Just like the carnival classic, these candied almonds are a great entertaining snack that packs a great amount of nutrients. A good source of fiber, protein, vitamin E, and magnesium, almonds are often called a “power food” for a reason! Though these are always best right out of the oven, they also make for a great homemade gift when packed in a tin, Mason jar, or cellophane candy bag (just like they sell them at the carnival). You can even package them in 100-calorie portions for perfect on-the-go snacks!

Prep Time: 5 minutes • Cook Time: 1 hour

30 Portions • 100 Calories = 12 Almonds

Ingredients:

16 ounces raw shelled almonds

1 large egg white, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, toss almonds in the egg white and vanilla extract until all are evenly coated.

3. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

4. Add 2/3 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture to the almonds and toss until well coated.

5. Spread the coated almonds in a single layer on the paper-lined sheet pan and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top.

6. Bake for 1 hour, shaking the pan to stir halfway through. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Helpful Tip: Using raw or “natural” almonds in this recipe is an absolute must as pre-roasted almonds will over roast and get bitter upon baking. If you can’t find raw almonds in the baking aisle, check the end caps in the produce section, as they often have fresh seeds and nuts there as well.

Mona Dolgov

Nutritionist, cookbook author, publisher and health and wellness entrepreneur Mona Dolgov lives her lifelong mission of creating healthier food products, recipes and inventing simple culinary tricks to easily create practical and healthier lifestyles. She is President of You Live Right, LLC, where she has authored and published over 20 cookbooks for top-selling kitchen appliances, health and wellness products and grocery retailers, focused on simplicity and using nutritious ingredients. She also is a private nutritional coach, offers educational and fun dinner classes at Mona’s Kitchen,  and is a speaker on nutritional well-being. Plus, she is very excited about launching Cook U. Follow Mona on Facebook or Instagram @monadolgov

She recently co-authored The Perfect Portion Cookbook, a 5-star rated cookbook (with Hollywood star Anson Willams) that makes American classics healthier and guides consumers to healthier portion control. This book (and Mona) was featured on the Today Show, The Doctors, and The Huffington Post. Learn more at www.theperfectportion.com

She is completing her second cookbook, Satisfy,  that will be launched in 2020, focused on simple nutritionally balanced meals all 500 calories or less with real ingredients and real portions. All of the recipes are gluten-free.