends!

I can’t believe it’s been almost 4 years since I shared these sweet and spicy almonds on the blog. I originally shared the recipe using just almonds and have made them that way many times. But this year I decided to change things up and use a combination of different nuts that I found while cleaning out my pantry. For this batch, I used almonds, pecans and walnuts. You could also try cashews!

sweet and spicy mixed nuts on baking sheet

I remember how many tries it took me to get this recipe right when I first made them a few years ago. They were actually inspired by the sweet and spicy pecans from Trader Joes that I absolutely love.

Seems like all the candied nut recipes out there call for tons of sugar, which I didn’t want….I just wanted to dress them up with a hint of sweet and a little kick of spice.

Sweet and Spicy Almonds, Pecans and Walnuts

First I tried using sriracha. What I learned is, it takes A LOT of sriracha to makes nuts spicy. Here’s how it went down:

  • Round 1: Wasn’t spicy at all, despite the fact that I added sriracha.
  • Round 2: Tasted like straight sriracha, which I’m not a huge fan of.
  • Round 3: Delicious. I put the sriracha away and used my beloved cayenne pepper instead.

Here’s the recipe I used:

Print

Sweet & Spicy Mixed Nuts

Lightly sweetened, with just the right amount of spice, these Sweet & Spicy Mixed Nuts make a great party appetizer or holiday gift!

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

A lightened-up, healthier version of your favorite candied nuts- with a kick!

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 25 min
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
Scale

Ingredients

  • 3 cups raw nuts (I used almonds, walnuts & pecans
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Place the nuts in a large bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white and water together until foamy.
  3. Pour over nuts and stir to coat.
  4. Add sugar and cayenne and stir to coat.
  5. Pour nuts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  6. Bake at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes. Stir and bake 10 minutes more.
  7. Remove from oven, let cool and break apart large clusters.

Did you make this recipe?

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These are addicting! I’d definitely recommend the parchment paper- makes cleanup a breeze!  Feel free to adjust the sugar and spice to your liking. These are not overly sweet but they’re perfect for me. The sweetness hits you first and the spice kicks in later!

Lightly sweetened, with just the right amount of spice, these Sweet & Spicy Mixed Nuts make a great party appetizer or holiday gift!

[clickToTweet tweet=”Need a quick hostess gift or party appetizer? Make a batch of these Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts!” quote=”Need a quick hostess gift or party appetizer? Make a batch of these Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Filed Under: Dessert, Snack Tagged With: Almond, Egg, Sugar

About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

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Comments

  1. Angela @ Happy Fit Mama says

    December 31, 2013 at 6:22 AM

    Yum! I’m so over the overly sugary nut. This looks great with lots of flavor. Happy New Year Lindsay!

    Reply
  2. Linz @ Itz Linz says

    December 31, 2013 at 7:38 AM

    yum! that’s funny about the different tries it took you – i, too, much prefer cayenne pepper over sriracha!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 2, 2014 at 8:39 AM

      so many tries! but worth it 🙂

      Reply
  3. Tara | treble in the kitchen says

    December 31, 2013 at 8:51 AM

    I am always a fan of sweet and spicy! These sound great 🙂

    Reply
  4. Sara @ LovingOnTheRun says

    December 31, 2013 at 9:01 AM

    Yum a delicious and healthy treat! Looks perfect!

    Reply
  5. Jody - Fit at 56 says

    December 31, 2013 at 9:36 AM

    DELISH!!!!!!!!!!! I have made some other flavors in the past – addicting yes – especially the cinnamon flavor for me!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 2, 2014 at 8:38 AM

      i like cinnamon too!

      Reply
  6. Amanda @runtothefinish says

    December 31, 2013 at 9:38 AM

    ohhhh spiced nuts are so one of my favorite things, but I try to pass them most of the time because I’ll eat em all in one sitting haha!! these look much healthier!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 2, 2014 at 8:38 AM

      yeah portion control is definitely necessary!

      Reply
  7. Kaylie says

    December 31, 2013 at 12:23 PM

    I love Cinnamon roasted almonds, but tit’s recipe sounds amazing!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 2, 2014 at 8:37 AM

      maybe next time i’ll add some cinnamon to the mix!

      Reply
  8. Jennifer F says

    December 31, 2013 at 1:03 PM

    OMG candied nuts, my weakness . . .

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 2, 2014 at 8:37 AM

      eek mine too!

      Reply
  9. Heather @ Better With Veggies says

    December 31, 2013 at 1:11 PM

    I’ve been snacking on nuts like they are going out of style recently. I love that you made some homemade ones to share. Maybe I’ll get my act together and make some of these for post-NY gifts (since I never brought christmas gifts to work this year!). 🙂

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 2, 2014 at 8:37 AM

      i think that sounds like a fabulous idea!

      Reply
  10. Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says

    December 31, 2013 at 1:16 PM

    I could see myself getting super addicted to these..thanks for the timing info. Happy New Years 🙂

    Reply
  11. Debbie @ Live from La Quinta says

    December 31, 2013 at 4:53 PM

    I usually toss back my almonds raw and plain, but these sure sound great! LOve the spicy/sweet combination.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 2, 2014 at 8:36 AM

      me too! it’s my favorite combo!

      Reply
  12. Kristine says

    December 31, 2013 at 4:55 PM

    This recipe looks so simple and I love how you cut back on the sugar. I can see how these could be totally addicting! Happy New Year!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 2, 2014 at 8:36 AM

      definitely addicting..and still sweet enough even with just a little sugar!

      Reply
  13. Arman @ thebigmansworld says

    January 1, 2014 at 4:04 AM

    This. is. awesome. What I miss is all the flavoured almonds you could get in the USA- now I have no excuse. You bet these will be made!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 2, 2014 at 8:35 AM

      hope you like them!

      Reply
  14. Jennifer Blears says

    January 8, 2014 at 8:31 AM

    These look delish! Can you substitute the cayenne for cinnamon or nutmeg?

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 8, 2014 at 8:34 AM

      absolutely! i think they’d be delish with cinnamon!

      Reply
  15. K says

    January 12, 2014 at 9:56 PM

    These are SO delicious! I just made them, and I honestly cannot stop eating them. I used cinnamon instead of cayenne, and they are so, so tasty. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 13, 2014 at 6:39 AM

      i’m so glad you like them! i’m def adding cinnamon next time!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Weekly Eats 51 says:
    January 8, 2014 at 12:00 AM

    […] with avocado. Out to eat- tacos and quesadillas Ice cream with xmas m&ms Fav snack lately- Sweet & Spicy Almonds with a few peanut butter […]

    Reply
  2. The Randomest Post Ever | My Inner Shakti says:
    March 7, 2014 at 6:00 AM

    […] gone in exactly two days (and Vishnu did not help). Vishnu has, however, enjoyed handfuls of these Sweet and Spicy Nuts (I use half almonds and half cashews). I love Lindsay’s recipes because they are made with real […]

    Reply
  3. My Favorite Ways To Eat Almonds says:
    June 24, 2014 at 12:00 AM

    […] Sweet & Spicy Almonds […]

    Reply
  4. Last Minute Homemade Gift Ideas says:
    January 14, 2015 at 6:20 PM

    […] 2. Sweet & Spicy Almonds […]

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  5. 15 Recipes to Enjoy for National Almond Day [February 16] #EatMoreAlmonds says:
    February 14, 2018 at 7:57 AM

    […] Sweet and Spicy Almonds [or Mixed Nuts!] from The Lean Green Bean // Most candied nut recipes are packed with sugar, but this recipe cuts back on the sugar, dressing them in just enough to sweeten as a perfect compliment to a little spicy bite. […]

    Reply

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lindsay livingston, Registered Dietitian from Columbus, OH, owner of the lean green bean

Hi, I’m Lindsay! I’m a Registered Dietitian and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. I use this blog to share simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and an honest glimpse of motherhood!

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