Honey Roasted Mixed Nuts

When I was at work the other day, I went into the pantry to get a snack out for one of the kids and I noticed a can of Honey Roasted Mixed Nuts. Mhmm. That got me thinking. 

I searched for a recipe that might even resemble the way that I think they should be. I couldn't find one that I liked for mixed nuts. Therefore, I decided to tweak a honey roasted peanut recipe (add this, subtract that, increase this, etc.) and ended up having the best honey roasted mixed nuts that I have ever tried! 

Personally, I'm not big into peanuts...or almonds...or pecans..or anything of that nature really. BUT, lately I've turned into a stinkin' snack maniac. 

More on that later. 

I've been eating almonds. I've been eating a mixture of peanuts, almonds and cashews. I've tried mixing dried cranberries into them. I've had them with chocolate chunks(DUH). I cannot get enough! So, of course, tell me that I can have pecans, almonds, and peanuts mixed with some honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar? SOLD! 

I thought that it would take a while to make honey roasted nuts. Nope. 30 minutes. That includes baking time! Seriously, you'd waste more time going to the grocery store to get them in a can. 

Try it, try it, try it. You have to! 

Happy eating,

~HB~

Honey Roasted Mixed Nuts 

 
1-1/2 cups raw Almonds

1 cup raw Pecans

1 cup raw Peanuts

1/2 cup Honey

2 T. Butter

2 tsp. Salt, divided

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 cup Natural Sugar, divided

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. (This will cause less stress.) 

Place the honey, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and 1 tsp. salt in a large microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave until the butter is melted, about 45 seconds. Stir the liquid until smooth.

Add the almonds, pecans, and peanuts to the honey mixture and stir until well coated.

Pour the nuts out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them into an even layer. 

 Bake the nuts for a total of 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent burning. (The nuts that are along the edges of the pan will brown faster than the ones in the middle.) Once the nuts are golden brown, remove them from the oven and stir again. 

 After a minute or two, sprinkle half of the sugar and remaining 1 tsp. salt on top and stir again to give them some texture. And just plain yumminess.

 Spread some wax paper onto your counter and pour the mixed nuts over it to help them cool. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over top.

 Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container or plastic bag.

**Now, if you're like me and you grazed over the nuts while they were cooling (it's okay, the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem.), you'll notice that they tend to stick together and harden. That's a no-no unless you're into the whole "let me pop a big wad of mixed nuts into my mouth and break a tooth while trying to eat it" thing. Simply break the clumps apart after they've cooled just a bit and they should continue cooling without sticking together again.