Why Almonds

I prefer smoked cashews, if I’m honest, but almonds are the healthier choice, and they’re an easy way to get extra use out of a smoker that’s already hot from a bigger cook.

Sweet Heat

That’s what I call this one — raw almonds, tossed with a small amount of olive oil as a binder until they’re shiny, then cinnamon and chipotle powder, added and stirred, added and stirred, until they’re evenly covered. The name fits: sweet from the cinnamon, heat from the chipotle.

The Process

I use a slotted Weber basket set on the smoker, running at 225°F with cherry wood for the flavor. Ninety minutes total, stirred at the 30 and 60 minute marks to keep everything smoking evenly.

The Result

Cherry wood, cinnamon, and chipotle together are a good pairing — not just smoked, but roasted a bit too.

---

Prefer cashews? I use a different combination for those — hickory wood with garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. See my Hickory Smoked Cashews

For the full process — equipment, batch sizing, and running multiple batches in a day — see The Complete Guide to Smoking Nuts.