These Caramelized Nuts with Brown Sugar & Spice are a perfect snack! Sprinkle them over your favorite salad for a delicious, sweet, and slightly spicy crunch, or set them out as a pre-dinner bite.
If you love a sweet and savory low sodium snack, these caramelized nuts will change your snack life. They are the perfect addition to salads and make an excellent crunchy topping to yogurt, oatmeal, and ice cream. The best thing about these nuts is they’re only 7 mg of sodium per ¼-cup serving! You can create a low sodium snack board with these and my Low Sodium Marinated Mozzarella Balls.
Mise en Place
Here’s what you need to make this recipe.
Tools:
Silicon Spatula or Wooden Spoon
How to Make Low Sodium Caramelized Nuts with Brown Sugar & Spice
You can start snacking on these Low Sodium Caramelized Nuts in minutes! Preheat your oven to 350F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Stir balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together in a small pot over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar melts.
Stir in nuts and spices until nuts are evenly coated.
Pour nuts onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake until nuts are a rich, dark brown.
Remove from oven and cool. Break nuts apart and store them in an airtight bag or container.
Variations on a Delicious Theme
This recipe is simple to change up. Mix up the spices. Smoked paprika would give it a warm, smoky flavor. More crushed red pepper flakes, or add in a little cayenne pepper for more heat. I love the savory sweetness of balsamic vinegar, but these are also delicious when made with white wine vinegar instead.
Low Sodium Caramelized Nuts with Brown Sugar & Spice FAQs
Can I use other types of nuts for this recipe?
Absolutely! I love this mix of pecans, peanuts, and walnuts, but feel free to swap them for your favorite unsalted nuts.
Can I use regular sugar for this recipe?
Yes, you can. I like the flavor the molasses in brown sugar gives the nuts, but white sugar is also a tasty option.
What happens if I burn the sugar?
Melting sugar can be tricky. It can go from not quite melted to burnt in milliseconds, so it’s important to stir constantly and remove it from the heat as soon as the sugar dissolves. If the sugar burns, don’t add the nuts and spices. Clean your pot and start over because the burnt sugar flavor will overpower everything else.
Low Sodium Caramelized Nuts with Brown Sugar & Spice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted peanuts
- ⅓ cup unsalted pecan halves
- ⅓ cup unsalted walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- Stir balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together in a small pot over medium heat until sugar melts, about 3-4 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent sugar from sticking to the pot and burning.
- Once sugar is melted, stir in nuts and spices until nuts are evenly coated. Pour nuts onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake on center rack in oven until nuts are a rich, dark brown, 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow nuts to cool, about 10 minutes. Break nuts apart and store in an airtight bag or container for up to two weeks.
Notes
Make sure the nuts you use are unsalted!
Nutrition Facts
Low Sodium Caramelized Nuts with Brown Sugar & Spice
Serves: Serves 4
|
Amount Per Serving: 1/4 cup nuts
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 242.03 kcal | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 18.47 g | 27.7% | |
| Saturated Fat 1.89 g | 5% | |
| Trans Fat 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol 0.0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium 6.95 mg | 0.3% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 17.26 g | 5.7% | |
| Dietary Fiber 2.58 g | 8% | |
| Sugars 13.52 g | ||
| Protein 5.51 g | ||
| Vitamin A 4.53 µg | Vitamin C 0.24 mg | |
| Calcium 38.38 mg | Iron 1.22 mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Did You Make these Caramelized Nuts with Brown Sugar & Spice?
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I haven’t tried thisvrecipe, but I am looking forwa rd to.to fixing this. Sounds delicious. Thank you forvthevrecip