This sweet roasted habanero nuts recipe combines sweet coconut sugar with garlic and habanero sauce before perfectly roasting your favorite nuts. The sweet and spicy finger food snack is perfect for tailgating and holiday parties.
Why spicy habanero nuts:
There were some pretty fun football games on this past chilly weekend.
When I start thinking about these big football parties, I feel like I need to up my tailgating game.
Tailgate parties are a blast but after one too many, you need to spice it up a bit.
That includes bevvies, snacks, games, and party scape layouts. I think that the Skinny Super Bowl Game Day Dip, Spicy Cranberry Bacon BBQ Meatballs, and Healthy Caesar Salad Parmesan Cups are all going to be on our Big Game list this year.
Make sure to have non-alcoholic beverages available, plus water. Make sure to plan ahead for those unexpected party crashers with extra napkins, cups, and eating utensils. And of course, make sure to have spicy, hot, finger foods at the ready at all times.
Deciding what to make for a big tailgate party can be kind of tough. Finger foods are a given but then there's sweet? Spicy? Salty? Crunchy? Soft and chewy?
So I got to thinking and decided to make something completely different than what I normally would make.
Best sweet and spicy nuts recipe:
These sweet habanero roasted nuts cover almost all of those bases. They're sweet and spicy, garlicky and salty, crunchy and warm, they're finger food at its finest.
They're also incredibly easy to make by putting a few simple ingredients like your favorite nuts, habanero sauce, coconut sugar, and garlic together in a large bowl, mixing them up, and dumping them onto a baking sheet to roast for 30 minutes.
It's as easy as it sounds y'all.
Sweet Habanero Nut Pairings:
I highly recommend pairing these deliciously sweet and spicy nuts with other things that will make your palate happy but are more on the mellow side.
Maybe a cheesy charcuterie board for a girls night in.
Or perhaps some Slow Cooker Beer Cheese Soup!
Or what about some Air Fryer Chicken Legs to compliment the spice from this nut recipe!
Habanero nut ingredients:
- nuts of your choice
- melted butter
- habanero sauce
- coconut sugar or brown sugar
- garlic powder
- pinch of salt
For a detailed list of directions, scroll down to find the full recipe card.
How to make sweet habanero nuts:
- Preheat your oven to 250*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the nuts, melted butter, habanero sauce, coconut sugar, and garlic powder and stir well to coat evenly.
- Place the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan, stir and flip the nuts, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the nuts are toasted.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool before enjoying.
What types of nuts can you use in this recipe?
You can use whichever nut you prefer or you can use a mix of different nuts.
I like combining peanuts, cashews, walnuts, and almonds!
What type of hot sauce to use:
El Yucateco® is my go-to for habanero sauce for this recipe y'all.
El Yucateco® Red Chile Habanero packs a little more kick than the average hot sauce but with far less vinegar so you get the true flavor of the pepper when you add this sauce to any dish.
How to store leftover habanero nuts:
You can store leftover habanero nuts in an airtight container or zippie bag at room temperature for up to 5 days.
I partnered with El Yucateco, a brand I personally recommend to friends and family, for this post. Thank you for continuing to support me, BHHY, and the brands that help make this site possible.
Amanda says
These are so perfect for Game Day! I absolutely love the combination of sweet and spicy. My friends would devour these. The different varieties of El Yucateco sauces sound really interesting--I'll have to look for them at the market!
J Trogstad says
I'm a sweet and spicy addict myself. It hooks me every time. El Yucateco sauces are really great to keep around the kitchen. Not only are they spicy (yes!) but the flavors are great. I do not like sauces that are just "hot" with no flavor. These sauces are spicy but with bold flavor. So good!