We are in the middle of what I think is our third snowstorm of the year already! The kids are home from school, the movie list is queued up, and I’ll be in the kitchen prepping for Thanksgiving for the next few days! In case you are looking for a quick last-minute appetizer for your holiday table, check out these Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Nuts!
Even though these cook relatively quickly in the slow cooker, I still like to make them in the slow cooker because the clean up is easier and it’s easier to regulate the temperature. The key is to make sure to line the slow cooker with foil for easier clean up!
As far as nut choices go, it’s up for grabs! I used pecans, walnuts, and peanuts. I also made a version with shelled pistachios, which was okay, but I liked the peanuts more. Ultimately, try it out with any nut you like. Just be careful if the nut is salted because there is salt in the seasoning mix as well. If your nuts are salted, then cut back on the salt in the sauce!
Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Nuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup peanuts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Line your slow cooker with foil and spray with non stick spray for easier clean up.
- Melt butter and stir together with syrup, hot sauce, salt, cinnamon, garlic powder, and chili powder.
- Pour mixture over nuts and stir together well. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 30 minutes, then switch to low and cook for another 30 minutes. Stir the nuts every 15 minutes.
- Remove the nuts from the slow cooker (you should be able to just lift out the foil). Spread nuts out and let them cool.
- Nuts are fine at room temperature for a few days or you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for longer storage.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Sweet and Spicy Sauce
I tried a few different versions of this spice mix. I tried one with brown sugar but found that that one burned a bit when I cooked the nuts so I started using maple syrup which works really well and has better flavor anyway.
Stir everything together! This is a really delicious spice mix.
Sweet and Spicy Nuts
You want about three cups of nuts total for this recipe, but the mix is totally up to you. You could do all pecans or peanuts if you want or a mix of a bunch of different kinds.
The version I ended up liking the most was a mix of pecans, walnuts, and peanuts.
Most importantly, when you add these to your slow cooker, line the slow cooker with foil for easier clean up.
Stir the sauce into the nuts really well and then cook the nuts on high for 30 minutes. Then turn the temp down to low for another 30 minutes. Stir the nuts every 15 minutes to make sure they aren’t burning.
When the nuts are done, you can keep them on the warm setting in the slow cooker, but you’ll still need to stir them occasionally. Or, you can remove them from the slow cooker, let them cool, and serve them in a big bowl. I like to remove them from slow cooker so I don’t have to worry about them!
These Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Nuts are addictive and easy to snack on. They aren’t too spicy. I even found my 5-year old sneaking a few of them.
Have a great holiday everybody!
Here are a few other great holiday appetizers!
- Lox Wonton Cups
- Easy Crab and Avocado Salad
- Slow Cooker Caramelized Onion Dip
- Sweet Vidalia Onion Dip from View from the Great Island
