7 Holiday Spiced Nuts Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you get seasoning to stick to nuts? ›

To get the spices to stick to the nuts, use egg whites, butter, coconut oil, olive oil or blanch the nuts in boiling water. Some recipes call for nuts to be fried in oil prior to seasoning, but this adds unnecessary fat – you can make them just a delicious without all the extra calories.

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to three weeks. These nuts will get sticky and clump together if they are left in areas that are too warm or humid. Can you freeze spiced nuts? Spiced nuts freeze well and thaw quickly, so keep some on hand for last minute gatherings.

You may think it's a nutty idea, but the best place to keep nuts is in the freezer! Nuts contain a lot of oil and can become rancid if stored in the pantry. Instead, place them in separate airtight containers or sealable plastic bags, then label, date and freeze for up to six months.

Mix Your Christmas Nuts

Mix salted and unsalted nuts such as pecans, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and hazelnuts. You and your guests will also love a honey roasted mix that includes pecans, almonds, and cashews along with some sesame sticks.

If after they have cooled down, the pecans are still sticky, this means that the sugar mixture never reached a high enough temperature when on the stove. To fix them, place the nuts back into the skillet and cook a bit longer.

Before you hit your food with those seasonings, use a spray bottle to spray it with a light coating of water, broth, or cooking vinegar. This adds a wet coating for salts and other seasonings to stick to, without the need for oil.

Nuts that have a large surface area, like walnut halves, with their complex network of ridges and valleys, will go rancid faster because of a greater exposure to oxygen. And fattier nuts, like macadamia or Brazil nuts, will oxidize quicker than leaner almonds.

Nuts should be stored in their own airtight containers, such as glass, ceramic, or sturdy plastic containers. Even freezer bags are a good option. In selecting the container it's important to assess them for their airtightness.

Spoilage is accelerated even more in the presence of light, oxygen, and heat. Storing nuts (and seeds) in the fridge or freezer limits their exposure to all three of these, and will result in your nuts tasting less bitter and more flavorful for a longer period of time.

Walnuts, with their rich, buttery flavour, are a must-have. Hazelnuts, too, are popular, bringing a sweet, mellow taste that's perfect for festive recipes. Almonds add a delightful crunch to our Christmas cakes, while Brazil nuts offer a decadent treat, especially when covered in chocolate!

What is the name of the Christmas nut? ›

Pistachio – Pistachios are the Christmas Nut. In my home growing up, the only time we ever saw the pistachio was at Christmas time. It was always exciting to see the special treat, and the many sweet and delightful combinations of treats made with them. They are said to bring good luck to the holiday.

Best of all, because it was easy and we did it together: we cracked almonds, Brazil nuts, filberts, walnuts, and pecans in shells. While reminiscing about our favorite memories from the past year, we would laugh at funny stories and sing along to old holiday tunes playing softly on the radio while we did this work.

Place nuts in a strainer and rinse well with filtered water. Make sure you get all the nuts wet as it is the water that helps the salt to stick. Place rinsed nuts in a bowl and toss well with sea salt.

Beat egg white and water together in a large bowl; add pecans and stir to coat. Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg in a small bowl; sprinkle over moistened nuts. Spread nuts on the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven, stirring once or twice, until toasted and fragrant, about 30 minutes.

Mix together oil, lime juice, zest, salt, sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Spread peanuts in an even layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. Pour over spice mix and toss to coat peanuts thoroughly in seasoning.

Toss the seeds in a bit of olive oil or melted butter first to help the seasoning stick (and to add some extra flavor and keep the seeds from burning). For seasoning, you could just use salt and call it a day, nothing wrong with that!