Spicy Roasted Almonds

Roasted almonds are a healthy, grab-n-go, low carb snack. These spicy nuts  will put a little pep in your step, and they are delicious any time of the day. Even better, this roasted nuts recipe is gluten free, low carb, and clean eating!

Almonds (as well as coconut) seem to be a major player in a clean eating, low carb lifestyle. The more research I do, the more I realize that, apart from meats, healthy fats and low-starch veggies, almonds are a great way to supplement your eating plan.

In fact, unless you have a nut allergy, they are pretty much one of the very few ways you can still eat breads of any kind while eating low carb. And if you count net carbs, you’re in even better shape because nearly half of the carbs go away thanks to the fiber!

But when you aren’t baking them into a bread or tortilla, you can enjoy them as a healthy, low carb snack as well. In small amounts, almonds are a perfectly acceptable snack for low carb and keto dieters of any kind. The only thing is that almonds, as great as they are, can get a little boring if you eat them regularly.

Spicy Roasted Almonds

So I decided to spice things up a little with this recipe for spicy roasted almonds! And it occurred to me while I was making these that regardless of their low carb status, most adults who enjoy spicy foods will probably enjoy these. So while I only made a single batch for myself, you may want to consider making a double batch to share. Because those around you are sure to want a few of these as well.

What You’ll Need

1 cup raw almonds – Make sure these are raw. If you use already-roasted almonds, they will be way over-roasted when you are done with this recipe. They will effectively be burnt.

1 ½ tsp. oil – You can use whichever oil you feel good using. Whatever you have on hand in the kitchen will work fine. That being said, stay away from oils that have very low smoke points. They can leave a bad flavor on your almonds. Examples of low smoke point oils are flaxseed oil, pumpkin seed oil or walnut oil.

1 tsp. garlic powder – I always use garlic granules, but garlic powder works just fine, and is what people usually have on hand.

1 tsp. paprika – If you want a smokier flavor, you can use smoked paprika. But it’s not necessary. The regular variety is what I used here and it was delicious.

½ tsp. cayenne – This amount is adjustable. Feel free to use less or more as you like. These are meant to be spicy though. If you start with less, you can always sprinkle on a little extra for extra heat after the almonds are roasted.

½ tsp. cinnamon – Makes sure your cinnamon isn’t a cinnamon/sugar mix. You want just plain cinnamon here.

¼ tsp. salt – You can add this into the spice mix, or wait until the almonds are roasted to see if you want to add any. I used a pink Himalayan salt. But any type of salt will do well here. A nice finishing salt would be tasty.

How To Make Spicy Roasted Almonds

Preheat oven to 325 F. and gather all your ingredients.

Stir all ingredients together in a small to medium mixing bowl until the almonds are well coated.

Spread the nuts out over a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown. Stir half way through the baking time.

Note: Keep an eye on these in the last 5 minutes of baking as they can go from baked to burnt pretty quickly.

How To Serve Spicy Roasted Almonds

• Small Party Bowl – These are a great party snack to just set in a bowl on the appetizer table. They let people munch without killing their appetite for the main course.
• Grab-N-Go – Put these in a small Tupperware container and stash them in your back for a midday snack.
• With Wine – If you are having people over for a glass of wine, these will pair well with a Riesling or Malvasia Bianca. Something on the sweeter side pairs well with spicy almonds.
• On Salads – Adding these to a salad with a dressing that has a bit of sweetness to it will really jazz up your salad!

How To Store Roasted Almonds

Keep these in a glass jar or container. I like to store mine in the fridge. Roasted almonds will stay good for up to 1 year if kept in the fridge.

If you keep them in a pantry, you’ll want to eat them within about 2 weeks.

Can You Freeze Roasted Almonds?

Absolutely! In fact, roasted almonds will last up to 2 years or more in the freezer. So it’s a great way to store them, and they don’t require much defrosting. They easily go from frozen to room temperature in a approximately 30-60 minutes.

If you plan on freezing roasted almonds for a longer period of time, it is highly recommended that you double bag them in zipper-top freezer bags. Double bagging will help keep them from taking on flavors from the freezer. If you’ve ever tasted something with “freezer flavor”, you know what I mean.

Need Supplies?

More Healthy Snack Recipes

• Honey Lemon Almonds
• Air Fryer Roasted Chickpeas
• Peanut Butter Fat Bombs

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Spicy Roasted Almonds Recipe

Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted 12/27/14.