“The thing about growing up with Fred and George," said Ginny thoughtfully, "is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve.” Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes
For those familiar with the Harry Potter book series and films, you'll remember that Fred and George Weasley left Hogwarts shortly before graduation in their 7th year to start their joke shop Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. Though not mentioned in the books, the Half-Blood Prince film showed that their joke shop included a coin-operated machine selling Weasleys' Dragon Roasted Nuts, complete with a miniature dragon breathing fire over them.
Though my version of Weasleys' Dragon Roasted Nuts may not gather their heat from a real dragon, they come packing some serious heat from a blend of spices including cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. The warm spice blend is tempered with a generous measure of honey, resulting in a crunchy treat that is both fiery and sweet.
A crunchy mix of Weasleys' Dragon Roasted Nuts
In the film, the dragon-roasted nuts in the machine were chestnuts, which tend to be quite starchy and tender. I wanted a crunchy mix so I instead chose to use a blend of cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, and peanuts for this recipe. Prefer a simpler blend? Or maybe you want to add hazelnuts or macadamia? The blend of nuts you use is up to you, but I find that 12 oz (roughly 3 cups) of more traditionally crunchy nuts work best for this recipe.
WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?
- Kitchen scale (or measuring cups for less accurate measurements)
- Measuring spoons
- A medium mixing bowl
- A whisk or fork
- A wooden spoon or spatula
- A baking sheet
- A silicone baking liner or parchment paper
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A note for special diets
This recipe for Weasleys' Dragon Roasted Nuts is grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and can be made friendly for Paleo diets if you omit the peanuts in favor of a Paleo-friendly nut.
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Weasleys' Dragon Roasted Nuts
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: about 3 cups 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: British
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
My version of Weasleys Dragon Roasted Nuts may not gain their heat from a real dragon, they contain a blend of spices that are both fiery and sweet.
Ingredients
- 16 oz (about 3 cups) mixed nuts (I used 3 oz cashews, 3 oz almonds, 3 oz pecans, 3 oz walnuts, 4 oz peanuts (omit peanuts for Paleo)
- 1 large egg white
- 170g (about ½ cup) honey
- 1 ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (may use ¼ tsp for milder mix)
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F (120 C). Line a large baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whip the egg white until frothy. Add mixed nuts to egg whites and toss to coat.
- Add the honey to your nuts as well as all of the spices and seasonings (If your honey is firm, 10-15 seconds in the microwave should be plenty of time to liquify it). Mix nuts to coat evenly.
- Transfer the nut mixture onto the baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast for 45-60 minutes, turning the nuts with a wooden spoon or spatula every 15 minutes to make sure that they toast evenly, until the nuts are lightly browned and glossy.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes and then break apart into chunks. Cashews, especially, have an odd, somewhat soft texture when they first come out of the oven. But once cooled, they are perfectly crunchy. This nut mixture can be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place for around 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about ¼ cup (1.33 oz)
- Calories: 259
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 147 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
Carol says
Try substituting cumin for coriander and cloves for mixed spice - DIVINE!
Jenni says
Carol, Love hearing that twist! Coriander and mixed spice sound like such fun swaps—I'll have to give that version a try sometime. Thanks so much for sharing your take!
Cheryl says
Are the mixed nuts you use unsalted? Or can you use salted?
Jenni says
Cheryl, Great question! I use unsalted mixed nuts so I can better control the overall seasoning, but you can use salted if that’s what you have on hand—just consider reducing the added salt slightly to balance things out. Hope you enjoy them!
Lorri says
Were the mixed nuts salted or unsalted?
Jenni says
Lorri, Good question! I use unsalted nuts for this recipe so the seasoning stays balanced, but if you're using salted nuts, you may want to reduce the added salt just a bit. Either way, they should still turn out delicious!
Susie says
Hi there, just wondering if I can substitute maple syrup for the honey?
Jenni says
Susie, Maple syrup should work well in the recipe—let me know how it goes if you try it!
Ann says
I’m allergic to eggs. Do have a sub for the egg who?
Jenni says
Ann, the egg white helps bind the honey and spices to the nuts, creating a glossy, crunchy coating as it bakes. If you have an egg allergy there are some other things you can try: One option is to substitute the egg white for aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas); use about 3 tablespoons, whip until frothy, and coat the nuts as you would with egg white. You can also add extra honey or maple syrup, about an additional tablespoon or two, to help the seasonings stick —- this extra stickiness will dry out during baking. Note that you will have slightly different results from these alternatives, but I hope you find good results for your needs!
Jan says
Just a question regarding the nuts. Are they raw or roasted before seasoning them?
Jenni says
I generally use pre-roasted nuts because they are easily accessible. But you are welcome to use raw nuts as well.
Chelsey says
Could pretzels be added to this?
Jenni says
I think pretzels would be super tasty in this mix, but I'd be inclined to sprinkle them in during the final 15 minutes because I suspect they would brown too quickly if included at the beginning. Let me know if you give this a try!
Karen says
Help! I tried this and ended up with a gummy mess! I followed the directions. Any idea what could have happened?
Jenni says
Karen, I'm sorry to hear that you had those results! These nuts have always turned out correctly in my tests. Can I ask if you adjusted any ingredients or steps in the instructions? Also, once they were out of the oven, did the nuts cool completely before they were transferred to a container? I've been researching why you might have had this result and the only thing, barring the ingredients or method being adjusted, might be that the humidity in your kitchen was higher than normal, which can sometimes affect egg whites.
Marit says
These are honestly the best home-made roasted nuts I ever made. Even my husband, who isn't into nuts, enjoys them!
Whip & Wander says
Marit, I'm so happy to hear that! They are such a tasty bite to snack on.
Noel Lizotte says
such a fun snack to make with the kiddos when we're reading HP together!
and just as much fun to eat ... even when we're not reading HP!