If you love candied or spiced nuts – like sweet, glazed pecans or bold and spicy mixed nuts – then you’ll love making this recipe on the Blackstone griddle! Whether you need a good “bar snack” or you want to gift some holiday tins of edible goodies this year, this spiced nuts recipe will be a new favorite!
A Blackstone griddle is great for making smash burgers and fried rice, but there are SO many recipes that are perfectly suited for griddle cooking that may not be top of mind. Last year, we used our Blackstone to make this bold Chex Mix recipe, and we’ll never go back to baking our favorite holiday snack in the oven again!
So we thought – If we can easily make a large batch of snack mix on the griddle, then what other types of “oddball” recipes can we cook on the flat top grill?
Let’s try spiced nuts!
Our spiced mixed nuts recipe combines two different flavor profiles of nuts – one that’s more bold and savory with Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder, and one that’s perfectly sweet with a hint of citrus with brown sugar and orange liqueur. When you mix the two together, you’ve got the perfect sweet and salty snack! A little “naughty and nice”, if you will!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Make a big batch with easy clean up – It only took me about 30 minutes to make a giant batch of nuts from start to finish, and I didn’t have multiple sheet pans to wash afterwards.
- Sweet and spicy mixed nuts – We’re going split personality here – half sweet, half spicy. Brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla bring in the dessert vibes, while seasoned salt, garlic powder, and a hit of hot sauce take care of the savory side.
- Great holiday gifts – ‘Tis the season for holiday baking, and these easy spiced nuts make fantastic gifts. Just add to a mason jar with a cute gift tag, and you’ve got great Christmas gifts for neighbors, coworkers, and friends!
Griddle Spiced Nuts Video
Ingredients for Spiced Nuts
We wanted to make our homemade mixed nuts with both sweet and spicy flavors, but we didn’t want to mix the two types together while they were cooking… Kind of like those popcorn mixes that include both caramel corn and cheddar popcorn.
So we decided to cook our bold and spicy mixed nuts first, with a seasoning mix that’s based on our favorite Chex Mix recipe. And then we made glazed pecans in a separate batch. Here are the ingredients needed for both types:
For the Savory Mixed Nuts:
- pecan halves, almonds, peanuts, whole cashews – Or you can substitute your favorite mixed nuts.
- butter – Use unsalted because some of the nuts are already salted.
- Worcestershire sauce
- hot sauce – Use your favorite. We used Texas Pete for this recipe, but we have also made spicy nuts and Chex Mix using Cholula and Valencia hot sauce.
- seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper
For the Glazed Pecans:
- pecan halves – More about our favorite pecans down below.
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- butter – Unsalted is preferred for this recipe.
- vanilla extract
- orange liqueur – This is optional, but HIGHLY recommended. That little bit of orange flavor gives your glazed nuts such a wonderful, unique hint of citrus sweetness!
About the Pecans:
For holiday baking and gifting recipes, we like to use premium nuts – especially in recipes where the nuts are the star of the show, like with pecan pie or these spiced nuts.
We use and recommend The Pecan Pantry pecan halves, because we love supporting great people that make great products. These pecans are grown by a 3rd generation family farm in the US, and the quality and taste is definitely superior versus the popular grocery store brands.
How to Make Spiced Nuts on the Blackstone Griddle
The beauty of this spiced nuts recipe is the ease of preparation and the ability to customize the nuts to your liking. Here’s how to make our favorite mixed nuts on the griddle:
- Prepare the Griddle: Preheat your Blackstone griddle to a low temperature (about 350°F). This temp ensures that your nuts can get nice and toasted without burning.
- Add the Nuts and Butter: Spread out your assorted nuts on the griddle, and allow them to start warming for a few minutes. Then make a well in the center and add the butter to the griddle, allowing it to melt.
- Add the Wet Ingredients: Add the Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to the nuts, and toss to combine with the melted butter. Ensure the nuts are all equally coated in the wet ingredients. This is crucial for the seasoning to stick efficiently.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: Mix all of the dry spices together in a small bowl. Then, sprinkle evenly on the nuts on the griddle. Toss to evenly distribute the dry mix.
- Toast the Spiced Nuts on the Griddle: Spread the nuts out in an even layer on the griddle surface, and allow to toast for about 15 minutes, stirring periodically so that they don’t burn.
- Allow the Savory Nuts to Dry: Once toasted, transfer to a sheet tray or large mixing bowl to dry.
- Cook the Glazed Pecans: In a separate area on the griddle, add the pecans to start toasting. Add butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, orange liqueur, and a splash of water. Mix together until a rich syrup forms. Stir thoroughly, ensuring each nut is evenly coated as the syrup reduces.
- Allow the Glazed Pecans to Dry: After the syrup has reduced a bit, spread the glazed pecans out on a sheet tray to dry. As the nuts are cooling and drying, they will probably clump together due to the melted sugars. Just break them apart into individual pieces.
- Mix the Sweet and Salty Nuts: When the glazed nuts have hardened completely, mix the sweet and salty nuts together. *You can also keep them separated if you prefer.
*NOTE – All griddles cook differently, so be sure to adjust the cooking time or your burners as needed. Start off on the lowest heat setting, as the griddle will probably build heat the longer that it is on. Turn up the knobs if needed. The nuts will start to burn or blacken if you leave them on the griddle too long.
Make Spiced Nuts for Holiday Gifts
These spiced nuts serve not only as a delightful snack but also as thoughtful gifts. Add the mixed nuts to mason jars, cellophane bags, or gift tins, and tie on a festive ribbon. Then, you can add a “punny” gift tag like the ones that we used.
These free printable gift labels come into two options – “Wishing You Nut-thing but Joy” or “We Are Nuts About You”. You can grab these Christmas gift tags for spiced nuts gifts on my wife’s website for free!
Can I make this recipe without a Blackstone griddle?
Absolutely! While the griddle’s large surface is ideal, you can recreate this recipe in a large skillet on the stovetop, or even bake the nuts in the oven at 350°F, stirring periodically until toasted.
How can I adjust the spiciness of the mixed nuts?
We kept our mixed nuts on the milder side so our kids would eat them, but you can crank up the spice by adding extra hot sauce and/or cayenne pepper.
Can these spiced nuts be stored?
Yes, once cooled completely, these griddle nuts can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to two weeks, ensuring they stay fresh for snacking or gifting.
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Spiced Nuts on the Griddle
Ingredients
For the Savory Spiced Mixed Nuts:
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 2 cups whole almonds
- 2 cups whole cashews
- 2 cups lightly salted peanuts
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper *Or up to ½ or 1 teaspoon for spicier nuts.
For the Glazed Pecans:
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
- 1-2 tablespoons water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat griddle to about 350°F. *You can alternate burners (one on, one off) if needed to get a lower griddle temp. While griddle is heating, add garlic powder, seasoned salt, onion powder, and cayenne pepper to a small bowl and mix together well. Set seasoning mixture aside.
- Make the savory spiced nuts first. Spread out your assorted nuts in an even layer on the griddle, and allow them to start warming for 2-3 minutes. Then make a well in the center of the nuts, and add the butter to the griddle. After the butter has melted, toss the mixed nuts and butter so that the nuts are evenly coated.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to the mixed nuts on the griddle. Toss to combine so the nuts are equally coated in the wet ingredients. This is crucial for the seasoning to stick efficiently.
- Once combined, immediately sprinkle on the seasoning mixture. Toss to evenly distribute the dry mix. Then spread the nuts out in a thin even layer on the side of the griddle to make room for the glazed pecans.
- Allow the savory spiced nuts to toast and dry out on the griddle for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the nuts don't burn or blacken (while making the glazed pecans). Once toasted, transfer the savory mixed nuts to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the glazed pecans next. While the spiced nuts are toasting on the side, add the pecans to a separate area on the griddle. Spread out in an even layer and toast for about 1-2 minutes. Then add butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, orange liqueur, and about 1-2 tablespoons of water. Mix together until a rich syrup forms. Stir thoroughly, ensuring each nut is evenly coated as the syrup reduces.
- After the syrup has reduced and thickened (about 2 minutes), spread the glazed pecans out on a sheet tray to dry. As the nuts are cooling and drying, they will probably clump together due to the melted sugars. When the glazed nuts are almost dry, simply break them apart into individual pieces.
- Mix the sweet and savory nuts. Once the glazed pecans are completely dried, add to the mixing bowl with the spiced savory nuts. Mix together well. Store the nuts at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Just the recipe I was hoping for, did your chex mix from last year, a favorite of may of our friends , now this will take it to the next level
Brilliant gift idea. I am going to give this a try!
What an awesome, out-of-box thinking, griddle cooking idea. And the labels are wonderful also!
The spicy ones look great. Definitely on my next camping menu
I’m always looking for holiday apps. This is perfect!
ok, never thought about putting nuts on a griddle…these are awesome! now my mind is spinning with wondering what other things I can make. we have already done the Mexican tacos! that one was incredible!
As a person who loves Christmas this is a great way to roast nuts on an”
Open Fire “ , I will have to try this maybe next year when I get good at my griddle and how to use it,
The glazed nuts I did stayed a little sticky, I assume I needed to cook a little longer. The Orange liqueur does add a nice touch!
You guys really put in the work to make this site awesome! Thank You for sharing. Merry Christmas 🎄
This is one I will try !!