This post has been sponsored by The Coca-Cola® Company and SheSpeaks.
Are you ready for football season? Do you love hosting or attending football parties with your friends and family? Mixed nuts were always served for get-togethers at our house when I was growing up. Nuts are a delicious, filling snack and a big hit with guests and especially for game day parties.
As I was thinking of a recipe to make for our upcoming fall football get-together, I couldn’t think of anything better than sweet and spicy mixed nuts. They’re delicious to eat, easy to make, and they store easily (so that I can make them ahead of time and save my sanity on game day!).
I love that this recipe has just the right amount of sweetness, thanks to Coca-Cola® and a touch of honey, paired with the perfect amount of cayenne pepper to spice things up. Don’t be intimidated by the pepper, though! These nuts are still mild enough for the kids (and those with sensitive taste buds) to enjoy while they cheer on their favorite team!
The great thing about this recipe is that it not only uses Coca-Cola® as one of the star ingredients, but it pairs perfectly with a glass of ice-cold Coca-Cola®. I picked up cases of Coca-Cola® Mini Cans at Sam’s Club during my most recent trip there…because I can never have too much Coca-Cola® at my house, especially when I know lots of people are going to be coming over.
I let Sam’s Club take the stress out of preparing for my game day parties. I’m totally hooked on Scan & Go. I scan items with my phone (via the app) as I shop throughout the store. When I’m done shopping, I can pay on my app and skip the check out lines completely. It saves me a ton of time! You can also use Club Pickup. Just order online and Sam’s Club will have your items ready for you in-store, where available. This is a great option when purchasing a variety of Coca-Cola® beverages.
Quick tip: I used a Coca-Cola® Mini Can in this recipe. Each mini can has about 1 cup of Coca-Cola®. I happily drank the second half of the can while I was preparing the recipe. However, you could easily double the recipe and use the entire mini can. If you double the recipe, I recommend splitting the nuts between two cookie sheets so that the nuts bake evenly.
Ok, enough of my chattering. Let’s get to this yummy recipe!
Coca Cola Spicy-Sweet Mixed Nuts
Ingredients:
- ½ cup Coca-Cola
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 3 cups of nuts (I used one cup each — peanuts, cashews, and pecans — because those are my favorites, but you can use your favorite variety)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Toss the nuts together in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook Coke, honey, and butter, stirring frequently, until liquid is slightly reduced and starts to thicken (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in spices.
4. Pour hot glaze over the mixed nuts and stir to coat evenly. Gently pour the nut mixture onto the parchment paper and spread evenly over the cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring once during cooking. Keep an eye on the nuts during the last few minutes to ensure that they don’t burn. Remove nuts to a bowl or a cool plate immediately before they harden on the cookie sheet.
6. Let nuts cool completely. Store in a closed container.
PS – While the nuts are cooking, prepare a feast for your olfactory senses. Your house is going to smell amazing!
What are some of your favorite game day recipes? Do you love preparing main dishes, appetizers, or sweets? Personally, I love football parties that have them all. Variety is good!
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