I think people expect me to have, um… food… for them when they drop by my house. Weird.
Don’t they know I eat popcorn for dinner?
I’m learning.
I’m learning that I need to have at least a few staple items on hand for unexpected house guests: a jar of these spiced nuts, a cold bottle of vodka, fresh oranges and an old school juicer.
What a hostess I’m shaping up to be. Dang.
Nuts and spices need a little glue to be friends.
Egg whites. Winner.
These nuts bake up smokey and spicy with a hint of sweetness and lots of crunch. They’re pretty and satisfying.
And! Sealed in a glass jar with a bow, these nuts make a pretty great hostess gift… just sayin’.
Spicy Roasted Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste after baking
3/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 large egg white
plus generous pinches of each of these spices to sprinkle over the top of the nuts just before they go in the oven.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
Mix together salt, sugar and spices. Set aside.
Whip egg white in a medium bowl until loose and frothy. Add the raw nuts and toss to coat. Add the mixed spices. Toss to coat as evenly as possible.
Spread seasoned nuts in a single layer across the greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle nuts with a bit more seasoning. A generous pinch of each. You can totally eyeball it.
Place nuts in the oven and let bake for 7 minutes. Remove nuts from the oven to toss and flip. Return to the oven for another five minutes. Toss and flip them again and then bake for another 3 minutes. Nuts should be nicely browned. Carefully taste the nuts and add more salt to taste. Cool nuts completely before serving. Store in an airtight container for a week.
90 Responses
Just did this except all I used was cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Still turned out great!
I love the idea of using egg white rather than oil – much healthier and perfect for a protein snack! Thank you for sharing this.
just like them dry roasted in a fry pan for 5-10. Wonder you can still taste their flavours after these additions!
Wow, these sound so good.I had another reicpe and I looked everywhere for it to no avail. So I just found this and can’t wait to make it. So good in salads on plain yogurt or just out of the jar.. Thank you so much.