Serve these yummy almonds as a party appetizer or enjoy them as a weekday snack.

Looking for something to do? Try making these sweet and spicy toasted almonds when you get an hour. These energy boosting nuts are perfect when you need to bring something unique to the office/block/family party. If you’re looking into foods that can assist with weight loss, try turning up the heat. Yes, it’s true, spicy foods both reduce appetite and also increase energy expenditure.

Although Sriracha has made a permanent foothold in our culinary hearts, this time we chose another hot sauce darling. The Korean Gochujang is a spicy miso-based sauce that pairs well with nutritional yeast and maple syrup. If you like a little spice in your life, you’ll adore this kicking hot sauce. We found Sriracha imparts a bit of stickiness, which doesn’t make good finger food fare. However, Gochujang cooks off perfectly, leaving your fingers and napkin clean.

Make Your Own Energy Boosting Snacks

Absolutely, you can buy a tiny bag of salty, spicy, sweet nuts. They’re usually found in the produce aisle of the grocery store. However, did you know that most pre-packaged flavored nuts are first deep-fried to provide that indelible crunch we all love? There’s something to be said about making your own food at home, isn’t there?

Simple Math For Food Geeks

We can control the extra fats, oils, and additives in our snacks. By doing so, we take better control of our bodies and make better decisions. Also, let’s break down the price point of a flavored bag of nuts vs. a bag of raw nuts. A pound of raw nuts costs the same as a five ounce bag of prepared nuts. In a nut-shell, making a pound of your own sweet and spicy almonds costs a third of the price.

The only thing you lose when you cook for yourself is time and energy spent cleaning up. With that in mind, I’ll show you how to reclaim both of those costly resources as you save money.

Low And Slow That Is The Tempo

In order to reach that perfect state of toastiness, the best method is low temp for a long time. Especially when candying sweet and spicy almonds or making granola, this method really works. When we figure out how to do this in the air fryer, you bet we’ll provide that recipe as well.

Until then, I’m sticking with my masters on this one, and recommending a long slow cook. For perfection every time, one hour at 250 seems to do the trick. Some recipes suggest shaking the batch every fifteen minutes. If you have the wherewithal to do so, by all means, go for it. However the method of rotating the cookie sheet after a half hour served our purpose well this time.

If you are new to roasting your own energy boosting nut snacks, test one every fifteen minutes to gauge taste. Perhaps you like it best after forty five minutes and can tell another fifteen might overcook the nuts. Also, trust your nose when you are baking or roasting something. In the case of sweet and spicy toasted almonds, your nose can be superior to the timer. Always trust your sense of smell when something is in the oven.

Make A Mini Batch of Toasted Almonds

Nuts are spendy, and nobody likes ruining their projects. If that’s your concern, try making a half batch to see exactly how your oven responds and how long you need. Always check baked goods at the ¾ time mark when making a new recipe, and you will never go wrong. Also, to keep your kitchen tidy, use a silpat sheet or parchment paper. Now you might think babysitting nuts is a timesuck, but in all reality it’s not. Due to the extremely low cooking temperature, burning your sweet and spicy almonds is nearly impossible. This low attention recipe is perfect for when you are engaged in some other kitchen based project.

We already know these delicious sweet and spicy toasted almonds will get the party started and keep it going, too. Although people can easily buy pre-packaged food, others do appreciate receiving thoughtful homemade gifts. Food gifts always go over well, even if they are rather simple. For a unique gift idea, make a variety of nut gifts and healthy crackers to prevent future “hanger”. Or, you can keep them to yourself. Snacks are the secret to success. So always have some set aside at work or in the car or in your bag. Whatever your choice, we know you’ll be happy to have them available.

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