7 Holiday Spiced Nuts Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the traditional Christmas nuts? ›

Receiving a handful of walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds was a coveted gift, symbolic of prosperity and good luck. Over time, this tradition has continued, with nuts becoming a staple of our Christmas fare.

I'm partial to almonds, pecans and pepitas. The almonds get nice and crunchy, the pecans crisp up beautifully, and the pepitas clump together to form crackly green clusters. You can use other nuts, too. Walnuts would be great in place of the pecans, hazelnuts would be fun, and peanuts are always delicious.

Spiced nuts freeze well and thaw quickly, so keep some on hand for last minute gatherings. To freeze, put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in one layer and place in the freezer. Once they harden, transfer them to an airtight container.

For special occasions like showers or birthday parties, you can serve nuts in tiny mason jars. Not only does this alleviate contamination concerns, but it also makes for easier snacking. Feel free to customize the jars with the date of the celebration and a ribbon.

North American crooners sing of “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” and nuts have long been used as edible decorations on Christmas trees.

Brazil nuts, cashews and macadamia nuts are higher in saturated fat. Too much of this can contribute to raised cholesterol levels, so only eat them occasionally. Chestnuts are an exception – they're lower in all types of fats and higher in starchy carbohydrate than other nuts.

Macadamia in Demand – they're simply the best

It's one of the most sought-after nuts across the world, especially by discerning gourmands. And it can often be twice as expensive as other tree nuts, but why?

Stuffing – Add some crunch to your stuffing mix with nuts such as walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts, and perhaps the sweet touch of cranberries or currants. Go Nuts with your Turkey – There are many ways to add some nuts to your turkey aside from the stuffing.

My pecans are sticky, what went wrong? When candied pecans are warm, they might be a bit sticky, but once they cool, the sugar coating should harden. If after they have cooled down, the pecans are still sticky, this means that the sugar mixture never reached a high enough temperature when on the stove.

Are rancid nuts bad for you? ›

“If a nut is really oxidized, I guarantee you you're not going to get it past your mouth because it just tastes so awful,” says Schaich. But if you do, for some reason, eating the occasional spoiled nut is “no big deal,” because we have enzymes in our stomachs that can essentially incinerate the oxidation byproducts.

Whole raw nuts can be stored in the freezer for up to one year. Chopped nuts, ground nuts, or nut flours — all of which contain more surface area for oxidation — are quicker to spoil and should only be stored for up to six months.

Later, when the pagan holidays were folded into Christmas it was said that the three parts of the nut—the shell, skin, and kernel—represented the holy trinity or the bones, skin, and soul of the Saviour himself. Whether it's pagan or Christian, the idea of nuts bringing good luck at Christmastime appears to have stuck.

Trail Mix, Naturally!

Just mix in peanuts (or your favorite nuts) with a variety of dried fruit (such as cranberries, raisins, pineapple, bananas or apricots), dark chocolate bits and whole-grain oat squares.

Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios are easy to crack and are plentiful this time of year. While a bit more challenging to crack, Brazil nuts provide a nutritious snack.

Rice porridge is known all around the world, but the custom of eating it over Christmas with a whole almond in it comes from Scandinavia. In Sweden and Finland, getting the almond means good luck in the following year.

In the Victorian era, Christmas trees were commonly decorated with fruits, raisins, paper chains and popcorn. But gilded, or golden, walnuts were the real star of the tree. During the holiday season, in-shell walnuts were decorated in gold foil and tied with a red ribbon and hung in the tree.