Healthy roasted nuts

I’m afraid I have a stubbornly sweet tooth and working from home am often tempted to snack on biscuits and cake.

A little something with a cuppa is the perfect reward when I’ve finished a difficult job, some consolation when I’m having a bad day, or motivation when I’m struggling. Yes, sugar can be the answer to every situation I ever encounter! So I’m always looking for healthier snacks to have with a cuppa.

I stumbled on this Amelia Freer recipe for nut granola (scroll to bottom of article), and thought it would be a nice change for breakfast. It’s very easy, plus I already had all the ingredients in the cupboard, which was a great start.

So I made it a few times according to her instructions, but then decided it would be more useful to me as roasted nuts. I use maple syrup in the recipe, and I find that it’s enough to satisfy a craving for something sweet on any of the occasions mentioned above.

Ingredients:

About 200g of mixed nuts (Lidl handily do a 200g bag of almonds, cashews, walnuts and hazelnuts that I often use)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to approx 150-170C. I make my roasted nuts after cooking something else in the oven, so it’s already preheated, and I usually need it turn it down first.
2. Tip the nuts into a bowl, breaking the walnuts in half.
3. Add the other ingredients and mix together. (No problem if your coconut oil is cold and a few small lumps remain).
4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and spread the mixture evenly.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, stir the mixture and then bake for another 10 minutes. The hazelnuts catch the heat more than the others so turn the heat down if they are getting a bit brown.
6. Give them a good stir when you take them out of the oven and leave to cool.
7. Try not to eat them all at once. They will keep for a week or so in an airtight box.

Much cheaper and healthier than those supermarket bags of roasted nuts, and they might just keep you away from naughtier treats!

Also very good presented in a jar as little gifts for friends.

(Top photo by Kaboompics)