These Gingerbread Spiced Nuts are a play off my Cinnamon Sugar Coated Almonds, one of the most popular recipes on the blog. I used the same basic recipe but added some ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves for a more “gingerbread” flavor. This version is just as good (if not better) than the original and makes a perfect gift for the piano teacher, Sunday School teacher, co-worker, hostess, etc (assuming no one has a nut allergy of course!). As written, the gingerbread flavor is quite mild, so feel free to increase the spices to your taste. Make a batch to have on hand for when you need a small gift…or for when you need an addictive snack ;). I found some cute tins at the Dollar Tree, so I bought 5. Then I got home and realized I had a cabinet full of Christmas tins already. Guess I’ll just have to bake up lots of stuff to give away this year! Enjoy!
Gingerbread Spiced Nuts
1 pound unsalted almonds
1 pound unsalted pecans
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
2 egg whites
2 tbsp vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine egg whites and vanilla in large bowl and beat with electric mixer until frothy. Mix in cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until combined.
3. Add nuts to egg white mixture, stirring to coat the nuts evenly. Sprinkle sugar over nut and egg white mixture and toss to coat. Spread nuts onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until nuts are crunchy and dry. Stir every 15 minutes.
Notes:
1. You can use any nuts or a mixture of different kinds. Just aim for about 2 pounds total.
2. If you want a stronger gingerbread flavor, increased the spices to taste.
