Honey Roasted Snack Mix

First off, I would like to say a big “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” shout out to my wonderful and one-of-a-kind dad!!! I owe a great deal of who I am today to my dad, so I want to thank him for all that he has done for me and let him know I will always be his “little girl” no matter how old I get (he keeps reminding me of that…) Dad, I wish you the best birthday ever and am wishing I was back home so we could celebrate together.

Excuse the photo - it's the most recent of just us together...Fall 2010

I typically like to bake for others for their birthdays or special occasions…but since my dad lives in Texas and it’s blazing hot down there right now, I was afraid that most baked goods wouldn’t travel well unless they were ice-packed. He loves mixed nuts and snacky foods so I thought I’d whip up a sweet treat for his special day.

I used already-roasted nuts to put this snack mix together more quickly. After all, I did need to get it in the mail for his birthday and I was running short on time 🙂 I’d like to make another batch using raw nuts (maybe walnuts, pecans and almonds!) and roast them on my own for ultimate freshness. I’m also thinking of flavor variations  – adding some vanilla and cinnamon or maybe some chipotle powder to have a sweet, salty and spicy mix! Feel free to use your favorite variety of nuts and/or cereal to make your taste buds happy! This mix is addicting. I gave you your warning…

And now onto the recipe : )

Honey Roasted Snack Mix 

Ingredients

2/3 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted almonds
2 1/2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp unsalted butter or ghee
1 tsp sea salt, optional
1 1/2 cups mini gluten free pretzels (or other wheat-based pretzel if you can eat gluten)
2 Tbsp coconut sugar or other granulated sugar, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
2. Combine honey and butter in a medium size bowl and microwave on 50% power level until butter is melted (about one minute).  Add salt to the butter-honey mixture and stir to combine.
3. Add cashews, almonds and peanuts to the bowl and toss until evenly coated. Spread coated nuts on the baking sheet in a single, even layer and bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven, stir once and place back in the oven to bake another 5 more minutes.
4. Remove baking sheet from oven and let cool slightly, then spoon into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar if using and toss to coat. Add pretzels and stir to combine. Let cool completely and store in an air-tight container for up to two weeks (if it lasts that long!).

Recipe Notes: You can use roasted salted nuts and omit the extra salt in the recipe.