Sweet and Spicy Peanuts Recipe

5 from 9 votes

These Sweet and Spicy Peanuts are a quick and easy party snack that everyone will love! They take less than 10 minutes to make and you can keep them on hand for afternoon snacking or to serve at your next tailgate.

Finished peanuts in a mason jar with string tied around the top.

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If you’re looking for a fun, easy snack to enjoy with your friends, look no further than this recipe! It’s simple to follow and yields delicious results. Plus, the ingredients are readily available at any grocery store.

This takes no more than 10 minutes in the kitchen and the flavors are just outstanding.

These Sweet and Spicy Peanuts combine red hot pepper flakes and Chinese 5-spice powder with your favorite cocktail peanuts and honey. The only problem? It’s really hard to stop eating until they’re all gone!

💗 Why We Love This Recipe

Quick and easy to prepare. These candied peanuts are done in less than ten minutes.
You can double the recipe. Or triple it. Whatever quantity you need for a get-together! (You may just need a lot, too. They’re addicting and go fast!)
Perfectly snackable! A handful of these is just filling enough to keep you satisfied, but not so filling that dinner is ruined.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …

“Game day snack at its best!”
— Brenda

🥘 About The Ingredients

Ingredients needed for making the recipe.

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Peanut Oil – Used for cooking the sweet-hot coating for peanuts.
Honey – Recipes for candied peanuts always require a sweetener of some kind. I like using honey.
Cocktail Peanuts – These are the salted, skinless peanuts you’ll find in the snacks aisle at your grocery store. Please note that I don’t recommend peanuts with the skins on because the honey mixture will simply stick to the skins and fall off the peanuts.
Red Pepper Flakes – They bring the heat to the party! Adjust the quantity up or down to suit your taste.
5-Spice Powder – Commonly used in Asian cooking. You’ll usually find it with the other Asian ingredients or in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
Kosher Salt – Salt always brings out and enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients. Adjust according to your preferences.

You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.

🔪 How to Make Sweet and Spicy Peanuts

Before you start, prepare a baking sheet by covering it with a layer of aluminum foil.

Oil heating in a skillet with other ingredients on the side.

Peanuts and spices cooking in a frying pan.

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the honey, peanuts, red pepper flakes, and 5-spice powder.
Cook, stirring constantly until the peanuts are brown and glazed (about 5 minutes). Keep the heat no higher than medium and watch very carefully as the honey and nuts can burn easily.

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Finished peanuts in a bowl with a vintage serving spoon on the side.

🔀 Recipe Variations

Use other kinds of nuts. Pecans, cashews, and almonds all work well with this recipe.
Experiment with spices. While I think the 5-spice mixture is perfect for sweet and spicy peanuts, you could also use paprika, chili powder, allspice, cumin, or garlic powder depending on the flavor profile you like.
Add even more heat. More a more fiery taste, add a dash of sriracha.

🍚 How To Store

These candied nuts can sit at room temperature or in the fridge for about a week.
You can freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw them at room temp before serving.

❗ Make it Ahead

Spiced peanuts are a great make-ahead gift for any occasion. Co-workers, teachers, and family are sure to love these addicting little nuts. Simply prep them the night before and wrap them up in plastic wrap for a tasty, thoughtful snack!

🍽 Serving Suggestions

As you can imagine, spiced peanuts pair well with other snacks like chips and game day classics like a good beer! :-)
This is much more versatile than a simple, delicious protein snack. I recommend them on top of salads, soups, or even ice cream…yes, really. You’d be surprised how well the flavors mix.

A spoon holding peanuts above a filled dish.

Are you a peanut lover? Then you’ll love this beautiful sterling silver peanut charm necklace from Etsy!

Sterling Silver Peanut Charm Necklace
from: Etsy

❓ Questions About Sweet & Spicy Peanuts

Is this recipe gluten-free?

While I’m not an expert in specialty diets, I believe this recipe is completely gluten-free, as these ingredients don’t usually have gluten products in them.

Is this recipe vegetarian?

Technically, yes, unless you count honey as an animal product! (Again, however, I’m not a dietary expert.)

What’s in 5-spice powder?

5-spice powder is typically a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, star anise, and pepper. This can vary a bit from brand to brand, but no matter what, it always has a sweet and savory flavor you’ll like.

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