Honey Roasted Cashews with Holiday Spices

If you are looking for a tasty snack on the go or an edible gift for friends and family, these honey roasted cashews are perfect. Sweetened with alternative sugars and super aromatic with lots of spices, they are a treat that is sure to please everyone.

I don’t know about you, but I love spiced and roasted nuts. They are such a great snack when you are sitting and working or just need a quick bite before running out the door. Not that they are truly healthy after I’ve added the honey, coconut sugar, and butter, but they still have plenty of protein.

But while a simple sweet and salty seasoning blend is fine, I had to step it up a bit with a big dose of warming spices to make these cashews absolutely amazing. Cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger give the cashews just enough bite without being spicy and are so fragrant your whole house will smell delicious.

What can you do with sweet roasted nuts?

Once you have made a full batch of roasted cashews and eaten those first few handfuls, you might look at the jar and wonder how you are going to use them all. Or maybe how you are going to stop yourself from eating them all right away.

• Add them to salads. While honey roasted nuts are sweet, sometimes that is exactly what your salad needs, like these honey roasted pecans. A hint of sweetness can balance out bitter greens like arugula and radicchio. The nuts also add a lot of texture to a salad that has a bit too much lettuce.
• Serve them as part of a cheese board. Honey roasted nuts – particularly cashews, are a huge hit at parties with the appetizers and cheese boards, or as a dessert nibble. Since you can make them ahead of time, it’s one less thing to think about the day of the party. Just pour them in a bowl or scatter them artistically on the cheese platter.
• Give them to friends and family! Homemade sweet roasted cashews are a great gift for the holidays. Good for hostess gifts, friends, or sending to family. And they are way easier than people think! Make a double batch, and in 20 minutes you will have enough nuts to provide about eight people with a highly personal gift. Then just let them cool before putting them in a jar with a pretty ribbon.

How to store

As with anything that has sugar (even if it’s coconut sugar and honey), honey roasted nuts don’t react well to moisture. The coating will get very sticky if left out too long. Once the nuts are out of the oven, bring them to room temperature and store them in an airtight container immediately. As long as they are in an airtight glass or plastic container, the nuts should last for at least a couple weeks – as long as you don’t eat them all first!

Whether you are serving the candied nuts at a gathering, giving jars to friends, or just snacking on them yourself, honey roasted cashews are delicious and easy. Plus you can get really fancy and offer a trio of nut varieties by making cinnamon roasted almonds and sugar coated pecans too. Just think how awesome (and tasty) your family would find a gift set of all three of those.