This Sweet Heat Snack Mix consists of toasted almonds and roasted chickpeas, coated in the perfect balance of spices and brown sugar.
In case you’ve missed the announcements – tomorrow (February 2nd) is not only Groundhogs Day, it is also the Super Bowl. Whether you’re watching it for the football, the half-time show, or the heart-tugging commercials, chances are that you’ll be indulging in some finger food – pizza, wings, and corn dogs are all popular choices for this type of event, but sometimes it’s nice to have something a little different. Instead of putting out a plain bowl of salted nuts, why not treat your guests (or yourself) to this Sweet Heat Snack Mix. The snack mix consists of almonds, which boast a wide variety of health benefits, from lowering the risk of heart disease to helping build strong teeth and bones, and roasted chickpeas, which add a lot of protein and fiber. Cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne all have their own health benefits as well, so really, snacking on this Sweet Heat Snack Mix, in moderation, is good for your body! The only problem is trying to stop yourself from snacking as the clock ticks down in the last quarter.
Sweet Heat Snack Mix
The spice blend for this snack mix is inspired by Emeril Lagasse's Spiced Nuts.
Ingredients
- 1-540 ml (18 oz) tin canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 2 cups unsalted whole almonds
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 /4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for the snack mix to cool on at the end. Set aside.
- Place the chickpeas into a colander and rinse under running water. Spread the chickpeas out on paper towels and pat dry. By placing a sheet of paper towel on top, and gently pressing down while making a circular motion, you can remove some of the chickpea skins - this isn't necessary, but if you want to do that, you can.)
- Transfer chickpeas to a baking sheet with sides, and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, or until they are crisp and dried out.
- In a large dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the almonds, stirring occasionally, until they begin to give off a nutty aroma (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the roasted chickpeas and butter. Continue stirring until all of the butter is melted, and the nuts and beans are coated with butter.
- Combine the brown sugar and spices in a small bowl. Pour over the almonds and chickpeas, stirring to coat evenly. Add the water, and continue cooking and stirring until all snack mix is evenly glazed and the mixture thickens.
- Spread the snack mix out in layer on the prepared parchment lined baking sheet. Allow the almonds and chickpeas to cool completely before breaking apart. Store in an airtight container.
Sheridan says
These look great, and all the ingredients are in my pantry. I’m taking smoked pulled pork, homemade GF rolls and whoopie pies, also GF. Your snack mix looks yummy.
Seahawks or Broncos?
Oh, a big hit here last night was your Crispy, Sweet and Spicy chicken wings. Thanks for that!
Jeanine Friesen says
I’m cheering for the commercials. 🙂 Not much into football myself, although I do enjoy watching the final games (as opposed to season games), so maybe we’ll watch a little of it.
Glad to hear the wings were a hit! I bought more wings this morning so we’ll be enjoying them again tomorrow. Sounds like you’ve got a great menu planned! 🙂
Shauna Cutcliffe says
This is my new favorite snack!!!