Crackly Honey Roasted Peanuts with Sugar-Salt Dust

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The vending-machine classic, rebuilt from raw peanuts so the shell actually shatters. Honey, brown sugar and a knob of butter bake onto the nuts in a thin lacquer, then a dusting of fine sugar and salt goes on while they're still hot — that's the trick that keeps them dry and clattering instead of sticky. Twenty-five minutes, one sheet pan, and they beat any jarred version.

Ingredients

• 3 cups raw skinless peanuts (about 1 lb / 450 g)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Stir the granulated sugar, fine sea salt and cornstarch together in a small bowl and set it next to the stove — you'll need it the second the nuts come out.
2. Spread the raw peanuts in an even single layer on the lined pan and roast for 10 minutes, stirring once at the 5-minute mark. They should smell nutty and look barely blond; they finish roasting later, so don't push them further now.
3. While the peanuts roast, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, water and kosher salt in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir until the butter melts and the mixture bubbles at the edges, about 2 minutes. Pull it off the heat and stir in the vanilla and cayenne if using.
4. Scrape the hot peanuts into a large heatproof bowl, pour the warm glaze over them, and toss with a silicone spatula for a full minute until every nut is slicked and there's no glaze pooling in the bottom of the bowl.
5. Tip the peanuts back onto the parchment and spread them into a single layer, breaking up clumps. Bake 12 to 16 minutes more, stirring and re-spreading every 5 minutes, until the glaze stops looking wet and the peanuts are deep golden and smell like caramel. They will still be soft and tacky — that's correct, they crisp as they cool.
6. Immediately sprinkle the sugar-salt-cornstarch mixture over the hot peanuts and toss right on the pan with two forks or a spatula for 30 seconds, separating the nuts as you go. Spread them out in a single layer again.
7. Cool completely on the pan, 25 to 30 minutes, without touching them. Once cool, break apart any remaining clusters with your hands. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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