Do you have a recipe or two that you make for the holidays, every single year? A recipe that you simply cannot live without? Well, Peg’s Spiced Nuts is that recipe for me. And it fits in beautifully with my “Sweet (and easy!) Christmas Gifts From One Day in the Kitchen”series going on right now!
Peg, a delightful woman I used to work with, introduced these crazy good nuts to me about a dozen years ago. This treat – sweet and savory, with just a hint of heat – is her signature gift come Christmas each year. And it’s becoming a trademark now for me, too.
To make these absolutely spectacular, you really don’t want to skimp on the nuts. Large whole nuts are beautiful and impressive, and so much fun to indulge in. If there’s any time of year to put out some lunker sized nuts, Christmas is it!
These spiced nuts couldn’t be much easier to make. And they are perfect for mixing up ahead of time, as they keep really well in a sealed container for a week or two. They are a simple, yet special, before dinner nibble and make an unforgettable hostess gift.
They also take center stage on a goodie platter. I like to include a small bowl of these in the center of my platter, and then surround the nuts with a variety of Christmas sweets, offering a nutty savory contrast to all the other sugared up yum. This combination makes for a very fun and tasty nosh!
(If you like the gift tag in the picture above, it’s available as a FREE printable. Also check out my guest post at Simple Organized Living for more ideas on how to use these tags!)
Peg’s Spiced Nuts
Ingredients
- 2.5 c. large whole nuts – my favorite combo is pecans cashews, and almonds
- 2 T. vegetable oil
- 1.5 tsp. cumin
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 T. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place nuts in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the oil into a small heavy saucepan and place over medium low heat until warm. Do not let it get too hot – the oil will burn. That means you have to start over. :-(
- Add the cumin and cayenne pepper and stir until the mixture is aromatic, only about 15 seconds. Pour the flavored oil over the nuts. Add sugar and salt. Stir to coat evenly. Transfer to a baking pan.
- Bake, stirring occasionally until nuts are toasted, about 15 to 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container up to two weeks. Recipe is easily doubled.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
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You might also like these recipes – they’re yummy, and great for gifting:
Hot Fudge Sauce
Chocolate & Candy Cane Dipped Marshmallows
Do you start with raw nuts? I no, are they unsalted?
Hi Beth – I usually use nuts that are already roasted. I try to use unsalted, but they aren’t always available. They’ll be great either way! :)
I spice mine with cinnamon and a little black pepper, but I am going to have to give cumin and cayenne a try!!!
Thanks for visiting, Jia! I like black pepper on nuts – sounds delicious with cinnamon!
oh my word~~i wish that i would have never ever found this blog!!! then i would never have found these nuts~~then i would still be able to fit into my clothes at the end of this month!!!! LOL!!!!i just made a double batch of these–for party faves at thanksgiving dinner!!! well….between my sis, me and mom there is little less than 1 batch left!!!!!!! if you have any doubt about these nuts pleeezzzz do yourself a favor and dont listen and make them!!!! you will think you have died and gone to nut-spices heaven??? is that a place??? thanks soooo much!!!!!
Ha! Thanks, as always, WenDee! :)
Yum! Mentioned these nuts in my post today! Thanks so much for sharing! Love your recipes, and so glad Mary passed your site along to me!
Blessings,
Holly
http://hallelujahsbyholly.blogspot.com
Hi Holly – thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with your readers – I appreciate it. And it’s always great to hear from you! Happy Thanksgiving!
luv your site. fyi just linked to it on my fave blogs on my site! happy friday!!!
Ohhhh, Kim, thank you so much. You’ve been so supportive of me & I really appreciate it!
This looks fantastic. I love spiced nuts for the holiday or anytime of the year for that matter.
Hi Naomi – thank you!
Yummy! These would make many a friend or family member smile this holiday season!
Hello Amy – thanks so much for stopping by. And, yes, these are smile inducers!
I adore spiced nuts, candied nuts, rosemary roasted nuts. These look like the perfect balance of spicy and sweet!
Hi Shaina – now you have me digging for my rosemary nuts recipe, haven’t made them in years!
Such a great snack to set out while everyone is anxiously awaiting dinner. Great idea!
Thanks Kristen – and thanks for stopping by!
Oh my family would LOVE these!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Hi Cheryl! :)
This is a recipe I think I’ll probably make year round. We LOVE spiced nuts as a snack whenever, especially at the end of the day with a glass of wine.
Hi Amber – so glad you stopped by! These are a wonderful nibble with an evening glass of wine.
I love spiced nuts! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I think it will be a hit at Thanksgiving, too!
Hi Robyn – I hope your family likes them as much as mine does!
Oh my! These spiced nuts are going to be on our list to make this year!
Yay!
i have a question that is not about the nuts~~well..i am a little nuts but that a story for another day!!!
what is the commentluv thing that is showing up with some of the other coments and at the bottom of your page????
thanks—
CommentLuv is a plugin that visits the site of the comment author, to include the latest blog post, once the comment is submitted.
oh my!!! i am for sure gonna try to make these and then if there is any left~~GIFTS!!!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!!!
thanks~~~
Hi WenDee – I suggest at least a double recipe, so you can do both!
What a wonderful snack! Great recipe!
Hi Amanda – they are a little too wonderful, actually. I can’t stop eating them. I have a stash in the pantry at home and a stash in my desk at work!
I just bookmarked these. I think they will make a great treat to offer my out of town guests for Thanksgiving! Thanks…
Oh Num Num Yummy Num! Wonderful looking treat and you have packaged them so sweetly. Love the little jingle bells! Thanks for passing on your friend Peg’s recipe.