I used to make batches upon batches of spiced nuts to give as gifts over the holidays or to hand out to family and friends to take home after a visit.
It was the same recipe every year: nuts, spices, brown sugar, and boat loads of olive oil.
And then I shifted my diet to reduce added oils in my own home cooking and I felt weird giving people a gift I wouldn’t eat. Not a gift I bought, but that I actually made!
If I didn’t value it, I didn’t feel like I could gift it.
How could I explain myself? “I try and minimize processed sugars and oils so I wouldn’t eat this but I’m going to give it to you”. Merry Christmas! Eek! No.
So, for years I forgot about spiced nuts because I figured there was no healthier way to make them.
And, yes, I know on a plant-based diet, nuts and seeds represent a smaller percentage of caloric intake, but I still wanted something I could give that represented my culinary style and nutritional values. As holiday season rolled around this year, I was hell-bent on making an oil-free, low-sugar version!
So I worked on it!
