Yes, I know, CANDY and GOOD FOR YOU shouldn’t be in the same sentence, but these nuts really do have some awesome good for you benefits. And they’re delicious, too.

I made these candied nuts with almonds, my personal favorite. You can use any variety of nuts you like, though. In my case, almonds are filled with good stuff in fulfilling our daily requirements: 18% potassium, 44% fiber, 20 g protein, 18% iron and a whopping 61% magnesium (among other things).

And yep, all that is good for you.

But, there’s an additional secret ingredient: a protective essential oil blend. The Protective Blend is a Pure Therapeutic Grade oil blend made up of clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils and it’s my personal favorite.

The Protective Blend is my go-to essential oil for many reasons: it strengthens immunity, kills germs, kills mold, purifies air, smells awesome, removes stains from clothes, is a great addition to DIY cleaning supplies, and tastes good too. What’s not to love about it?

This fall when I started experimenting with candied almonds, The Protective Blend seemed like a logical addition. I tried it and it worked!

Candied Almonds with Essential Oils:

• 1 16 oz package raw almonds (or nuts of your choice)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon (you can also use Pumpkin Pie spice for a slightly different flavor, or a mix of the two)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 5-10 drops Protective Blend of essential oil* (add slowly and taste to make sure you get the right amount for your own tastes)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment (or use a Silpat liner)

Dump nuts into a medium bowl. In small bowl, add all other ingredients and stir. Let sit a few minutes until some of the moisture has absorbed and the sugar has dissolved.

Spread onto the baking sheet and bake for 60-70 minutes (until the nuts are crunchy)

*If you don’t have a Protective Blend of essential oils, you can contact us (tab below) and we can help you get it.

 Another equally tasty candied nut recipe that I tried recently (that uses honey instead of refined sugar, so it’s  even better for you), is found over at www.shewearsmanyhats.com. I also added the Protective Blend to this recipe, but it turned out a bit sticky. I don’t know if it was me (maybe I under cooked the nuts), or the addition of the oil? The flavor was great, though, and I plan on trying this recipe again, cooking it a bit longer, to see if the nuts get a bit less tacky to the touch.

PS Extra bonus: The whole house smells delicious when these nuts are in the oven! Mmmm!