These Candied Sriracha Cashews are packed with flavor, with a crispy sweet shell that has just a bit of sriracha heat. The perfect nibble for holiday entertaining!
Arrange two racks in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 300° F. Line two jelly roll pans or baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats. Do not skip this step of lining your pans. Set pans aside.
In a medium-large bowl, whisk the egg white, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Whisk vigorously for at least 1 minute, until the mixture is very frothy. Add the cashews and stir to evenly coat. Place a medium sized colander over a bowl and add the cashews to the colander to drain for a full 5 minutes.
While the cashews are draining, add the sugar and cornstarch to the same bowl that you whisked the egg white in. Whisk together and then stir in the sriracha sauce. Give the colander of cashews a few good shakes to remove any excess liquid, and then add the cashews to the sriracha mixture. Stir to evenly coat.
Divide cashews between the two pans, spreading them out as evenly as you can. Take the time to separate the cashews to ensure even baking and crispier nuts. There will be some sriracha liquid in the pan, but it will firm up as the cashews bake and then cool.
Place pans on separate racks in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and stir to incorporate the sriracha mixture, spreading out and separating the nuts as much as you can. Place pans back in the oven, alternating top and bottom racks. Bake for another 20 to 23 minutes. Do not let the cashews burn.
Remove pans from oven, immediately sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and let the cashews cool completely on the pans, for at least one hour. Allowing the nuts to air dry will keep the candied shell extra crispy. Nuts will keep well in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week, but are crispiest when eaten during the first few days after making them.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.