Pumpkin Spice Walnuts – Recipe

Recently I’ve been eating desserts and sweets like mad over here, and I realize this is probably not the way to live my best life so I’ve started to incorporate healthier snacks into my diet. I’ve been making smoothies, Aimee Song’s raw bars (which are super delish as long as you get sticky dates from Trader Joe’s), and also lots of candied nuts. I know, I know. You’re probably thinking, ‘Candied nuts are sugary, you fool!” Well, I’m no saint, and a little bit of sugar won’t hurt as long as you practice moderation.

As for the nuts, long term readers of my old blog will remember my go-to sugar & spice nut recipe, but I wanted to reduce the sugar level and also make the nuts a bit more akin to Chinese candied walnuts. However, after making the candied walnuts from Pups with Chopsticks a few times, I realize I didn’t like the oiliness of the recipe, and also missed the fall spices. Soooooo, long story short, I came up with my own variation. I call these nuts pumpkin spice walnuts, aka basic bish walnuts. ? If pumpkin spice annoys you, feel free to substitute with cinnamon instead, and cayenne pepper is totally optional. Sometimes a bish feels spicy, sometimes not. Do you.

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Pumpkin Spice Walnuts aka Basic Bish Walnuts

Lightly candied walnuts with your favorite basic bish spices.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword candied nuts, candied walnuts, spiced nuts

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 16

Calories 220kcal

Author Tia

Ingredients

• 4 cups walnuts
• 7 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice (substitute cinnamon if you prefer)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1.5 tsp salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F(180C) degrees.
• Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove.
• When the water starts to boil, add in walnuts and boil for 5 minutes.
• While the walnuts are boiling, in a large bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, but not stiff.
• Strain the walnuts and transfer the nuts to the bowl with the egg whites. Stir to coat.
• Sprinkle the nuts with all the sugar, spices and salt, and toss until evenly coated
• Spread nut mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the baking sheet, gently mix the walnuts, and bake for another 10 minutes. Depending on your oven and your preference, bake for another 10-15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes. My oven is a tad weak, and I like my nuts very toasted and the sugar very carmelized, so I'll bake for a total of 30-35 minutes. Watch the nuts! Nuts burn very quickly. I know this too well.
• Cool walnuts for 30-40 minutes before eating or storing. I store the nuts in tupperware, and keep unrefrigerated for about a week before they're all gone.