Sweet & Spicy Almond Recipe | Gluten Free Snacks

I first made this recipe and drafted this post a while ago, but I never ended up clicking publish because I thought, "Who in the world wants to see so many photos of almonds?" An almond is an almond is an almond, right? Fast forward five+ months and about 10 batches of these things later, and here I am posting "all those photos of almonds" without any reservations whatsoever because this recipe is really good. I don't have a fancy final pic, mainly because they're usually gone within the first few hours in this house, but just know that you can dress these up by serving them in a pretty dish, or keep it simple and graze straight from the pan. Don't be afraid to play around with the spices, too, because I think adding something like rosemary or thyme would make a great addition to the ingredient list. Oh, and one last thing: you know how you're always looking for those relatively inexpensive yet foolproof recipes that you can toss in a tin or jar and hand out as gifts? Well this is totally one of those recipes. Happy snacking!

{New to eating gluten free? Check out the items in my gluten/dairy/soy -free pantry here}

photos Brunch at Saks

Recipe below.

Sweet & Spicy Almonds

3 C. raw almonds

1/4 C. raw sugar (or table sugar)

2 tsp. salt (I used sea salt to add more of a crunch)

1 tsp. cayenne pepper (I used smoked paprika above, but have since used the cayenne and like it better. either one is fine to use.)

1 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. water

1 Tbs. olive oil

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

- On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spread out raw almonds evenly and roast in preheated oven, about 15 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning. *Really be sure to watch these after 10 minutes of cooking time and take them out as soon as they turn a slightly darker brown.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
- In a saucepan (or skillet in my case) over medium heat, add honey, water, and olive oil. Once mixture is heated through and begins to bubble, add baked almonds and stir until coated evenly.
- Using a slotted spoon, move almonds from saucepan to mixing bowl with sugar, salt, and cayenne, and stir together.
- Pour coated almonds back onto the baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread with a spoon or spatula to cool.
- Once cooled, store in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

Adapted from this recipe.