Vegan Sweet & Spicy Nut Mix (Gluten-free)

A few times a year, Hubs and a few other guys (the so-called “Back 40 Sportsman’s Club”) venture up to the U.P. where they act like idiots for an entire weekend–shooting off guns, playing paintball–you know, real “manly” stuff. If I have time, I make cookies or some sort of snack for him to take along.

This year, when I mentioned making a spicy nut mix, he was all about it. In his book, the hotter the better. He told me to make it so hot that no one would be able to eat it. Nice friend, eh? Well, it seems that no matter how spicy I make something, it could always be hotter.

So I decided to make it so ridiculously hot that even Hubs’ could barely eat it.

Vegan Sweet & Spicy Nut Mix Gluten-free

The original recipe is only mildly spicy–which is perfect for most people. I had to doctor it up for my mission, so I added extra cayenne pepper AND a half teaspoon of Dave’s Insanity hot sauce (“the hottest sauce in the universe”). If you’ve ever tried this stuff, you know that a teeny-weeny amount goes a LONG way.

A half teaspoon is actually quite a lot. On the bottle, it reads “WARNING:  Use this product one drop at a time. Keep away from eyes, pets, and children. Not for people with heart or respiratory problems.” One bottle should last you a lifetime. Unless you’re Hubs.

Vegan Sweet & Spicy Nut Mix Gluten-free

So he comes home from work and I’m just dying to watch him taste this nut mix, thinking his eyes will water, smoke will roll out of his ears, and his tongue might fall off.

Nope.

He tries it, loves it, says it’s exactly how he likes it. What?! Are you serious?! C’mon, that CAN’T be edible. You really like it THAT hot? Apparently so. I thought for sure he would be sweatin’ bullets. Not so much. Sometimes I wonder if he scorched his tongue as a kid and permanently damaged his taste buds. He’s not normal.

Vegan Sweet & Spicy Nut Mix Gluten-free

By day two, the mix had lost a little of its heat and was even edible for most of the Back 40 boys. The mix continued to lose heat each day. It’s two weeks old now and it’s at a level I can tolerate. So here’s the deal, if you just want a pleasant, tasty sweet and spicy nut mix, follow the recipe just as it is.

If you want to turn up the heat, add extra cayenne pepper and/or a few drops of Dave’s Insanity hot sauce.

Vegan Sweet & Spicy Nut Mix Gluten-free

By the way, I found the original recipe on a blog called “What would Cathy eat?” After a health scare that involved a 90% blocked artery, Cathy chose to change her diet, but wouldn’t settle for bland, boring food. She shares her creative, heart-healthy recipes via her blog.

There are a lot of really great-looking meals that I can’t wait to try!

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6 thoughts on “Vegan Sweet & Spicy Nut Mix (Gluten-free)”

  1. I love the photos and thank you for sharing this recipe. I went to the original site and there is a real difference in photos. I’m perusing sites to learn more about photographing food. Great site!

    alex

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