Spiced Nuts:
An easy homemade gift to make!

If you're thinking of great Christmas gifts to make, try spiced nuts! These three delicious recipes are super easy to put together and make great homemade gifts for teachers, co-workers and neighbors.

Nuts can be expensive, but a little goes a long way. 1 cup of these spiced nuts is more than enough to give to one person.

Keep the nuts fresh by storing them in an airtight container or bag. They will keep for one week before they start to go stale.

Sweet 'n' Savory Walnuts

By far, this is my favorite of the three recipes. The coating is extra crunchy and sugary...it's easy for a lot of these to disappear in a short amount of time.

Ingredients

- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- 5 cups walnut halves
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Beat egg white and water together; add walnuts and toss to coat. Add the rest of the ingredients into a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle over walnuts and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 325F for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.

Honeyed Almonds

These almonds have the sweetness of honey, with a touch of heat.

Ingredients

- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups whole almonds

Over very low heat, heat oil in a frying pan and add honey, stir until well mixed. Add spices and heat for 5 minutes, allowing the spices to scent the honey. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 325F for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool completely and break into pieces.

Spiced Pecans

Perfect for someone who likes a bit of heat!

- 1 teaspoon chili
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 t Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 to 1/2 t hot sauce
- 3 cups pecan halves

Mix spices in skillet. Stir in oil and sauces. Cook over very low heat for 5 minutes. Mix pecans and spice mixture together in a bowl. Toss to coat. Sprinkle onto a baking pan and bake at 325F for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.

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