When I’m hungry, I have a tendency to reach for sweet snacks. I’ll grab fruit, a Larabar, or a yogurt over pretty much anything else. As an attempt to broaden my horizons and branch out in the snack department, I decided to come up with a few more savory snack recipes. A few weeks ago I posted this popcorn recipe, and today I am posting this recipe for Sweet and Smokey Snack Mix. You may think I’m cheating because the word “sweet” is in the title- but this definitely a savory snack. It’s also addicting. This is perfect as an afternoon snack when you just need a little something to get you through till dinner. It’s easy to grab a handful and continue on with whatever you were doing. It’s very portable and it lasts up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Bonus: it contains both protein and healthy fat. This would also make a really good, healthier snack to put out during a Superbowl party for your guests to snack on. I know Superbowl parties are as much about the food as they are about the game, and I’m already planning some snacks I’m going to make (pretzel nuggets with beer cheese dip, anyone?), but I can assure you that these nuts and seeds will be in little bowls throughout the house. With cooling time, this snack mix is ready in about half an hour, but maybe only two minutes of that is active time. Quick and delicious, what do you have to lose?
NOTE: For a vegan option, replace the egg white with a tablespoon of olive oil
Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
1/8 cup sugar 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon oregano ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 egg white (or 1 tablespoon olive oil, for vegan) 1 cup (unsalted) cashews 1 cup (unsalted) almonds
1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine first six ingredients. In a separate, larger bowl wisk the egg white. Toss in the cashews, almonds, and pepitas and coat with the egg whites. Sprinkle on the seasoning mix. Turn out onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, remove the snack mix, and flip one time. Put the snack mix back on the oven (leave the oven off!) for 15 minutes. Allow the mix to cool at room temperature before transferring to a storage container.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 244 Fat: 18g Carbs: 10g Protein: 10g Sodium: 10mg Sugar: 3.5g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
