Easy Instant Pot™ Mexican Hot Chocolate Candied Nuts
These easy candied nuts made in the Instant Pot™ contain all the delicious flavours of Mexican hot chocolate. However, they’re guaranteed not to heat the kitchen or the cook!
Having grown up in the Northern Hemisphere, where Christmas is in winter, the holiday gets me craving rich, wintry flavours. The spicy deliciousness of Mexican hot chocolate is a good example.
However, now that I live in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas falls in the midst of summer. Despite my cravings, I can’t bear the thought of drinking hot chocolate in the heat!
So, using the Instant Pot™ to make these delicious candied nuts is a natural solution! The heat stays in the pot which, unlike the oven, doesn’t heat the whole kitchen. So, I can enjoy and share all that spicy, chocolatey deliciousness on my favourite nuts — without melting in the heat. As an added plus, candied nuts make ideal holiday hostess gifts.
Don’t be surprised if making these nuts rapidly becomes a cottage industry. I guarantee your friends and family will beg for more!
Slow Cooking in the Instant Pot™
We all get so excited about pressure cooking in the Instant Pot™ that we forget it’s a slow cooker as well. So, I chose this recipe specifically because it uses the slow cooker function — which is one of the reasons I bought the Instant Pot™ in the first place!
I am a gadget happy cook. However, as much as I love all my toys, my kitchen does have a finite amount of space. So, the Instant Pot™ was a no brainer for me because it serves the functions of multiple appliances all under one lid! It is:
- An electric pressure cooker
- A rice cooker
- A slow cooker, and
- A yogurt maker
Thus, if you haven’t yet explored slow cooking in the Instant Pot™, this easy recipe is the perfect place to start. I also hope it will encourage you to branch out and use all the versatility and power under the lid of your Instant Pot™.
About the Recipe
I have chosen to season these nuts like Mexican hot chocolate because I adore it. However, you can use the same technique to make just about any flavour of candied nuts you enjoy — chai and pumpkin pie spice are two flavours that come to mind immediately. So, please feel free to experiment and adapt the flavourings to your own family’s taste.
Please don’t be intimidated by the 3 hour cooking time. The nuts only require a stir every 20 minutes. So, the hands on effort is 15 minutes tops — including prep and spreading the finished nuts out to dry!
I hope your friends and family love these candied nuts every bit as much as mine do. Bon appétit!
Easy Instant Pot™ Mexican Hot Chocolate Candied Nuts
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 3 cups almonds
- 3 cups cashews
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Spray your Instant Pot™ liner with cooking spray (or use a non-stick liner).
- Stir the sugars, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, salt, and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg whites and vanilla essence until frothy.
- Place the nuts in the prepared Instant Pot™ and pour the egg white mixture over the nuts. Stir until the nuts are evenly coated in the egg white. Then, add the spices and the sugar to the Instant Pot™ and toss until the nuts are all well coated in the flavoured sugar.
- Cover (the glass lid is nice -- though not necessary) the pot and select the [Slow Cook] option until "Low" is lit on the display. Set the timer for 3 hours, and stir every 20 minutes.
- When only 20 minutes remain, pour in the water and stir. When cooking time is up, spread the nuts out to dry on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper.
Notes
If you don't like almonds or cashews, or don't have any on hand, you can substitute your favourite tree nuts. Pecans and walnuts both work brilliantly!