Holiday Spiced Nuts
If you’ve been invited to a party this holiday season, don’t go empty-handed! These Holiday Spiced Nuts are so easy to put together last-minute, and they make a great host/hostess gift.
I love these spicy nuts — slightly sweet from the maple syrup, slightly spicy, and a touch of zip from the cayenne pepper. Finishing them with a sprinkle of kosher salt makes them just about perfect.
You can use any nuts you like. For my recipe, I used natural almonds because that’s what I had on hand. You can make them as spicy as you want — leave out the cayenne, or add more if you prefer. I like more!
How long does Holiday Spiced Nuts take to make?
Mixing the spices, nuts, and maply syrup together takes only minutes, and the nuts bake in the oven for about 35 minutes. You can make this entire recipe in under an hour! How’s that for last-minute?
Let’s talk about the ingredients
Nuts – I used almonds, because that’s what I had in my pantry. You can use any nuts you like!
Maple syrup – The syrup helps the spice stick to the nuts, and gives the nuts a crispy coating.
Spices – I used some of the usual holiday spices, plus cayenne pepper for that spicy bite. Kosher salt sprinkled on just before baking gives that sweet & salty effect. If you don’t like the spice from the cayenne pepper, you can leave it out.
Can I Make Substitutions?
Nuts – Use any nuts you like!
Kosher Salt – You could use Fleur de Sel, Sea Salt, or how about smoked sea salt? Yum!
Can Holiday Spiced Nuts be Gluten-Free / Dairy-Free?
Yes, there is no gluten or dairy in this recipe.
The Holiday Spiced Nuts Method
This recipe is really easy to throw together. First, toss the nuts with maple syrup in a large bowl until they are completely coated in the maple syrup.
Add spices and stir to coat.
Spread coated nuts in a single layer, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. I used a silicone mat.
Bake the nuts at 325° F for about 30-35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Your house will smell AMAZING!
Completely cool the spiced nuts before storing in a sealed jar. I like to put them into a pretty jar and decorate with a ribbon. Gifts achieved!
Holiday Spiced Nuts
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Baking sheet
- parchment paper or aluminum foil
- 1 Large spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Nuts
- 3 Tablespoons Real maple syrup
- 1.5 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground allspice
- 0.25 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add nuts and maple syrup. Stir to completely coat nuts.
- Add spices (except salt) to the bowl and stir to completely coat nuts.
- Pour coated nuts onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to make sure nuts don’t burn.
- Cool completely before storing in decorative jars.
Notes
