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A delicious snack, cocktail nibble or salad topper, all in one easy recipe! But beware: these Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds are difficult to stop eating!
I'm hiding the jar of these Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds from myself as I'm trying to save them for guests that will be arriving soon. They're crunchy, sweet, salty, spicy and completely irresistible! So if a little mouse reveals where these almonds are hidden, please don't share the location with me (or with my wonderful almond-loving, photographer husband)!
Seriously, these almonds are quite addictive. We enjoy them for snacks, cocktail nibbles and on salads of all kinds. I think you'll love them too; and probably find even more ways to use them.
Less than 30 minutes, start to finish!
On top of being crazy delicious, these Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds are super easy to make. Just combine almonds, honey, a splash of oil and a bit of kosher salt on a parchment paper or foil-lined sheet pan. Roast the nuts for 15 minutes, stirring a few times in between. While the nuts are roasting and becoming super crunchy, make the sweet and spicy sugar coating.
The coating is a simple combination of sugar, cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. That's it! When the honey-coated almonds emerge from the oven, transfer them to a clean surface (again, parchment paper or foil) and roll till coated with the sugar mixture. You're done! Let the almonds cool and try to resist snitching one after another...
How to use these Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds
- Serve a small bowl of these Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds with a glass of wine for a fabulous appetizer that won't spoil your guest's appetite for dinner.
- Take a bag along on a hike or bike outing for a quick and delicious pop of protein.
- Put a bowl of these nuts out at a party and they'll be gone before you can say Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds.
- A handful of these crunchy, sweet and spicy almonds and a drizzle of this Honey Cider Poppy Seed Dressing will transform an ordinary salad to one your guests will be raving about (and requesting again and again).
- Hide a jar of these nuts. Whoever the super sleuth is who finds them will think they've found hidden treasure!
So, pick up some almonds and make a batch today. Remember, it'll take you less than 30 minutes from start to finish and most of that is hands-off time. You too might have to hide them from yourself so you'll have some left for guests. Hmmm, then again, you probably have much more will-power than I or that photographer guy do!
Café Tips for making these Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds
- You'll need whole, natural (also called raw) almonds for this recipe. You don't want roasted and/or salted almonds. Almonds can be expensive. I like to buy them at Sam's Club or Costco. They come in a huge bag with a very reasonable price. Trader Joes also sells whole almonds for a great price.
- If you measure the olive oil first and then use the same spoon to measure the honey, the honey will slide right out of the spoon.
- Just drizzle the honey and olive oil over the nuts. Don't worry about coating the nuts right away as the honey is so thick, it will be difficult. Pop the pan in the oven for three minutes as directed and then stir. After the short time in the oven, the honey will have loosened up from the heat and it will be easy to coat the nuts.
- I like to use parchment paper to line the sheet pans for this recipe, but foil will work as well. If you use foil, however, be sure to spray it with cooking spray, so the honey coated nuts won't stick.
- I LOVE these precut parchment paper sheets. They save lots of time and are so convenient. They come in a nice package for storing so they don't take up much space. They're not expensive and a package will last a long time.
- You might be wondering why the almonds are transferred to a clean parchment paper-lined pan before the sugar coating is added. If you add the sugar mixture to the original baking pan it gets a bit gooey. If you transfer the nuts to a fresh pan, leaving any excess honey/oil behind, the nuts get nicely coated.
- Store these Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (and maybe a lock!). They will keep nicely for several weeks, but they probably won't last that long (unless you're a better "hider" than I am).
- Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper, to taste. 1¼ teaspoons adds a little heat, but not super hot. If you like more spice, add more and test it on a few of the nuts before coating the whole batch.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
- 2 cups whole almonds
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½-1 ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper Cayenne pepper can vary in intensity. Start with less and add more to taste.
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
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Preheat oven to 350˚F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set one of the prepared sheet pans near the oven.
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Measure almonds onto the center of the other sheet pan. Drizzle the oil and honey over the almonds. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. .
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Place the almonds in the preheated oven for 3 minutes, then remove and stir well to make sure all the almonds are coated with the honey mixture. Spread the almonds back out to an even layer
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Return the pan to oven and roast for 10-13 minutes or until nuts are a nice golden brown, Stir and spread to an even layer one more time half way through baking time.
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While the nuts are baking, combine sugar, cayenne pepper and kosher salt. Stir well and set aside.
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Remove the nuts from oven and transfer to the clean parchment paper, leaving any pooled honey/oil on the pan. Sprinkle the nuts immediately with the sugar/cayenne mixture and toss with two spoons till nuts are thoroughly coated. Spread nuts to a single layer and cool completely. Transfer to an airtight jar or container, leaving any excess sugar on the pan.
See Café Tips above for further instructions and more detailed tips.
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kathy says
Quick Question - I plan to make these today for Thanksgiving. Will they keep? Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Yes! Just keep them in an airtight container! Enjoy!
Lauri Lueck says
I am going to try making these. I’m encouraged by the positive comments from those who have already made them.
Anytime I’ve used honey for roasting almonds in the past, they have stuck together in the storage container even after cooling first for a long time. Did you experience this, or do you have any tips on how to avoid sticking and forming a brick?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lauri, I haven't experienced stickiness with this recipe. I think sprinkling them with the sugar mixture helps prevent this.
Alison says
These were great! I can't imagine what went wrong with the person who didn't like them. Possibly the nuts were rancid? There is nothing nastier than a bad nut!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks for your review, Alison! So glad you enjoyed these!
Sheila R Coleman says
I'm sorry, but I followed the recipe exactly and they are terrible. Brought some to the neighbors, who agreed. Wish I could give this a better rating but I am so disappointed.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Shelia,
I’m so sorry you did not enjoy this recipe. I hate the thought of wasting good ingredients.
It’s difficult to say, however, what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. If you read the reviews below, every one else has loved this recipe.
Marilyn says
On my second batch, had to double up on this one. Yum!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Marilyn!
Donna Ellwood says
I accidentally let the almonds cool too much before putting the sugar/cayenne mixture on top, so sugar is not adhering. can I reheat?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Donna, yes, that will work!
Diane says
Delicious! I used a little hot honey and loved the heat!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Diane!
Joni Reeves Hawkins says
Could you send me the printable label.
Thank you,
Joni Hawkins
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Joni, I do not have a label for these at this time.
Heather says
These are great! Had to put them in jars before we ate too many. I used chilli honey so kept the cayenne at 1/2 tsp. Might add a little more for my next batch. Plan to make more for Christmas gifts.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Heather!
Judy says
Hi Chris, recipe said whole natural almonds. Is that skin on or off, it was hard to tell from the photo. Thanks, Judy
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Judy, I use almonds with the skin on.
Julie says
Sorry! I meant to type pepper instead of paper!
Julie says
Just made three batches! So easy and delicious! We live in the Central Valley in CA where almonds are one of our top crops! Blue Diamond has a processing plant about 10 miles from where we live! Top quality nuts! Yum!
Have you tried this recipe substituting cinnamon for the paper? Thanks so much for always providing detailed instructions! Best ever!
Chris Scheuer says
That's great, Julie! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. I have not tried adding cinnamon but I bet it would be yummy. If you try it let us know.
April says
Such a easy & delicious snack!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, April!
CK says
Had a big bag of organic almonds about to expire. Made your sweet and spicy roast almonds and they were delicious! Will definitely make again. Thank you 😉
Chris Scheuer says
Great! Thanks for letting us know, CK.
Therese says
I have made these many times, I have also used mixed raw nuts and they are delicious too! My husband loved these as snacks and we've used them on our salads too! Yummy!
Chris Scheuer says
That's great, Therese! Thanks for letting us know.
Kim says
These sound amazing!! I love the mixture of sweet & spicy. Making today!!
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy them, Kim!