Sweet and Spicy Peanuts
These Sweet and Spicy Peanuts are a quick and easy party snack 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.
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 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!
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 7 Minutes
Servings: 6
Primary Ingredient(s): Peanuts, honey, 5-spice powder, red pepper flakes
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About 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 need quite a lot. People really love them, and they 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
Ingredient Notes
This post contains affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader-supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.
- 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.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How I Make Sweet and Spicy Peanuts
- Before you start, prepare a baking sheet by covering it with a layer of aluminum foil. Set that aside until later.
- Warm the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, then stir in the honey, peanuts, red pepper flakes, and 5-spice powder.
- Stir constantly for about 5 minutes until the peanuts turn golden and glossy. Be sure to keep the heat at medium or lower and watch it carefully because the honey and nuts can go from perfect to burned in no time!
- Once they’re beautifully coated and caramelized, spread the peanuts out on the foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt while they’re still warm.
- Let them cool completely, then transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. Give them a quick blot with another paper towel to soak up any extra oil, and they’re ready to enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Give this recipe a try with other kinds of nuts. I find that pecans, cashews, and almonds all work well with this recipe.
- While I think the 5-spice mixture is perfect for sweet and spicy peanuts, you could also experiment with spices such as paprika, chili powder, allspice, cumin, or garlic powder, depending on the flavor profile you like.
- If you really like the spice, you could add a dash of sriracha to the pan.
How To Store
- The cooled, finished 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 sweet and spicy peanuts. 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 vanilla ice cream…yes, really. You’d be surprised how well the flavors mix.
Questions About Sweet & Spicy Peanuts
While I’m not an expert in specialty diets, I believe this recipe is completely gluten-free, as these ingredients don’t usually contain gluten products.
Technically, yes, unless you count honey as an animal product! (Again, however, I’m not a dietary expert.)
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.
Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Recipe
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox.
Sweet and Spicy Peanuts
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¾ cup cocktail peanuts
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon 5-spice powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set it aside for now.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the honey, peanuts, red pepper flakes, and 5-spice powder.2 tablespoons peanut oil, 2 tablespoons honey, ¾ cup cocktail peanuts, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon 5-spice powder
- Cook, stirring constantly, until peanuts are brown and glazed (about 5 minutes). Keep the heat no higher than medium and watch very carefully as the honey and nuts will burn easily.
- Spread the peanuts on a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle immediately with salt.½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Allow to cool completely; transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and blot with additional paper towel to remove excess oil.
Notes
- The cooled nuts can sit at room temperature or in the fridge for about a week.
- May be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw at room temp before serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on January 14, 2015. It has been updated with additional information.
6 servings? LOL! No way! They would disappear in an instant! I would guess this would double easily.
Yes, they do go pretty quickly! Ha! And you can double the recipe easily.
Oooh! Love the five Spice! I’m going to have to give these a shot soon! A great addition to any party.
Oh wow these look amazing. I am hosting a party and am going to have to try these. Thanks for sharing!
What a fabulous snack! Love the sweet and spicy. :-)
I could definitely snack on a whole lot of these :)
These look amazing! I’m sharing the recipe with my dad because I know he will go crazy over this!
I guarantee I would not be able to keep my hands out of a bowl of these! Therefore, I must amke a batch!
Best snack, ever! I looove that you used red pepper flakes! A bit of spice never hurts. :-D
Perfect time of year to share this addictive recipe!!!!
I’m not even sure they’d make it into a bowl off the pan ; ) Love this Lana.
Oh, snap – These peanuts would not make it to the baking sheets to cool. I’d eat them hot. The flavors here are amazing.
This looks like my next snack!!
Oh wow – I am seriously wishing I could reach into my computer monitor to grab a handful of these peanuts!
Game day snack at it’s best!
Yes it is! Thanks, Brenda.
My husband had sciatic pain last year and it laid him out flat. I do not envy you! I’m impressed you are still coming up with amazing recipes like this!
Kim – it took me about 10 minutes to make this start to finish and I was crying by the time I finished. This sciatica is rough!
I want to make the sweet and spicy peanuts but what is the 5 spice powder?
Estella – it’s a spice blend that’s typically used in Asian cooking. You’ll find it with the Asian ingredients in your grocery store.
Five-spice powder has fantastic flavor – we love using it on roasted potatoes and cauliflower. These nuts look addictive!
The 5-spice really makes this recipe, Dara. And you’re right – they are addictive!
This looks amazing! Love the flavors!
Thanks, Amanda!
I’m going to be trying this soon
Love the sweet and salty combo. Have you tried these on other nuts? My dd is allergic to peanuts. But, I enjoy almonds, pecans and walnuts sometimes.
Marjory – I haven’t tried this with other nuts but I feel sure it would work just as well. Pecans sound especially good.
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR HAVING RECIPES PRINT READY!! MY COMPUTER ‘SKILLS’ MADE ME SIT IN FRONT OF IT AND COPY BY HAND, STILL CAN’T DO PASTE AND PRINT. THANK YOU , LANA DENNING
You’re welcome! Thank you for reading!
These nuts would disappear in a minute.
They sure did here, Catherine!