Spiced Nuts - Sweet & Spicy Party Nuts (2024)

If you are looking for an easy party appetizer, look no further than these spiced nuts! Five minutes of preparation and then into the oven it goes.

When it’s finished, you will have a snack mix packed full of flavor made from shelled peanuts, cashews, pistachios, and almonds.

The Spices

These mixed nuts feature a unique blend of spices that hit nearly every taste bud note on your tongue… except sour of course. Roasting amplifies the flavors and the egg whites assist the mixture in clinging to the surface.

This spice mix is meant to be sweet and spicy, but the volumes and spices themselves are a guide, not set in stone.

If heat doesn’t fit your audience at all, simply omit the chili powder and cayenne. I’d suggest keeping a smidge of the smoked paprika for a little variance. This is a great recipe for variation and personalization. And if you want a totally different vibe, make a batch of Rosemary Spiced Nuts.

Sugar will caramelize and form a shells around each one. If your nuts are already salted, omit salt in the recipe. Brown sugar is also acceptable.

The Nuts

You can lose or add any type of nut you want to in this recipe. That said, keep the total amount of nuts roughly the same so the spice mixture can really do its thing.

Try your best to make sure they are roughly the same size so things roast evenly. You don’t want some really burnt nuts while others need some additional time in the oven.

Nuts that work well:

• peanuts
• cashews
• almonds
• walnuts
• pine nuts
• pecans
• pistachios

When you are purchasing make sure they are raw, not roasted nuts. You will roast them yourself. Also, be sure they are not salted or seasoned. Again, you will do that with the spice mixture. If you do have salted ones, omit additional salt.

If you are buying from the bulk bins, be sure to pack any nuts you have not used in an airtight container. I prefer glass mason jars. Nuts are packed with oils which means they can go rancid. The smell of them will give it away.

Spiced Nuts Recipe

Here we go, how to make homemade spiced nuts.

• Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat well with cooking spray or line with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk egg white until foamy. In another small bowl mix spices.
• Fold nuts into egg whites. When sufficiently coated, fold in spice mixture.
• Spread nuts in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, flipping once.
• Remove from oven. Nuts can be served warm or room temperature.

Make Ahead, Storage & Freezing

These are a dream for making ahead of time. Simply store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. If you’d like to serve them warm, heat in the oven on 200°F for 10 minutes.

If you know you might not be using some of the nuts for a while, go ahead and store them in those airtight containers or bags, and freeze them. In the freezer, they can last up to six months.

If you loved this party snack mix, be sure to check out some of these other easy snack recipes:

• Garlic Dill Oyster Crackers
• Monster Trail Mix
• Candied Walnuts
• How to Roast Chestnuts
• Ranch Oyster Crackers
• Southwest Pepitas

This recipe was adapted from one that graced the pages Food and Wine magazine from Chef Bronson van Wyck. Van Wyckbelievesthat spicy flavors stimulateendorphinsand make people happy.