This easy Spiced Nuts recipe, with fresh rosemary and thyme, is perfect for nibbling and gifting during the holiday season. Tossed with a touch of sugar and spicy cayenne pepper, you get the best of both sweet and savory worlds!
I’ve been making this Spiced Nuts recipe for years, gifting the nuts in small jars, with ribbons tied around the top. And I like to offer them as little nibbles before a holiday meal or on a Christmas Charcuterie Board with an Eggnog Cocktail or pitcher of Christmas Sangria. This recipe has become a favorite with all our family and friends!
Why Everyone ❤️s This Spiced Nuts Recipe
There’s no way around it. I just have to make a giant batch of these rosemary & thyme spiced nuts every year!
- Simple. Just mix the nuts with warm, herb-infused oil and simple spices, and place them in the oven to roast for 15 minutes.
- Great for gifting. Pack them in small jars or gift bags for the yummiest holiday gifts. Everyone loves this homemade treat!
- Festive. These mixed spiced nuts are a special appetizer perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
What You’ll Need
Smokey, earthy cumin and a little touch of spicy cayenne add savory deliciousness to every crunchy, irresistible bite. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient amounts.
- Nuts – I use equal amounts of whole roasted cashews, pecans, and almonds.
- Olive oil – This helps to coat the nuts evenly with flavor.
- Herbs – Fresh rosemary and thyme add gorgeous, unexpected flavor.
- Cumin – One of my favorite spices!
- Cayenne – This dried pepper powder adds a faint bit of heat.
- Sugar – A small amount of sugar contrasts with the overall savory flavors in this recipe.
- Salt & pepper – Simple seasonings bring this recipe altogether.
How to Make Spiced Nuts
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card and instructions.
- Create the spiced herb oil. Warm the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the rosemary and thyme, and infuse for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the cumin and cayenne pepper.
- Season the nuts. Place the nuts in a heat-proof bowl and pour the infused oil over the top. Stir to coat evenly. Then sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
Bake. Transfer the seasoned nuts to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, then bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let cool completely and enjoy!
Tips & Variation Ideas
When it comes to easy appetizer recipes for the holidays, these nuts are top of list. Here are a couple of my top tips + a few variations for you!
- Use roasted, salted nuts. I do not recommend using raw nuts in this recipe. The nuts only roast for 15 minutes, to adhere the herby spiced oil – so I like to start with roasted nuts, for the best flavor and texture. I usually buy my nuts at either Trader Joe’s or Fleet Farm…my parents and in-laws swear by the nuts at Fleet Farm, for both quality and price!
- Don’t let the oil burn. When infusing the oil with herbs and spices on the stovetop, keep the temperature low so it doesn’t burn.
- Use other nuts. Swap any of the nuts in the recipe for pistachios, macadamias, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, or Brazil nuts for an easy variation.
- Sweeten them up. Swap out the herbs, cumin, and cayenne for a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg (or pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice) instead.
- Make them spicy. Add more cayenne and give these nuts some extra zing!
- More add-ins. Once cooled, stir in 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins, or mini salted pretzels.
- Double it! Probably my best tip. I always double, triple, or quadruple the recipe. Our whole family loves this recipe, and the spiced nuts ALWAYS disappear fast…especially with entertaining and gifting during the holiday season!
Package Them For Holiday Gifting
This irresistible spiced nuts recipe makes for beautiful holiday gifts. I like to use airtight jars, to extend their freshness. For extra flair, tie a pretty bow onto the jar. Give them away as gifts to friends, teachers, pastors, etc. Hand a pretty jar of nuts to the hostess with the mostest. Or set them on the table as party favors at your next holiday gathering!
How to Store Spiced Nuts
Store spiced nuts in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Keep them away from direct heat, sunlight, and humidity for best results.
More Holiday Appetizers
- Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
- Bagna Cauda (Italian anchovy dip)
- Shrimp & Crab Dip
- Classic Deviled Eggs
Rosemary Thyme Spiced Nuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted, salted whole cashews
- 1 cup roasted, salted whole almonds
- 1 cup roasted, salted whole pecans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt (If using pre-salted nuts, you might want to add less salt here.)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Place nuts in a medium heatproof bowl.
- Pour oil into a small heavy saucepan and place over medium-low to low heat until just warm. Do not let it get too hot – the oil will burn.
- Add rosemary and thyme, and stir until aromatic, about 1 minute.
- Remove pan from heat, then stir in cumin and cayenne pepper. Pour the flavored oil over the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle nuts with sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir again.
- Transfer nuts to a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes total, stirring after the first 10 minutes.
- Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
I have made these spiced nuts two years in a row and they are always a hit!
No doubt these are amazing as the recipe states, but i made some adjustments based on comments and what I had on hand.
I used salted roasted almonds, raw unsalted cashews, unsalted roasted pecans and unsalted roasted hazelnuts. Used italian seasoning instead of thyme (i was low), added a tsp sumac, skipped the extra salt, used maple syrup stead of sugar and doubled the cayenne, and lets just saw these did not last in my house at all. Nom, nom, nom.
I used less salt. Delicious, and just the savory zing I wanted. I used walnuts and pecans, so, with rosemary & walnuts, this is brain function food. I omitted sugar for health reasons and learned to drizzle oil with herbs while stirring because the top walnuts caught much of the herbs in their crevices,
Mahalo! Worth pulling out the whole nuts over a period of time for.
I struggled a bit to understand if I should use roasted unsalted or roasted salted nuts so I actually ended up using a mixture of the two just because that’s what I had. I did double the recipe and divided it into two pans, but I’m curious to know Brenda, if you put all of yours in one pan if you double the recipe. I ended up baking them separately as well just to make sure the heat was distributed around the pans. They turned out to taste good, but I’m guessing I did something wrong or different from others.
Oh my gosh these are delicious! I tried a different recipe last night that just didn’t do it for me. I am having trouble not eating these all before my party tonight because they are so darn good.
Hi Kara – I’m so glad you like! See why I often double or triple the recipe?!?! :)
I receive tons of requests for this recipe. Definitely can be a great gift for the holidays!
Love these nuts. Can they keep fresh for longer then 4 days if they are put in canning jars. Want to give them as gifts?
This is one of the best spiced nuts recipes I’ve ever found. It’s perfect, as is! The flavors are very delicious and oh-so interesting. It’s fun to watch people pop a few in their mouth, try to figure out what the ingredients are, then keep going back for more. They’re wonderfully addictive haha!
Also, I’m always asked for the recipe when I bring these to parties. Thank you! :)
L.O.V.E. these for Thanksgiving easy addition to my cheese board. They have become a must have!
I always line a cookie pan with parchment paper to cook these. easier clean-up
These nuts are scrumptious and make great gifts, but it’s not easy to give them away!! It’s also a great way to cook your way through the pantry, using up your spices and seasonings that sometimes sit around for years and don’t get used. I liked this recipe so much that I started an herb garden on my back deck just so I can make them when I want. You definitely want to use the fresh herbs to get the desired effect!
AMAZING!!! Second time I make them in a month. Whole family loves them. Thank you!
A tasty change from cinnamon spiced nuts—though nothing against those! The house smelled so good while cooking, too. Thanks for the recipe.
I made these for Christmas gifts, but they are so delicious, we are eating them all! Will be making more as they are absolute delicious, no need to alter the recipe. Thanks, Brenda!!
Yay!! So happy to hear this, Linda – thanks for coming back to leave a comment. MERRY CHRISTMAS to you!
Do you use raw or already roasted unsalted nuts?
I usually use raw but last time didn’t have any and used roasted. Didn’t notice any difference.
This sounds great! Could i use dry herbs instead? If so, what’s the measurement?