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Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

Sweet and Spicy Nuts (Vegan)

Published: Nov 23, 2019 · Modified: Aug 25, 2020 by Lexi

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These vegan sweet and spicy nuts are egg white-free and perfect for a holiday appetizer board. Toasted with cayenne, cinnamon, paprika and rosemary, they're salty, smoky and addicting!

It's no secret that we love a fully-loaded snack board. We pack ours full of vegan cheeses, gluten free crackers, and some of our favorite spreads and dips.

A few favorites include light and fluffy herby whipped tofu dip, or this Pumpkin Sage Hummus.

Snack boards are a fun and inclusive way to feed a hungry pre-dinner crowd. They're easy to throw together with your favorite appetizers, many of which you can make ahead. Plus, everyone can pick and choose their favorite bites from the board.

And to add a little more spice and protein to the mix, these sweet and spicy vegan nuts are the answer!

These smoky nuts are always the first to disappear from our Thanksgiving and Christmas appetizer spread. Be warned: they're addicting!

Instructions

This vegan spiced nut recipe couldn't be easier. While plenty of spiced mixed nut recipes call for egg whites, our version is totally vegan. And we promise you won't miss the egg at all. It also happens to be gluten free and refined sugar free, but that's just a bonus.

First, start with a mix of nuts you love. You can swap in or sub out any of your favorite varieties. Pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, the list goes on. Truly, the combinations are endless.

overhead of raw nuts before they're cooked for vegan spiced nuts

It is best, however, to use roasted nuts for this recipe. They have a bit more flavor because heat helps the nuts' natural oils come to the surface. You can buy a bag of pre roasted mixed nuts. Or, you can pop your own mix of nuts into the oven.

To make roasted nuts:

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
  2. Spread the nuts out into an even layer on a baking sheet.
  3. Roast for 7-10 minutes. If you have a hot oven, watch them carefully. Remove the nuts as soon as you start to see some color. They can burn easily and will continue cooking after you take them out!

A note if you opt for store-bought roasted nuts: choose unsalted for this spiced nut recipe. That way, you can control the amount of salt in the finished product. And since you're adding a delicous spice mix, skip any flavorings!

Ingredients

When it comes to spices, roasted nuts are blank canvas. You can play with sweetness, spice and savory tastes to find something you love.

This recipe is the perfect balance of spicy, sweet and herbal.

  • Maple syrup provides natural sweetness and a binding medium . Since we're going egg-free on this plant-based recipe, you need a liquid to help hold everything together. And let's face it, maple syrup is way more delicious than an egg white. As always, we strongly recommend the pure stuff. Stay away from anything labeled "pancake syrup"!
  • Olive oil. Just one tablespoon helps the mixed nuts crisp up in the oven. Plus, high-quality olive oil provides a delicious herbal flavor to these vegan mixed nuts.
  • Cayenne brings a bit of heat. If you like it spicy, feel free to add a dash or two more!
  • Cinnamon is the warming winter spice this festive holiday appetizer needs.
  • Smoked paprika gives this spice blend a delicious savory, smoky flavor. It almost tastes like you smoked the nuts yourself.
  • Fresh rosemary is the bright herb these sweet mixed nuts need. If you don't have rosemary on hand, another fresh herb like thyme or oregano would also work. Or use dried rosemary in a pinch. If do swap dried rosemary for the fresh herb, you'll only need a teaspoon. The dried stuff is a lot more potent!

After mixing everything together, pop the nuts into a 275˚ oven. This is a low-and-slow recipe. Too high heat will cause the maple syrup and nuts to burn.

The spiced nuts will take 40 to 50 minutes to cook, but it's worth the wait. The result is ultra-flavorful caramelized nuts that your guests and family won't be able to stay away from.

close up overhead of vegan spiced nuts on a baking sheet with fresh rosemary sprigs

Storage

The great thing about this easy appetizer recipe is that the spiced nuts can be stored for days. In an airtight container, they freeze well for several months. Or, keep them on the counter for up to a week before serving.

This easy vegan appetizer recipe has it all: super flavorful, make-ahead, vegan, gluten free, and they don't even need utensils to enjoy it!

To add your homemade spiced nuts to a holiday appetizer spread, simply create neat little piles on a snack board. Position them among your favorite appetizers.

Or, pop the nuts in a bowl all by themselves and watch as your guests pass them around and around.

More Easy Vegan Make-Ahead Appetizers

We're all about no-fuss, crowd pleasing appetizers this time of year like these sweet and spicy nuts.

Here are some of our most popular vegan and gluten free appetizer recipes:

  • Caramelized Onion Dip
  • Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
  • Dairy-Free Ranch Dip with Crudites
  • Vegan Crab Cakes with Aioli. Make them bite-sized for a fun vegan appetizer!
close up of mixed spiced nuts on a baking sheet with a spoon

If you give these vegan spiced nuts a try, we’d love for you to leave a rating and review below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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Vegan Sweet & Spicy Nuts


★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4 cups 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

These sweet and spicy nuts are egg-free and perfect for a holiday appetizer board. Toasted with cayenne, cinnamon, paprika and rosemary, they're salty, smoky and addicting!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups mixed nuts, ideally roasted and definitely unsalted
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt (omit if using salted nuts)
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil, or spray with cooking spray. 
  2. In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, olive oil, cayenne, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and rosemary. Add nuts and toss to combine thoroughly. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even single layer.
  3. Roast until the nuts are mostly dry and browned, 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven, set the pan on a wire rack, and allow to cool for an hour. Break up the nuts into pieces and store in an airtight container.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 599
  • Sugar: 15 g
  • Sodium: 781.2 mg
  • Fat: 49.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 7.4 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 32 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Protein: 17.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Rae

    December 31, 2022 at 11:01 am

    Tasted amazing but still a bit sticky - did I just need to cook longer?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Veronica

    November 15, 2021 at 11:46 am

    The most perfect combination of salty, savoury, sweet. The rosemary and maple syrup make this recipe so refreshing. Prepare to double this recipe and share with friends... because you'll eat the entire first batch before the day is done.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      November 16, 2021 at 6:17 pm

      Thank you, I'm so glad you love this recipe. It's one of our favorites, too!

      Reply
  3. Sunnie

    August 08, 2021 at 10:44 am

    Thank you for the wonderful recipe! I want to clarify that regular olive oil and not extra virgin olive oil is used in the recipe.

    Reply
    • Lexi

      August 16, 2021 at 9:18 am

      Thank you! Either will work perfectly fine in this recipe.

      Reply
  4. Julie

    December 30, 2020 at 6:49 pm

    You mention chili powder in the instructions but not in the ingredients. Is this a typo? If not, how much chili powder is necessary?

    Reply
    • Lexi

      December 31, 2020 at 9:50 am

      Julie, apologies for the error! That is meant to say "smoked paprika". Changing it now - thank you for pointing that out!

      Reply
  5. Eden

    May 11, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    Thanks for sharing!

    Hope all is well

    Can you please let me know how long these can be stored?

    Many thanks

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      May 15, 2020 at 10:31 am

      Hi Eden! These will store well for about a week and a half.

      Reply
      • Eden

        May 21, 2020 at 2:02 pm

        Wonderful! Thank you Lexi! So yummy!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    • charles l

      March 11, 2022 at 7:15 pm

      You only supposed to only eat 2 to 3oz nuts a day. 16 ounces last me for 6 days I replenish mine every 7 days. sometime I roast 2 pounds of whole raw almonds I get a month and a half out of those because of no moisture are left in them to grow mold, as long as you keep them in a cool dry place. I love almonds.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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