There’s something special about this time of year. All the pretty Christmas lights, the sweet treats and the spirit of gift giving. I wanted to make something that would be great as a snack, but also to give out as gifts to friends during the holidays. These spicy candied almonds were the perfect solution!
They took only 10 minutes to make and they were addictively tasty. The whole recipe can be done on the stovetop, no need to bake. They crisp up as they cool on the countertop and stay crispy for a few weeks if stored in an airtight container.
The recipe only requires 5 ingredients:
- Whole unsalted almonds
- Coconut sugar
- Cinnamon
- Cayenne pepper
- Coconut Oil (optional)
In this recipe, I used coconut sugar, which is unrefined. Feel free to substitute for cane sugar.
Zero Waste Gift Jars
I’d like to preface by saying that nothing is truly zero waste. There is always some amount of packaging that goes into anything. However these spiced almond gift jars were made as sustainably as possible, using re-purposed and natural ingredients that could either be consumed, re-used or composted.
I packaged the almonds in little jars with some jute twine and a little stem of berries I found on a bush outside. The jar I used in this picture was actually just a pesto jar that I re-purposed. To make these almonds into gift jars, all you will need is old salsa containers that have the label removed or mason jars. The jute twine can be found on Amazon or at any craft store! you could also use ribbon. I added an extra flourish of berries that I just picked off a bush outside.
2 cups roughly fills up two 12 oz. mason jars.
Spicy Candied Almonds (Refined Sugar Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole almonds
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
- 3/4-1 cup coconut sugar
Instructions
- In a flat bottomed skillet, spread out the almonds.
- Heat the pan on med-low for around 5 minutes until you start to smell the nutty aroma of the almonds.
- One one side is lightly toasted, stir the almonds and allow them to dry-roast for another 3-4 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut sugar and the spices.
- Move the almonds to one side of the pan and add the sugar mixture.
- Add around 5 tbsp of water and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Mix sugar mixture together with the almonds to ensure each almond is properly coated.
- Optionally, add 1 tbsp coconut oil. This just ensures the almonds don't stick together.
- Once the almonds are evenly coated and all the liquid has evaporated, transfer to a baking rack, lined with wax paper or parchment paper and let them cool.
- Sprinkle a little coconut sugar on top to add a nice textural element to the nuts.
- The almonds will crisp up as they cool. Transfer them to jars or enjoy them as a fun holiday appetizer!
Notes
