It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday, and we’re going nuts! One of the must-have items on our party menu is a big bowlful of homemade spicy almonds. They’re so delicious we can’t help but to eat them by the handful, but watch out! They sure do pack a punch.

Start by whisking together two egg whites, 2 tsp. of water and 2-4 tbsp. of your favorite hot sauce. We love  using sriracha for this recipe, but Tabasco, Crystal or even a spicy barbecue sauce works great. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 cup of light brown sugar and a generous pinch of Nuts.com’s deliciously smokey BBQ seasoning.

Toss 2 lbs. of whole roasted almonds in the hot sauce mixture, then pour the sugar mixture into the bowl. Stir the almonds until they’re covered in a thick, syrupy coating.

Spread the coated almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet covered in wax paper. Bake the almonds at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour, or until they’re nice and toasty. Stir them every 15 to 20 minutes to keep them from burning. Allow the spicy almonds to cool, then serve.

Enjoy this delicious snack, and have a safe Super Bowl Sunday! May the best team win!

We sure love to start our day with a nice, steaming bowl of hot oats. Oats are as delicious as they are nutritious, and we love that they keep us feeling full and satisfied all morning. Now, we do enjoy regular old oats made on the stove or in the microwave, but we do crave something a little different from time-to-time. That’s where baked oatmeal comes in!

Baked oatmeal takes about 30 minutes to prepare, but it’s definitely worth the extra effort. The baked cereal tastes like a delicious oatmeal cookie. It certainly is a treat!

To start, pour 1/2 cup of organic rolled oats or organic steel-cut oats into a bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce or plain canned pumpkin and 1 tbsp. of organic crunchy peanut butter or organic crunchy almond butter. Add 1/4 cup of water, cow’s milk, almond milk or soy milk to the mixture. Sprinkle in 1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract and 1 to 2 tsp. of light brown sugar or honey. Stir the oatmeal mixture to combine. Then, if desired, sprinkle in about 1 tbsp. of raisins, organic dark chocolate chips or the dried fruit of your choice.

Pour the oatmeal mixture into a 1-cup ramekin that has been greased with cooking spray and bake the oats at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve the baked oatmeal immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to a month. It’s a great to make a large batch, then defrost one in the microwave for breakfast at the office or on the go!

Hitting the gym or trying to be more active in the new year? Many people (including us) love to munch on all-natural food bars to get a little boost of energy before and after exercising. Did you know that these sweet little bars, which are usually made from a combination of dates, nuts and a little salt, are simple to make at home? We like to use cashews to make our homemade food bars rich and delicious!

Start by placing 1/2 cup of pitted dates in a food processor. Process the dates until they’re smooth and have a pastelike consistency, then transfer them to a bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of raw cashews, along with 1 tbsp. of cashew butter, 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon and 1/2 tbsp. of sea salt, to the food processor. Process the nuts until they’re chopped rather finely, then add the cashew mixture to the dates. Mix the ingredients until they’re thoroughly combined, then press the mixture into a 9″ x 9″ square baking dish that has been lined with wax paper. Refrigerate the bars until they’re hard, then flip the bars out of the dish and cut them into granola-bar-sized rectangles or bite-sized cubes. Wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator or in an airtight container in the pantry. They will keep for several days.

The best part about this recipe is that you can add the ingredients that appeal to you. If cashews aren’t your nut of choice, try the recipe with peanuts, pecans or macadamia nuts. (Or a combination of nuts.) Substitute some or all of the dates for another dried fruit, such as dried cherries or dried blueberries. Add 2 to 4 tbsp. of baking chips to give them a candy bar-like flavor. The sky’s the limit!

In the South, blackeyed peas are thought to bring luck and prosperity to the new year if eaten on New Year’s Day. Who are we to tangle with tradition? Lucky for us, blackeyed peas are simple to prepare and delicious! Though blackeyed peas are usually served in a dish called Hoppin’ John, we like to make a delicious and (moderately) nutritious dip with the peas. It’s the perfect addition to a New Year’s Day menu!

Start by soaking about 4 cups of blackeyed peas in water overnight (or for at least eight hours). Drain and rinse the blackeyed peas, pour them in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover them, along with a pinch of salt. Simmer the peas over medium heat for 45 to 60 minutes, or until they’re soft and tender. Drain the blackeyed peas and set them aside until they’re cool.

Saute one finely chopped white onion and three to four cloves of minced garlic in a skillet over medium heat. When the onion is soft, add about 1/4 cup of chopped jarred jalapenos, 1/4 cup of salsa, 1/2 tsp. of cumin, 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper and a 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies (drained). Simmer the mixture for about five minutes to allow the flavors to marry, then remove the skillet from the heat.

Mash the cooled blackeyed peas with a fork or potato masher so that the texture is a bit chunky, but creamy. Stir in the onion mixture, along with 2 oz. of cream cheese. Pour the dip into a baking dish and top it with about 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese. Bake the dip, uncovered, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, or until it’s heated through and a bit bubbly. Serve the blackeyed pea dip with pita wedges, tortilla chips and raw veggies for dipping. Yummy!

We hope all our nutty fans had a fantastic Christmas, packed with family fun and delicious treats! There’s one more holiday coming up to round out this holiday season: New Year’s! Some people always plan rockin’ New Year’s Eve bashes, and others have brunches and open houses on New Year’s Day. However, both of these occasions call for some yummy food! Our recipes section offers up a huge selection of delicious (and somewhat nutritious) dishes that are just perfect for a holiday get-together.

We love to serve a menu of appetizers at our New Year’s event, and our collection of appetizer recipes contains some great ideas. Here are five of our favorites:

1) Fava Bean Dip: This creamy, galicky dip has a hint of mint and pairs perfectly with pita bread, crackers, and even grilled shrimp or kabobs. Plus, it contains the fiber-packed deliciousness of fava beans!

2) Toasted Walnut Hummus: If you like rich and nutty treats, toasted walnut hummus is definitely the way to go. This hummus gets its toasty flavor from raw walnuts and walnut oil. A touch of orange zest and orange juice gives it a citrusy zing. It’s delicious with whole-grain crackers and raw veggies!

3) Chickpea Fritters: These gluten-free fritters are a rich and savory treat. Made with chickpea flour, the fritters are flavored with ricotta cheese, sundried tomatoes and black olives. You may need to triple or even quadruple this recipe, because these fritters won’t last long!

4) Cheese Log: A cheese log is a classic party treat. Try our flavorful recipe for a cheese log, which is rolled in pecan meal to give it a little extra nutty flavor! Serve this cheese log with buttery crackers, apple slices and celery sticks.

5) Brie Stuffed Figs: When we have a party we have to include at least on decadent dish, and brie stuffed figs with fresh rosemary fit the bill! You simply slice open a batch of sweet and tender Turkish figs, fill them with a mixture of brie, black pepper and rosemary, and bake them in the oven until they’re warm and melty. They are out of this world!

What are some of your favorite New Year’s recipes?

When it comes to Christmas cookies, there’s just about nothing that’s easier (or more delicious) than gooey butter cookies. These cookies, which are made from just a few simple ingredients, are soft, moist and delicious. They’re always a hit with friends and neighbors!

Our favorite recipe for gooey butter cookies sticks rather closely to the original. In a medium bowl, cream together 1 stick of softened, unsalted butter and one 8 oz. brick of cream cheese. Add one box of yellow cake mix (or 3 cups of our gluten-free vanilla cake mix), 1 egg and 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract. Mix the batter until a soft, smooth dough forms, then add our super-special secret ingredient: 1-1/2 cups of mini cinnamon chips.

Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough, roll them into balls and roll the balls in powdered sugar. Bake the gooey butter cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 11-13 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, and let them cool completely before serving.

Of course, the beauty of these cookies is that they’re flexible! Choose a chocolate cake mix (or gluten-free chocolate cake mix) and sprinkle the cookies with crushed organic candy canes for a minty chocolate cookie! Lemon cake mix with yogurt chips is also a delicious combination!

What are some of your favorite quick and easy holiday recipes?

When we’re scrambling to get some goodies together to gift to friends and neighbors, no-bake cookies are our go-to treat! These chocolate-peanut butter cookies taste an awful lot like fudge, and they’re a cinch to make. We love them!

Start by placing two sticks of unsalted butter, 4 cups of granulated sugar, 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of Dutch cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is melted. Bring the chocolate mixture to a boil, cook it for 1 minute, then remove it from the heat. Add 1 cup of crunchy peanut butter, 3 tsp. of vanilla extract, 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon, 5 cups of rolled oats and 1/2 cup of dark raisins. Stir to combine.

Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Allow the cookies to cool until they’re firm (about 15 to 20 minutes), then peel them off the paper and store them in an airtight container.

Ta-da! A quick, easy treat that’s sure to make your taste buds sing!

What are some  of your favorite easy holiday recipes?

One quick and simple Christmas treat that we like to whip up for friends, teachers, coworkers and more during the holidays is chocolate bark. Bark comes together easily, and it’s a truly special sweet!

Our favorite chocolate bark is laden with roasted pistachios and tart dried cherries. It also contains two types of chocolate, white and dark. (Hey, we don’t like to choose just one!)

To start, line a large cookie sheet with a layer of wax paper. Melt 1 lb. of organic dark chocolate chips in the microwave on high in 30-second increments, until the chips are almost completely melted. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the organic dark chocolate chips with a spoon until the chocolate is smooth. Do the same with 1/2 lb. of white chocolate chips or yogurt chips.

Working quickly so that the chocolate is still liquid, mix 3/4 cup each of roasted unsalted pistachios and tart cherries into the melted organic dark chocolate chips. Pour the dark chocolate in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the melted white chocolate chips or yogurt chips over the top of the dark chocolate, using the tip of a chopstick or knife to make a swirl pattern. Sprinkle an additional 3/4 cup each of roasted unsalted pistachios and tart cherries over the top of the bark. Slide the cookie sheet into the refrigerator and chill the bark until it’s firm (two to three hours).

Use a rubber mallet to break the pistachio bark into chunks. Wrap the pieces in tissue paper or place them in a tin for easy gifting. This sweet is as delicious as it is simple, and we know your loved ones will adore it!

Cookies, cakes and candies are dandy, but when we’re assembling our trays of holiday treats, we also like to include a little something extra in the mix. A sweet, crunchy snack mix made of nuts and cereal is sure to add a little goodness to your cookie trays.

To start, mix 1 cup each of unsweetened whole-grain or rice cereal (such as Cheerios or Rice Chex), whole almonds, pecan halves and popped popcorn. Add ½ cup each of sunflower seeds and soy nuts. Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan, and add ¾ cup of corn syrup or pure maple syrup, 1 cup of packed light brown sugar, ½ tsp. of vanilla extract and 2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice. Remove the glaze from the heat.

Pour the cereal mixture into a greased baking dish, then pour the hot glaze over the cereal mixture. Stir the snack mix to evenly coat the pieces, being careful not to burn yourself. Bake at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour, stirring the snack mix every 15 minutes. Pour the cooked stack mix into a heatproof container and continue to stir it every 15 minutes until it cools completely. (This keeps it from hardening into a big lump.)

Add 1 cup of raisins to the mix and store it in an airtight container.

What are some of your favorite holiday treats?

One of our favorite flours to bake Christmas cookies with is almond flour. It produces tender, nutty cookies that are safe for our gluten-free friends to eat. Love it! Once you get going with almond flour, you’ll realize that there are lots of different ways to use this ingredient in cookie recipes.  One of the best (and simplest) almond flour cookie recipes is for amaretti cookies! These sweet, chewy cookies contain just a few ingredients, and are the perfect treat to pair with a cup of coffee on a cold winter’s day.

Start by pouring 1-1/2 cups of granulated sugar into your food processor. Process the sugar until the grains are super-fine, almost like dust. Add 2-1/2 cups of almond flour to the sugar in the food processor, along with 3 egg whites, 1 tsp. of almond extract and 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract. Process the ingredients until a smooth dough forms.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Place rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough on the prepared cookie sheets, about 1-1/2 inches apart. Bake the amaretti cookies for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden and still slightly chewy. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a minute or two before transferring them to a cooling rack. The cookies will firm up as they cool, but they will be very soft at first. The recipe should yield about 30 cookies.

Store the amaretti cookies in a cool, dry place for up to two days. If desired, before serving you can make a special treat by spreading 1-2 tsp. of jam, chocolate filling or nut butter on the bottom of a cookie, then sandwiching another cookie against the filling. Delicious!

What are some of your favorite almond flour recipes?