Nuts! The snack recipe collection

If you’re looking for an all-occasion snack that’s not potato chips, popcorn or crackers, nuts offer a fun alternative. There are tons of things you can do with various types of nuts. You can go for sweet, salty or savory flavors, or all of the above. And because they’re so easy to store, they’ll travel anywhere that chips or crackers will. Take them on the road, to the office, or just keep them at home.

Nuts are rich in fat and protein, which makes them more satisfying and filling than a lot of starch-based treats. And if you’re trying to stick to a low-carb or gluten-free diet, many of these snacks can be a wonderfully tasty replacement for the snacks you’re missing.

1. Spicy, Sweet & Salty Rosemary Nuts from Pink of Perfection. Lots of flavor in this recipe, which uses brown and white sugars for the sweetness, cayenne and rosemary for flavor, and tasty kosher salt.
2. Crisp sugared walnuts – great eaten alone, or on salads. This is a super simple recipe involving sugar, salt, peanut oil and a little bit of baking time.
3. Spiced Nut Snack – uses coriander seed, garlic, red pepper flakes and more seasonings to make for a really spicy, savory treat. This recipe calls for a mixed nut variety, so you could use any type of nuts or combination thereof that you want.
4. 5-Spice Pecans – pecans are practically dessert in themselves, because they have that touch of sweetness that’s so wonderful. This combines them with soy sauce, garlic, ground ginger and pepper for an Asian flair that’s loaded with flavor!
5. Fried Almonds – a Mediterranean bar snack. These almonds are fried in olive oil until golden, and then seasoned to taste with salt and cayenne pepper
6. Spicy Sweet Pumpkin Seeds – roasted pumpkin seeds are possibly the very best part of Halloween, because they’re even more addictive than the candy. Add some cinnamon, ginger and cayenne, and you’ve got a spicy, sweet, roasted flavor that’s out of this world.
7. Candied Pecans – brown sugar and cinnamon make the sweetness of pecans even sweeter, turning them into something that could really substitute for dessert. These are great in salads and with various dishes, too. You can serve them as a side with a beef entree, too.
8. Curried Hazelnuts – curry powder, butter and a little salt are all you need to take hazelnuts to the next spicy level. This is a very simple recipe, and that’s the beauty of it.
9. Bourbon Nuts – this is not a snack to have with bourbon. These nuts are mixed with bourbon, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and additional seasonings to create a savory mix. (You can substitute soy sauce for the Worcestershire, by the way – makes it a little more salty and less tangy.)
10. Dr. Pepper Glazed Pecans – butter and Dr. Pepper form a sweet glaze over pecans that tastes roughly like you’d expect. Don’t try to use Diet Dr. Pepper – the sugar is necessary to form the glaze.
11. Dilly Almonds – with butter, dill weed and a touch of seasoning salt, these almonds become very savory and just a little bit tangy.

Any of these recipes can and should be varied, according to your taste. The type of nut used isn’t the only one that’ll taste good, and the ingredients need not be exact. Be creative and have fun!