Hot & Spicy Almonds

Almonds coated in a spiced butter sauce and roasted until deeply toasted and fragrant. The combination of Worcestershire sauce, cumin, cayenne, and garlic powder creates a savory, smoky, spicy shell around each nut that makes these impossible to stop eating.

Cooking the butter and spices together for a few minutes before tossing with the almonds blooms the cumin and garlic, intensifying their flavor. The Worcestershire adds a tangy, umami depth that plain salt-and-pepper nuts can’t touch.

A generous toss of coarse kosher salt right after they come out of the oven sticks to the warm, buttery surface and adds a satisfying crunch.

Pro Tips

• Use whole, skin-on almonds. The skins help the spiced butter coating cling better than blanched almonds.
• Turn the almonds a few times during toasting for even color. The butter coating burns easily on the side touching the pan.
• Cool completely before storing. Warm nuts in a sealed container steam and go soft.
• These keep in an airtight container for a couple weeks, but they rarely last that long.

Variations

• Add smoked paprika instead of cayenne for a milder, smokier heat.
• Swap almonds for cashews or mixed nuts using the same spice coating.
• Stir in a tablespoon of brown sugar with the spices for a sweet-heat version.