Welcome to the other side of the long Thanksgiving weekend.
Between my birthday (which fell on Thanksgiving this year) and the holiday itself, I’ve been celebrating with one meal after another. I definitely overindulged—my body feels like a buttered roll—so this week I’m planning on drinking lots of green smoothies to reset. If you had a weekend of nonstop eating too, I feel you.
The weekend was also cozy and full of family time. We spent Thanksgiving at my parents’ house with close family, then I lingered a few days to visit relatives I hadn’t seen in a while. My dad, who has worked in construction for as long as I can remember, helped me build a few new textured photo backgrounds. He’d once taken a faux finish class, so he was perfect for the job.
Ingredients
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Cashews
- Pumpkin seeds
- Olive oil
- Pure maple syrup
- Crushed red pepper (add more if you like it spicy)
- Fresh rosemary, minced
- Smoked paprika
- Maldon sea salt or kosher salt
We made several serving boards while chatting about music and catching up. On Saturday I deep-cleaned the house and worked a bit more on a kitchen refresh. The best part of the weekend, though, was pulling out the Christmas decorations early—except for the tree, everything else is up. The house smells like vanilla and butterscotch candles and the twinkle lights give it that familiar holiday glow. I’m already in the Christmas mood, which made it the perfect time to share seasonal recipes.
These Sweet and Smoky Mixed Holiday Nuts are the first recipe of the season. We discovered this version on a short Colorado trip while staying with friends—Ryan’s mom served gourmet snacks all weekend and kindly shared her nut recipe. These nuts are excellent for casual snacking, refined enough for a party platter, and perfect for homemade holiday gifts. If you usually give cookies or fudge, add a jar of these nuts to your gift list.
I used a variety of raw nuts from the bulk section at Whole Foods, but a pre-mixed unsalted tub from a warehouse store works just fine. My favorite bites are the walnuts, but feel free to swap in whatever nuts you prefer. The coating is a simple blend of olive oil, pure maple syrup, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, and fresh rosemary. Use a good-quality maple syrup for the best flavor—nothing artificial.
Cooking is straightforward but watch the nuts closely so they don’t burn. Spread them in a thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring every 5–10 minutes. When they’re done, transfer the nuts to parchment or wax paper, separate any large clusters, and let them cool for a few minutes.
Once cooled, jar them for gifts or keep them refrigerated for easy snacking through the week. They also make a great grab-and-go nibble for holiday cocktail parties. Enjoy!
Other holiday recipes you’ll love
- Hot Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
- White Chocolate Chex Mix
- Maple Cream Cheese & Spiced Cranberry Pastries
If you make these Sweet and Smoky Mixed Holiday Nuts, tag me on social media—I love seeing your creations and sharing them with the community.
Sweet and Smoky Mixed Holiday Nuts
Elizabeth Van Lierde
10 mins
Total:
40 mins
Ingredients
- 1 Cup of almonds
- 1 Cup of pecans
- 1 Cup of walnuts
- 1 Cup of cashews
- ⅓ Cup of pumpkin seeds
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- ⅓ Cup of pure maple syrup
- 2 Teaspoons of crushed red pepper
- 1 ½ Tablespoons of minced fresh rosemary
- 1 ½ Teaspoons of smoked paprika
- 1 ½ Teaspoon of Maldon sea salt or kosher salt
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together until evenly coated. Spread the nuts in a thin layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20–25 minutes, stirring every 5–10 minutes, until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to parchment paper to cool. Break clusters apart and let cool 5–10 minutes before serving or jarring for gifts.
Did you make this?
Tag me on Instagram and use the hashtag #eerecipes.
