These Spiced Maple Candied Cashews are perfect for popping into jars as homemade Christmas gifts, adding to a grazing board, or just keeping on hand for snacking. They’re crunchy and sweet, with a blend of cozy Christmas spices and a hint of salt. But fair warning – they are dangerously moreish! Oh, and they make the house smell amazing as they bake too!
One of my absolute favourite special treats is the roasted nuts from the supermarket scoop-and-weigh section. They have this sweet coating and they are so crunchy and delicious. I basically have no self control around them, and they can get quite expensive! So (typical me) I set about learning how to make them at home. I developed a Salted Honey and Vanilla Roasted Almond recipe for my Homemade Christmas ebook and they became an instant favourite in my family!
They’re the kind of treat that disappears quickly at gatherings, and one that I honestly couldn’t stop snacking on. And the response online has been just as enthusiastic! Every time I post about them, it completely takes off. Clearly I’m not the only one who can’t resist sweet-salty-crunchy roasted almonds!
But this year, I wanted to mix things up a little bit. I switched the almonds for cashews this time, and added a bunch of spices that just scream “Christmas!”. Ginger, cardamom, Chinese five spice and cinnamon pair beautifully with the maple syrup. The spices give the cashews a cozy, festive feel without being overly sweet.
And then I thought… why not make them vegan while I’m at it?
Traditionally, candied nuts often rely on egg whites to help the sugar and spices cling to the nuts and create that crisp coating. For this recipe, I swapped the egg whites for aquafaba (the liquid from a tin of chickpeas), which works beautifully. It behaves a lot like egg whites when whipped, making it a brilliant vegan alternative in recipes like meringues, mousses and in this case, candied nuts.
This means they’re a great option for vegans or anyone who can’t eat eggs. The result is a batch of perfectly crunchy, glossy spiced cashews! They feel special enough for gifting but easy enough to throw together on a random weeknight. Because everyone deserves delicious homemade gifts at Christmas time!
I love Roasted Nuts as an edible homemade gift because they can be made well in advance or last minute. I made a batch of these Spiced Maple Candied Cashews, stored in an air-tight glass container and they were still SO crunchy two weeks later! You could also do a mixture of different nuts – cashews, almonds, pecans and macadamias, for example. Or make your own fancy festive fruit and nut mix with by adding your favourite dried fruits too.
Cellophane bags or glass jars are both fantastic options for packaging them up. You can decorate them with ribbon or twine, print some custom stickers or just attach a handwritten tag. If your friends have dietary restrictions to consider, it’s a great idea to list all the ingredients out.
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Spiced Maple Candied Cashews
These vegan spiced maple candied cashews are crunchy, sweet and perfect for homemade Christmas gifts or festive snacking.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 400 g raw unsalted cashews
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
- Using a hand mixer or whisk, beat the aquafaba, maple syrup and vanilla together in a large bowl for 1-2 minutes until frothy.
- Add the cashews and stir with a spoon to fully coat in the aquafaba mixture.
- In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, spices and a big pinch of salt. Stir sugar mixture into the cashews until completely coated.
- Spoon or pour onto the prepared baking tray. Spread out into an even layer.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring at the halfway point to ensure they don’t burn. They gain more crunch as they cool. Feel free to add an extra pinch of salt to suit your own taste.
- Allow to cool completely before packaging. Break up any large clusters with clean, dry hands.