You know what makes a little get-together even more special? Sweet and spicy roasted nuts. It’s a quick and simple recipe that is a really nice touch when you’re welcoming people into your home. Plus, making them ahead of time makes your house smell welcoming, and your neighbors might start wandering over to see what’s going on in your kitchen!
Since I’m the only one in my family that has been to culinary school, I’m typically the one that’s always in the kitchen working on whatever is for dinner. But, these sweet and spicy nuts are so easy that I can delegate them to my husband to put together. The best part is, he feels like he has been super helpful in the kitchen! You can use your favorite assortment of nuts, but I prefer a combination of cashews, walnuts, almonds and pepitas. I use egg whites and water to create a natural binding effect on the nuts with the spice mixture consisting of Spice Islands salt, cayenne pepper and ground cinnamon. The sweet and spicy flavors make for an interesting but welcome surprise as a pre- or post-dinner snack!
Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw whole cashews
- 1 cup raw whole walnuts
- 1 cup raw whole almonds
- 1 cup raw pepitas
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Spice Islands Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Spice Islands Cayenne Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Spice Islands Ground Saigon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Spice Islands Ground Chipotle Chile
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 ºF, line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set it aside.
- Combine the cashews, walnuts, almonds and pepitas in a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Whisk together the egg white, water, sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, chipotle chile and cinnamon.
- Drizzle the wet mixture over the nuts and toss to combine, making sure they are evenly coated.
- Transfer the nuts to the baking sheet and spread in an even layer.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the nuts from the oven and separate the nuts as they cool. Once they are completely cooled, transfer the nuts to an airtight container and serve as needed.
Husband and wife team LINDSAY LANDIS and TAYLOR HACKBARTH are entrepreneurs by day, running a web and graphic design business out of their home in Nashville, Tennessee. By night they cook, bake, and eat all manner of delicious things. Their food blog, Love & Olive Oil (http://www.loveandoliveoil.com), chronicles their culinary adventures in and around the kitchen. Lindsay is the author of The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook (June 2012, Quirk Books), and their next book, a joint endeavor entitled Breakfast For Dinner, is set to be published in February of 2013.
Gaby Dalkin is private chef, recipe developer, food stylist and photographer specializing in simple and sassy recipes for the home cook! Her website, What's Gaby Cooking started in 2009, and includes her latest original recipes as well as her adventures in the food world. 
What are pepitas and where are the best place to find raw nuts.
Hi Diane!
Pepeitas are just pumpkin seeds – so you can find them at any local market where they sell raw nuts. If you have a Trader Joes they carry them there! Or Whole Foods, Kroger, Vons, Ralphs etc!
Hope this helps