Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

Happy hump day! October flew by, and I am hoping November does the same. I want to focus on really feeling the holidays and getting into the spirit, but as of today I officially have one month of my internship left and after a short break (I'm calling it my grown up winter break hiatus) I finally start nursing school. It's hard not to get excited and hope for time to move fast. 

Onto the nuts! I absolutely love the smell of roasting spiced nuts in the little kiosk at the mall, it gives me a warm and cozy feeling that only cinnamon sugar can. I've never actually tried the mall nuts but can only assume that smell turns into an even better taste. 

A few months ago I received an email with a list of "healthy dessert recipes" and since then, Cinnamon Roasted Almonds has been marked as a recipe to try. Now I am all for processed sugar filled unhealthy desserts, but all in moderation. There's a time and a place for ice cream and pie- Wednesday night on the couch watching TV with my boyfriend is not one of them. So, this is where my healthy dessert love comes in. I have made everything from raw brownies to coconut oil based peanut butter cups, each one has its pros and cons but definitely gets the job done. The spiced almonds were very simple to make and turned out perfectly even though I deviated from the recipe to accommodate the amounts of each ingredient I had on hand. 

Warning: they are addicting. It's hard to eat just one serving size of almonds let alone sweet/crunchy/cinnamon-y almonds!

Once I placed them in a mason jar I realized what great gifts they would make for all of the upcoming holiday festivities. With the right ribbon and personalized note, these spiced almond jars are perfect for every hostess and coworker on your list.

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
Ingredients
4 cups of almonds
1/2 a cup of honey
1/4 a cup of sugar
1 tbsp of cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Parchment paper (I used foil, but definitely wish I had used parchment)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
2. Combine honey and almonds in a bowl until well coated
3. Combine sugar, cinnamon and salt
4. Spread the almonds on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown