If I’ve visited your house or if you’ve come to mine in the past few weeks, you’ve probably had a version of these aromatic and irresistible spiced pecans. Slightly exotic yet also quite familiar, these pecans will amaze and delight—both kids and adults. I’m always asked about how I make them. So simple and so good, they come together in almost no time; less than five minutes for prep time. The idea came from World Spice at Home, a cookbook filled with inspirational recipes for experimenting with exotic and enticing spice blends from around the globe. In my vegan version here, pecans are coated in melted coconut oil and then tossed in cane sugar, salt and garam masala (an aromatic blend of cardamom, cinnamon cassia, coriander, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper and mace). Place the pecans on a baking sheet, bake until lightly toasted and wait for the delicate aroma to fill your kitchen and home with warm and cozy goodness. The combination of flavors is irresistibly divine!

Sweet, savory and crunchy, spiced pecans are great on their own as a snack, tossed in salads, or topped on desserts. They also make a welcome holiday treat, elegant appetizer, or hostess gift. You can swap out pecans for other nuts—almond, walnuts*, cashews, etc., or mixed nuts. You could also substitute different spice blends to suit your taste and intended use. Try curry on cashews for a salad or harissa on almonds for a bit of spicy heat.

Garam Masala Spiced Pecans
Adapted from World Spice Merchants

1/3 cup cane sugar
1 1/2-2 teaspoons ground garam masala
1/2 teaspoon and a pinch salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
2 cups pecans (or cashews, walnuts, almonds or a mix)

Preheat oven to 275 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl combine sugar, garam masala and salt and mix well. In another bowl toss pecans in coconut oil until they are completely coated. Add the spice blend and stir with a spatula until the pecans are evenly coated with the garam masala mixture.

Spread pecans in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, about 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from the oven and allow to cool and serve.

If you’re in a crunch for time you could always increase your baking temperature to 300F or 350F and bake for less time, about 10 minutes, but if time allows, I prefer to roast them a little slowly.

Also, this recipe can easily be doubled. Even if you’re not planning to use them all right away, you can store them in an airtight container for a few weeks.

*If you use walnuts, you may want to try blanching them first to remove their bitter skins, then roast in the oven for about 10 minutes to dry them out. If using hazelnuts, roast them first and remove their outer skins.