This holiday season, instead of buying candied nuts at the store, make these easy homemade Holiday Spiced Nuts (Christmas Nuts) instead. Nuts are rich in healthy unsaturated fats, protein, fiber, and other beneficial nutrients. They're also perfect for holiday gifting!
This holiday season, skip the store-bought spiced or candied nuts and try these easy homemade Holiday Spiced Nuts instead! It's so easy to whip up a batch of these sweet and savory treats for festive gatherings or thoughtful gifts.
Homemade candied nuts are healthier than store-bought nuts, which can be high in sodium and sugar. They're also less expensive, especially if you buy your nuts in bulk.
These irresistible, crispy Christmas nuts are dipped in egg whites for that perfect candy-like texture. Then they're coated in a combination of spices that's sweet, smoky, and a bit spicy.
For an egg-free option, try my Rosemary & Honey Glazed Nuts, which have a savory-sweet crunch with a hint of heat. Both recipes are quick, delicious, and healthier alternatives to traditional holiday treats. If you're a chocolate lover, try my 3-ingredient chocolate almond clusters.
Serve these delicious sweet and savory spiced nuts at the holidays along with other appetizers, and watch them disappear!
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- So tasty- These Christmas nuts are sweet, spicy, crunchy, and totally addictive!
- Quick & easy- Uses simple ingredients and bakes in 15 minutes!
- Economical- Cheaper than buying candied nuts at the store.
- Great for gifting- Perfect for spreading cheer during the holiday season!
Nutritional Benefits of Nuts
For a long time, nuts had a bad rap as being high in fat and unhealthy- something to be avoided when trying to follow a low-fat diet. Well, it turns out that not all fats are created equal.
Although nuts are high in fat (approximately 60% fat by weight), they are comprised mainly of unsaturated fats. This is different than the saturated fats found mainly in animal products like meat and cheese.
The mono and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts are actually considered to be "good fats" and have been shown to lower your LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels.
In addition, nuts are also a great source of protein and fiber and contain several other nutrients that have beneficial effects on heart health including Vitamin E, plant sterols, selenium, and L-arginine.
These compounds provide various positive health benefits including lowering cholesterol, slowing the development of plaques in your arteries, improving the lining of arteries, and preventing blood clots.
One of the first studies to show that nuts may be associated with a reduced risk of heart disease was done about 20 years ago.
Since then, the majority of the epidemiologic studies that have looked at this relationship have reported similar findings.
In 2003, the FDA approved the following health claim:
Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.
This claim was approved specifically for 7 types of nuts- walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachio nuts, and some pine nuts because these nuts contain less than 4 g saturated fat per 50 grams.
How To Incorporate Nuts Into Your Diet
Although nuts have many health benefits, they are still high in calories and should be eaten in moderation. Instead of simply adding nuts to your diet, try using them to replace some of the foods in your diet that are high in saturated fat such as meats and cheese.
For example, instead of topping your salad with bacon try some sliced almonds instead. Instead of heaping cheese on your pasta, sprinkle on some chopped walnuts, pine nuts or my 4-ingredient vegan parmesan cheese, which is made with cashews.
You can even make vegetarian chili with walnuts or no-bake energy balls or chocolate almond clusters when you want a healthy snack.
And although it may be hard to resist going back for more, try to limit your intake to 1 to 2 ounces a day of unsalted nuts, which is about one or two handfuls.
Ingredients For Holiday Spiced Nuts
Ingredient notes and substitutions. See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe.
- Nuts- I use a mixture of nuts like pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts for these Christmas nuts.
- Egg white- Coating the nuts in whipped egg white gives them a light and crispy texture. It also helps the spices adhere to them
- Seasonings- I use a sweet and savory mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. You can substitute other spices like pumpkin pie spice, smoked paprika or curry powder.
Step-By-Step Instructions
See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe.
- Step 1- Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper together in a medium bowl.
- Step 2- Whisk the egg white in another bowl until light and frothy.
- Step 3- Drop the nuts into the egg whites and toss to combine.
- Step 4- Remove the nuts, shaking off any excess egg white, and drop them into the spice mix. Toss to coat well.
- Step 5- Spread the nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the oven for 14-15 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- Step 6- Remove the nuts and let them cool on a wire rack. As they cool, the nuts will crisp up.
Chef's Tips
- You can use any type of nuts that you like for this Christmas nuts recipe including walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, and Brazil nuts. Peanuts, however, have an overpowering flavor so I typically don't include them.
- You can adjust the seasonings depending on how sweet or spicy you want the nuts. You can also try different spices like pumpkin pie spice, smoked paprika, or curry powder.
- These candied holiday spiced nuts can get dark very quickly so keep a close eye on them at the end of baking and take them out before they get too dark. They will crisp up as they cool.
- These spiced nuts make great holiday gifts! Wrap them up in clear gift bags with a decorative ribbon or pack them up in a mason jar.
Recipe FAQs
Store these holiday spiced nuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
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Recipe
Holiday Spiced Nuts (Christmas Nuts)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)
- 1 egg white
- 2 ½ cups assorted nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, and Brazil nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper together in a medium bowl.
- Whip the egg white in another bowl with a whisk until light and frothy. Drop the nuts into the bowl and toss to combine. Remove the nuts, shaking off any excess egg white, and drop them into the bowl with the spice mix. Toss to coat all of the nuts with the spices.
- Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line the sheet with a non-stick baking mat. Spread the nuts on the sheet in a single layer and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Watch them closely at the end to make sure they don't burn. Remove the nuts and let them cool on a wire rack. As they cool, the nuts will crisp up. Serve right away or store in an airtight container for one week.
Notes
-
- You can use any type of nuts that you like for this recipe including walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, and Brazil nuts. Peanuts, however, have an overpowering flavor so I typically don't include them.
-
- You can adjust the seasonings depending on how sweet or spicy you want the nuts. You can also try different spices like pumpkin pie spice, paprika, or curry powder.
-
- These candied spiced nuts can get dark very quickly so keep a close eye on them at the end of baking and take them out before they get too dark. They will crisp up as they cool.
-
- These nuts make great holiday gifts! Wrap them up in clear gift bags with a decorative ribbon or pack them up in a mason jar.
-
- These holiday spiced nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Recipe
Rosemary & Honey Glazed Nuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups assorted nuts such as walnuts, almonds and pecans
- 1 ½ teaspoons neutral-flavored oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided use
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Place the nuts in a large bowl. Add the oil, honey, sugar, cayenne, salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons rosemary and toss all ingredients with a spatula to combine. If the honey is very thick, you can microwave it for a few seconds to thin it out.
- Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line the sheet with a non-stick baking mat. Spread the nuts on the sheet in a single layer and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove the nuts from the oven and immediately toss them with the remaining ½ teaspoon rosemary. Cool the nuts on a wire rack. As they cool, they will crisp up. Serve right away or store in an airtight container for one week.
Audrey says
What is the egg white for? Can I skip it ? What can I replace it with?
Many thanks!
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Hi Audrey! The egg white helps the sugar and spices stick to the nuts and creates a thin, crispy crust. If you don't want to use egg, try the Rosemary & Honey Glazed Nuts. There's no egg white in that recipe because the honey helps the spices stick to the nuts. Thanks for stopping by!
asiansnacks says
Hi author!
Love the way you describe. Its really amazing.Thanks for sharing your knowledge about this recipes.
ur says
I did the rosemary and honey glazed nuts for my bridge club. It was a big hit. I added pine nuts too. Will do it again.
cbr says
We make a slight twist by adding chilli podwer, to make it "spiced" nuts.
Kati @ Around the Plate says
These look amazing! Thanks so much for sharing on our Facebook page! Such a great travel food. Yum!
The Foodie Physician says
So glad they were a hit with your family!
Salma says
Sonali, I made the nuts and my in-laws really enjoyed them! Will definitely make them again....Yup, the more spices the better
The Foodie Physician says
I feel the same way about the cayenne!
Lynda - TasteFood says
Nuts are my favorite snack. I love your Holiday Spiced nuts - the more cayenne the better!