I'm a big fan of keeping mixed nuts on hand for snacking. I prefer to make homemade nut mixes over store-bought because I have more control over the kinds of nuts used as well as the flavors.
These were originally supposed to be a sweet and spicy mix, but the garlic flavor won out. I was afraid to use too much cayenne because I didn't want it to be too spicy. If you're worried about the spice level, just omit the cayenne entirely.
These are great for general snacking or to serve as a party snack. If you need some heartier party food, too, check out my Appetizers collection.
Ingredients
- Cashew halves or pieces
- Unsalted peanuts
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Cayenne
- Honey
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Olive oil
Equipment
- 2 rimmed baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Rubber spatulas
Homemade Nut Mix Recipe Notes
Watch the nuts closely while they're roasting. Cooking times will vary based on your individual oven.
Cool the nut mix completely before storing. These must cool completely to avoid condensation forming in the storage container. Cooling completely will take 30 minutes to an hour. Store in an airtight container.
Sweet & Garlicky Nut Mix
Equipment
- Spatula
Ingredients
Garlicky Cashews
- 2 cups cashew halves and pieces (or one 8 oz. container)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Honey Roasted Peanuts
- 1 cup unsalted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 4 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine cashew seasonings and set aside.½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- In a mixing bowl, coat cashews in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add seasoning and stir with a spatula until the cashews are evenly coated.2 cups cashew halves and pieces, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Transfer cashews to one of the baking sheets.
- Cook for 4 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and return to oven. Cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. (Note: Keep a close eye on the nuts in the last couple minutes of cooking. Oven performances vary. You want the nuts to be brown, but not burned.)
- Coat peanuts in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add honey and brown sugar and stir until the peanuts are well-coated.1 cup unsalted peanuts, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 teaspoon honey, 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- Transfer peanuts to one of the baking sheets.
- Cook for 9 minutes, removing from the oven to stir at 3 and 6 minutes. (Similar to the cashews, keep a close eye on them in the last couple minutes of cooking to ensure they don't burn. It's OK if you have some burned bits of sugar and honey on the parchment paper, though.)
- Remove the peanuts from the oven and toss in 4 teaspoons granulated sugar.4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Let nuts cool for about 10 minutes (until cool enough to handle). Transfer to a bowl and stir to combine. Allow to cool completely before storing.
Notes
