• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Learn how food affects your body. Get Free Nutrition Info Today

the-lean-green-bean-logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Kids
  • Resources
    • Ebooks
    • Food Prep
    • Videos
    • Snack Round-Ups
  • About
    • Become An RD
    • Work With Me
  • Search
the-lean-green-bean-logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Kids
  • Resources
    • Ebooks
    • Food Prep
    • Videos
    • Snack Round-Ups
  • About
    • Become An RD
    • Work With Me
  • Search

Sweet and Spicy Pecans and Almonds

December 7, 2022 by Lindsay 31 Comments

These Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts with Pecans and Almonds are lightly sweetened, with just the right amount of spice. They make a great party appetizer or holiday gift!

Sweet & Spicy Mixed Nuts Recipe with sweet and spicy almonds and pecans

*This post was originally published 12/2013. Updated 2017 and 2022*

Hi Friends!

When I originally made this recipe I was on a big almond kick so I made them with just almonds. Since then, I’ve tweaked and updated the recipe and found that making them with pecans is actually my favorite, followed by a mix of almonds and pecans, but if you’re a walnut lover you could definitely throw those in as well.

Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts

sweet and spicy mixed nuts on baking sheet - sweet and spicy pecans and almonds

These nuts are actually inspired by the sweet and spicy pecans from Trader Joe’s that I absolutely love. When I first tried to recreate them, I just focused on the sweet and spicy. I tried using sriracha – don’t do that 🙂 Then I tried just cayenne pepper, which worked alright.

But after many attempts, the secret seems to be in the combination of spices. Mixing cinnamon, ginger and cinnamon on the sweet side with chili powder and cayenne pepper on the spicy side gives them a depth of flavor that I love!

Sweet and Spicy Pecans and Almonds

Sweet and Spicy Almonds, Pecans and Walnuts

Here’s the recipe I used:

Sweet and Spicy Nuts Recipe

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!
Print Recipe

★★★★

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

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups raw nuts (I usually use almonds, walnuts & pecans or do all pecans)
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2  tsp cayenne pepper (more if you want- I use 2.5 – 3 tsp!)
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Place the nuts in a large bowl.
  2. In a bowl, whisk the egg white and water together until foamy.
  3. Pour over nuts and stir to coat.
  4. Add sugar and spices 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 15 minutes more.
  7. Remove from oven, let cool and break apart large clusters.

Notes

I’ve updated this recipe to improve it but here’s the original recipe – 3 cups raw nuts (I used almonds, walnuts & pecans, 1 egg white + 1 Tablespoon water + 1/4 cup sugar + 1.5 tsp cayenne pepper

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @theleangreenbean on Instagram

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! You could easily increase the sugar from 1/3 to 1/2 cup.

These make a great gift for the holidays! Make a double batch and split them up into cute holiday bags or mason jars and voila! Need more homemade gift ideas? Check out these Edible Christmas Gift Ideas.

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

Want more recipes using nuts?

nuts5

Chipotle & Rosemary Spiced Nuts

The perfect savory nut blend with just a little bit of heat! Perfect for a party appetizer!

Grab the recipe!
Bursting with citrus flavor, these Lemon Energy balls make the perfect snack. Made with just 5 ingredients, they're gluten-free, paleo-friendly and perfect for stashing in the fridge or freezer!

Lemon Energy Balls

Bursting with citrus flavor, these Lemon Energy balls make the perfect snack. Made with just 5 ingredients, they’re gluten-free, paleo-friendly and perfect for stashing in the fridge or freezer!

Grab the recipe!
These Puppy Chow Almonds are a fun twist on a classic treat. The nuts add an extra boost of protein and healthy fats, making it perfect for a special snack or dessert!

Puppy Chow Almonds

These Puppy Chow Almonds are a fun twist on a classic treat. The nuts add an extra boost of protein and healthy fats, making it perfect for a special snack or dessert!

Grab the recipe!
sweet and spicy party nuts recipe 3

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Party Nuts

A delicious mix of nuts, pepitas, maple syrup and fresh rosemary that are absolutely irresistible.

Grab the recipe!
spiced nuts 005

The Best Crispy Spiced Nuts

This Spiced Nuts Recipe with cinnamon and chili is a delicious fall or holiday snack, appetizer or they make a great gift. The maple and spice coating is made with egg whites which is a great way to give them the best crispy texture!

Grab the recipe!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

table talk series
LEARN HOW FOOD AFFECTS YOUR BODY.

Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!

Enter your email here ...

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!

Reader Interactions

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 […]

    Reply
  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

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Lindsay Livingston The Lean Green Bean Healthy Living Tips and Tricks

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!

Learn More →

Questions? Comments? Email me: [email protected]

The Lean Green Bean Facebook The Lean Green Bean Instagram The Lean Green Bean Pinterest The Lean Green Bean Twitter The Lean Green Bean Feed
footer-logo
The Lean Green Bean Facebook The Lean Green Bean Instagram The Lean Green Bean Pinterest The Lean Green Bean Twitter The Lean Green Bean Feed
Recipes

Breakfast
Dinner
Snack
Slow Cooker

Kids

Cooking With Kids
Favorite Gifts
Toddler Meals
Indoor Activities

Resources

Easy Packed Lunches for Kids
Dinner Spark
Snack Spark
Ultimate Guide to Food Prep

About

Meet Lindsay
Become an RD
Work with Me

The Lean Green Bean is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Read the full privacy and disclosure policy here.

Copyright © 2022 · The Lean Green Bean

table talk series

Learn how food affects your body.

Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!

[email protected]