This is one of my holiday favorites to make along with Bourbon nuts and pumpkin spice nuts. This one has a kick to it but you can adjust it to your taste. Add rosemary to get an additional flavor kick. If you want sugar free, substitute the maple syrup and brown sugar with agave syrup instead. Feel free to mix up the types of nuts as well, I like an equal combination of pecan, walnut, almond and cashew. Enjoy!

Chipotle sea salt nuts

• 8 cups of nuts (use whatever mix you like)
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup (don’t use that fake shit)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp of orange juice*
• 2 tbsp of ancho chili powder
• 1 tbsp of chipotle powder
• 1/4 cup minced fresh rosemary (divide in half) – DO NOT USE DRIED ROSEMARY! BLUCK!
• 1/4 cup flake sea salt – I like Maldon’s
• Vegetable oil

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush a large cookie sheet (best to use one with a lip) with a generous amount of vegetable oil.  In a large bowl combine the nuts, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, ancho chili and chipotle. Mix well. Add 1/2 of the sea salt and 1/2 of the rosemary (optional) and mix again.

Spread out on the cookie sheet trying to make sure they’re even and in 1 layer. Bake for 10 minutes and then pull them out and mix them with a spatula. Bake another 10 minutes and pull out and mix again. Another 10 minutes, or until they are nice and golden, and they’re done.  Be careful to watch this last 10 minutes or so as they can easily burn and you don’t want that.

Remove from the oven and toss in the remaining salt (and rosemary if you added that). Let them cook, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking together.

*About the orange juice. It may seem weird but it caramelizes in the oven and really adds a unique, delicious flavor.