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Green bowl filled with sweet and spicy nuts and pretzels.

Sweet and Spicy Nuts and Pretzels

This easy snack mix is crunchy, sweet, salty, and just spicy enough. Mixed nuts and pretzels get coated in melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne, then baked for a toffee-like consistency.
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Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:25 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Easy, Quick
Servings: 12

Ingredients

Nuts and Pretzels

  • 3 cups mixed nuts 1 cup pecans, ½ cup almonds, ½ cup cashews, ½ cup hazelnuts, ½ cup mix of your favorites
  • 3 cups pretzel twists

Sugar and Spice Sauce

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 5 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 ½ tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 to 1 ¼ tsp cayenne depending on spice preference
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp salt

Instructions

  • Toast the nuts on a foil lined sheet for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove them from the oven and let them cool while you make the sauce.
    3 cups mixed nuts
  • Add butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cayenne, cinnamon, and salt to a small pot and cook until fully melted and emulsified, about 3 minutes.
    2 tbsp butter, 5 tbsp brown sugar, 2 ½ tbsp maple syrup, 1 to 1 ¼ tsp cayenne, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp salt
  • Add the toasted nuts and pretzels to a bowl and toss with the sauce until everything is coated, careful not to break the pretzels. You can also toss everything with the sauce on the sheet tray but it will be more challenging (in our experience).
    3 cups pretzel twists
  • Bake the nuts and pretzels at 350°F on the same foil lined sheet for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to toss the nuts, then place them back in the oven and bake for another 7 minutes.
  • Toss the nuts again, then let them cool completely before eating.