Crackly Chili-Lime Cashews with Toasted Chile Salt

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Whole cashews roasted until deeply golden, glazed with a lime-and-honey syrup that dries into a thin crackly shell, then dusted with a bright chile-lime salt made from toasted ground chiles and dried lime zest. The two-stage bake is what separates these from sticky homemade nuts — the glaze sets glassy, not tacky, and the raw lime flavor goes on at the very end so it stays sharp.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp ancho chile powder
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp finely grated lime zest (from 2 limes)
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp citric acid or 1/8 tsp lime powder (optional, for extra tang)

• 3 cups raw whole cashews (about 1 lb)
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed or avocado
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Zest 2 limes onto a small plate and spread the zest thin; set it aside at room temperature to dry slightly while you work (this keeps the flavor bright instead of baking it away).
2. Make the chile-lime dust: in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the ancho powder, chipotle powder, and cumin for 30 to 45 seconds, stirring constantly, just until fragrant — pull it off the heat before it smells sharp or smoky. Scrape into a small bowl and stir in the kosher salt, sugar, optional citric acid, and the reserved lime zest, rubbing the zest into the mixture with your fingers so it perfumes the salt. Set aside.
3. Toss the cashews with the neutral oil on the lined sheet until evenly slicked, then spread in a single layer. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring at the halfway mark, until the nuts are light golden and smell toasty. Watch closely after 12 minutes; cashews go from golden to bitter fast.
4. While the nuts roast, whisk the lime juice, honey, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and cayenne (if using) in a large heatproof bowl until the sugar dissolves.
5. Scrape the hot nuts directly into the bowl with the glaze and toss for a full 30 seconds — the residual heat will thin the syrup and coat every nut. Return the coated cashews to the parchment-lined sheet and spread them out, breaking up any clumps.
6. Bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and re-spreading every 4 minutes, until the glaze looks dry and matte rather than wet and the nuts are a shade darker. They will still feel slightly soft in the oven; the shell hardens as they cool.
7. Immediately sprinkle two-thirds of the chile-lime dust and the flaky sea salt over the hot nuts and toss right on the pan with a spatula. Spread into a single layer and cool completely, 20 to 25 minutes, without stirring.
8. Break apart any clusters, taste, and toss with the remaining chile-lime dust to your liking. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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