Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Description
These sweet and spicy roasted almonds are a delightful snack where you can control the heat level. Perfect for holiday gatherings or as a flavorful treat any time.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups (480 ml) of raw almonds
- 3 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 3 tsp of brown sugar
- 1 tsp of ground cayenne pepper (up to 2 tsp if you like more heat)
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) of organic agave or honey
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
- In a large bowl, combine the almonds, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, ground cayenne pepper, agave or honey, and vanilla extract. Toss well to ensure each almond is evenly coated with the mixture.
- Spread the coated almonds in a single layer on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the almonds are golden brown and fragrant.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. The almonds will become crisp as they cool.
- Once cooled, store the almonds in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Adjust the cayenne pepper to your heat preference.
- Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
- These almonds make a great gift during the holidays.
- You can substitute agave with honey if preferred.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 5
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 0
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I adjust the heat level in this recipe?
Yes — the recipe uses 1 tsp of ground cayenne pepper as a baseline but notes you can increase it to 2 tsp if you prefer more heat. The notes also confirm the cayenne can be adjusted to your personal preference.
Can I use honey instead of agave?
The notes say honey is a direct substitute for the 4 tbsp of organic agave. Both work as the sticky binder that coats the almonds and caramelizes at 325°F.
Is this the perfect beer snack? I think so!
This is on my Sunday football table every single time since I discovered this recipe. It is AWESOME!
Tried making these once and they came out really sticky and were very difficult to get out of the jar I stored them in. Are they supposed to be sticky? Any advice to either have them be less sticky or to package them as gifts in a way people can actually eat them?
Robin, the recipe is perfect as is! I’ve made it several times and it turns out great. I plan to make some for Christmas gifts. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
Di
I used only one tsp of cinnamon because 3 seemed excessive. Still too much IMO.
I’m sorry your result ended up poorly. This recipe has been shared with many people thru my website with great success. Actually, several lovers of this recipe noted that they ship beautifully (especially to our soldiers). You always need to check items your baking because everyone’s oven temps vary and would therefore avoid over baking or burning an item.
I went by your instructions, followed them to a T. My almonds turned black and were terribly burnt. Also, you should know, my oven runs cool. I was quite angry because almonds are a fortune out here.