Cinnamon Roll Almonds

Nuts are a funny thing, you either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. Personally, I don’t understand how anyone could hate nuts (unless you’re deathly allergic), but hey, to each his own. Me? I love ‘em. I think they make just about any dish better, but they’re also deliciously addictive on their own. Nuts are kinda like chips for me. I eat one…and then I have to eat five thousand more. They’re just so good! They hook you in, and then it’s all over.

A good mix of roasted nuts can be pretty tasty. I always keep a container in the pantry. Sometimes though, it’s fun to switch it up and say, “What else could I do with these nuts?” Naturally, one of the easiest things to do is to season and roast them. I had initially set out to do a classic sweet spice coating with cinnamon and all that jazz, but then a light bulb went on. Rather than do the same old thing, why not take these nuts up a notch? What about…cinnamon roll-flavored nuts?

Yum. That’s the first thing I thought when I was struck by such genius. Have you ever had a cinnamon roll topped with sweet icing and nuts? It’s a perfect combination! So, I tried to pick out all the fixings that you’d find in an ooey gooey cinnamon roll flling: the obvious cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and sweet brown sugar. But perhaps just as important to the cinnamon roll besides the filling is its icing. How could I get that taste? That’s where the French Vanilla flavored powdered coffee creamer comes in.

These nuts are SO TASTY. When they’re roasting, it smells like you’re baking up cinnamon rolls. I was popping them into my mouth left in right when they were fresh from the oven (and consequently burnt my tongue…totally worth it). I also continued to munch on ‘em like crazy today. I’ll probably do it again tomorrow. You know why? BECAUSE THEY TASTE JUST LIKE CINNAMON ROLLS (filling, frosting, and all!). They almost become candied after baking them in their sugary, spicey coating. Give these a try. Nuts are such a simple snack, and this is so quick and easy to whip up! You’ll be crunchin’ and munchin’ in no time!

A few tips before you get cooking:

1. You can use ANY KIND OF NUTS YOU WANT. I think almonds go nicely with the cinnamon roll flavor…but then again, what nut wouldn’t? Pick you’re favorite!
2. If you’re an I-Spy champion, then you’ll probably notice that I used sugar-free coffee creamer. You don’t have to do this. I have no logical reason for doing so besides the fact that sugar-free was all I had on hand. In fact, I imagine full fat tastes even better and makes these nuts all the more indulgent.

Cinnamon Roll Almonds

Recipe by Colleen Bierstine

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw almonds (or any nut of your choice)
• 4 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 2 tsp. French Vanilla flavored powdered coffee creamer (like this)
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• dash nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 egg white

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Lay nuts out onto baking sheet. Use a brush to evenly coat the nuts with the egg white. Make sure that they’re all sufficiently covered.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar, white sugar, coffee creamer, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well-combined.
4. Transfer the egg-coated nuts to the mixing bowl. Toss until they are evenly coated with the sugar mixture and no loose mixture remains in the bowl.
5. Put the sugared nuts back onto the baking tray, spreading them out in one even layer. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let cool. Transfer to an air-tight container. Nuts will keep for several days.

So yummy, so cinnamon rolly, and so easy! That’s one sweet snack, my friends.