These sweet, salty, spicy & smoky nuts are a personal favorite of mine. I have made them many times for parties and as gifts and they are always a huge hit. I’m currently making batches to include in Christmas gift baskets because there are so many cookies & sweets being given this time of year, and something with savory notes can be a relief from the monotony.

And I should add that a friend I shared this recipe with insists that it must be tried with almonds and walnuts as well. She says, “they are just amazing!”

Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts

from allrecipes.com

1/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I used table salt)
1 pound skinless peanuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Stir together the sugar, chipotle powder, chili powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl; set aside.

Stir together the butter, honey, and kosher salt in a large saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted, and the mixture is bubbly. Stir in the peanuts until well coated, then pour out into a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until the nuts are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Stir the mixture 2 or 3 times to ensure even cooking. Once done, scrape the peanuts into a large metal bowl, and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Toss the peanuts to evenly coat with the spice mixture. Allow the peanuts to cool to room temperature, tossing every few minutes so the nuts do not stick together.

*Veronica’s notes: I use unsalted roasted peanuts, which initially caused me a bit of worry as I thought they’d be over-roasted after baking for 30 minutes, but nope, they were just perfect. I have also used salted, roasted nuts and omitted the salt from the recipe. If you’re giving them as a gift, here’s an idea on how to package it–just buy a jar or plastic container of nuts, save it, and put the nuts back in when they’re done (wait till they cool). The coating bulks their size so you’ll have plenty left over for yourself. :) Then just rip off the old label and make your own custom label. A cellophanE bag with a festive bow would make an attractive presentation as well, and you could get 2-3 bags out of each recipe, depending on the size of your bag.