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Candied Nut Cranberry-Apple Snack Mix

By Sarah On   |  Updated:

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Sugary candied nuts and plenty of dried cranberries and apples come together in this addicting snack mix.—You can’t help but go back for another handful!

You wanna know the perks of coming home from a 3-day vacation on a Tuesday? The next day feels like a Monday which is actually a Wednesday, which means that you’re basically only two days out from FRIDAY.

Which is today, yo. (!!!)

Weekend here I come. ♥

It was awesome to hang out with my entire extended family the past week, but a 3-day resort trip combined with all the crazyness of Thanksgiving last week and I think it’s safe to say that I’m wiped. And I think a low-key weekend is definitely in order. 

That said, are you ready for the mind-blowing-est snack mix of your life? (that’s a real word, I promise)

Please say yes. I need somebody to give my leftovers to before I end up eating them all. Help an addicted food blogger out, ‘yo.

Yeah, so I’m reaaaaally sorry for the overload of snacky stuff recently….this time of year ALWAYS puts me in a munchy-kinda mood so please bear with me while I try to “control” my cravings.

Ha, as if.—I’m FEEDING my craving.

Hope you guys got zee munchies today. Yum stuff is coming.

In the coated-with-amazingness candied nut direction.

So when that snack-attack hits, you know watcha’ gotta do? Pull out the candied nut snack mix.

And eat ’til your teeth hurt from too much crunching.

Don’t let the “candied nuts” part of this snack mix scare ‘ya outta making it! I promise it is SO easy and you don’t even a candy thermometer or a ton of sugar either!

I mean this is obviously health food. Like these cookies. Get it? I rest my case. 🙂

The steps involved in making the actual candied nuts is really REALLY simple. A child could do it. Or an impatient 17-year old who wants candied nuts NOW.

First up is the nuts: I used a three-nut combination of cashews, walnuts, and whole pecans which my family LOVES, but totally feel free to sub in your favorites! I have a feeling almonds or macadamias would go perfectly in this snack mix.

Whatever nut you choose, you’re gonna need 2 cups of each, adding up to 6 cups total of nuts. Toss those nuts in a large-ish bowl and set aside while you prepare the coating.

The coating for these nuts is 2 large egg whites beaten to stiff peaks with 2 tablespoons water. After the egg whites are beaten you’ll VERY gently fold in a mixture of sugar (I used coconut sugar) apple pie spice (adds so much flavor to the nuts!) ground cinnamon, and just a pinch of salt.

Over the nuts the egg white mixture goes, and you’re gonna want to stir VERY gently until the nuts are evenly coated. Careful not to overstir, otherwise the egg whites will lose a lot of their volume.

Handle the nuts with care, as you spread them on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Then you’re gonna want to roast them nice and slow at 300° for 40-45 minutes, stirring once every 10 minutes. Stirring the nuts while they bake is essential in getting evenly-baked candied nuts that are perfectly crunchy. Don’t skip this step!!

In the meantime, while these nuts bake they’re going to fill your house with literally the most amazing smells EVER.

You know, those kinda smells that will draw EVERYONE into the kitchen for a taste.

Once the nuts are perfectly golden, give them one last stir, then let them cool completely on the counter. As they cool, the coated nuts will harden up beautifully and you’ll be able to easily break them apart….

Throw in some dried cranberries/dried apples goodness….or really just any mix-in that ‘ya fancy.

After that…well, I dare to you to try and refrain from diving headfirst into the pan.

I didn’t have much luck with that last step.

This is basically everything you could ever ask for in a snack mix. The only thing that could possibly make it better is….chocolate chips thrown into the mix…I mean, OBV.

Next time, next time. ♥

I first time I made these nuts was on Thanksgiving and I think it was a smart move on my part to have a full house of people to ‘er, HELP me out with the munching part of the candied nut process.

In fact, we almost decided that we didn’t even want turkey, and that we were just gonna have candied nuts for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thankfully, I was able to convince them that turkey was TRADITIONAL and non-negotiable on Thanksgiving. *phew*

So um, if you guys ever wondered where I get my cray meal ideas like muffins for dinner or spaghetti for breakfast, there ‘ya go. My family has thoroughly brainwashed me.

No complaints though, peeps. NO complaints. 🙂

‘Kay. I’m done with my rambling…for now. You know what YOUR project is for this weekend.

The candied nuts are calling your name.

 

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5 from 1 vote

Candied Nut Cranberry-Apple Snack Mix

Sugary candied nuts and plenty of dried cranberries and apples come together in this addicting snack mix.—You can’t help but go back for another handful!

This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unsalted cashews*
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts*
  • 2 cups whole pecans*
  • 1 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup dried apples coarsely chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine nuts. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, spices, and salt.
  • Place egg whites and water in a medium bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Very gently fold sugar-spice mixture into whipped egg whites.
  • Pour egg white-sugar mixture over nuts. Gently fold until nuts are evenly coated. Divide nuts between prepared baking sheets. Bake candied nuts at 300F 45 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once every 15 minutes.
  • Cool nuts completely on baking sheet. Once cooled, break nuts apart into clusters and combine with dried cranberries and apples.
  • *In place of these nuts, feel free to sub in your favorites (i.e. almonds, macadamia nuts, peanuts, ect)

Notes

Store snack mix in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below. Feel free to share a picture on Instagram and tag @wholeandheavenlyoven or hashtag it #wholeandheavenlyoven

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

    Sounds like you had a great getaway, Sarah! And thankfully Friday is finally here! This snack mix looks amazing! I love your creativity. I love the nutty mixture, all of my favorites! And those cranberries are just calling my name. Yum!

    Reply

  7. Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says

    A nice and relaxing weekend with yummy munchies sounds perfect after the adventurous week you had 🙂 These look amazing! I am a sucker for snack mixes and could seriously snack on this all day! I can just imagine how incredible this smelled baking up with the apple pie spice. Love the dried cranberry and apples in here too!

    Reply

  8. Cheryl says

    Girl, you are so versatile! You’re also making me feel super embarrassed for not posting like attttt all lately. Gotta get up on it like Sarah!! This is such a great recipe to have on hand for guests during the holidays!

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      It totally blows regular mixed nuts outta the ballpark for sure! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you, Nat!
      You have a good weekend too, girly!

      Reply

  11. Sarah @ The Gold Lining Girl says

    These nuts look delicious! I love the trio of nuts that you picked, and you make it sound so easy! I’ve struggled with candied nuts in the past, but I will have to try your tips! I bet these really make the house smell so yummy! I hope you have a nice relaxing and low-key weekend to rest up!! 🙂

    Reply

  13. Joanne says

    I love coming back to work on a Wednesday after a long weekend. BEST.FEELING.EVER.

    I could not be trusted around this snack mix. That’s for sure.

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

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