Clove & Orange Spiced Nuts

we! love! spiced! nuts!

these are the kind of nuts you set out in a little bowl and suddenly everyone’s hovering around it pretending they’re just “trying one more”.

the maple syrup turns glossy and caramelized in the oven, the orange zest cuts through the sweetness, and the cloves give that deep, cozy warmth that makes your whole kitchen smell like fall.

i keep them on hand throughout the months of Oct-Dec because they’re simple and perfect to snack on (love in a yogurt bowl). perfect for gifting when you host, or when others host you! just throw them in mini paper bags with velvet bows.

Clove & Orange Spiced Nuts

ingredients

• 4 cups mixed nuts (walnuts and pecans work best)

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• zest of 2 oranges

• ½ tsp ground cloves

• 1 tsp vanilla bean powder

• pinch of salt

method

1. preheat oven to 350°f and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. in a large bowl, toss nuts with maple syrup, orange zest, cloves, vanilla bean powder, and salt until evenly coated.

3. spread nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet.

4. bake for 20–40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden and fragrant. keep your eye on the nuts, they go from golden to burnt quite quickly!

5. let cool completely before storing in an airtight jar.

*the cook time varies greatly here depending on your oven strength. i have a pre-war POS oven that truly takes double the time to do anything. after about 15 minutes i would set an alarm to check your nuts every 5 minutes and toss them around so that they cook evenly and don’t burn.