My Mom has taught me many things in the past 3+ decades: Mother’s Day is garden-planting time, which means it’s the best time of the year. There are few things in life that can’t be cured by ice cream (besides serious injuries, of course, which is what doctors are for). Always send a thank you note and sympathy card. Never arrive at a gathering empty-handed.

Since moving out on my own, a bottle of wine or a make-ahead breakfast (for the hosts to enjoy the next day) have usually been my mainstays for host gifts. But in the past 5 years, I’ve added a new heartfelt and homemade option to the line-up, thanks to a customizable and versatile BHG recipe.

The Best Homemade Food Gifts

Originally developed, perfected, and posted in spring 2019 by BHG contributor Hali Bey Ramdene, this recipe for Bourbon-Brown Sugar Nuts is so easy—and I’ve made it so many times—I have it memorized. 

To make a batch of this easy food gift, all you’ll need is 20 minutes, some foil, a sauce pan, a heat-safe stirring utensil, and the following ingredients: 

• Cooking spray or butter
• Brown sugar
• Bourbon (or non-alcoholic alternative like Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative, SPIRITLESS Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey Spirit, or Free Spirits The Spirit of Bourbon)  
• Toasted whole almonds (if you prefer other types of nuts, I’ve also had success with walnuts and pecans)
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Ground cinnamon
• Cayenne pepper 

I know the combo of warm and sweet cinnamon and fiery cayenne might sound wild at first, but stick with us here. Since the recipe calls for just a dash of cayenne, the result is more “hmm…what is that lovely hint of kick?” rather than “someone pass the milk!”

It’s sweet, salty, spicy, and nutty all at once, and I adore the finished product so much that I often make a triple batch: Two to share and one to keep.

How to Make Bourbon-Brown Sugar Nuts 

To try this at home, line a shallow baking pan or a portion of your counter with foil. Give it a spritz with cooking spray or a quick pass with butter to grease the surface. This is where your candied nuts will dry and harden.

Then turn to your stovetop. In a medium or large saucepan (depending on how many batches you’re making) over medium-high heat, add the brown sugar and bourbon. Using a heat-safe spatula or wooden spoon, combine well, then allow this mixture to come to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved, stir in the nuts, and turn down the heat to medium. Stir this mixture often, and cook until the syrup starts to thicken. This usually takes around 4 or 5 minutes. Turn down the heat once more, this time to medium-low, then add the spice girls: cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Don’t worry: The mixture is supposed to foam up a bit at this point. Stir frequently as the spiced nuts cook for about 7 minutes more.

Turn off the burner, take the pan off the heat, then use the spatula or spoon to spread out the nuts in a single layer on top of the prepared foil. Let this cool completely, then break the pieces apart into individual nuts or pieces of “bark” if a few nuts are connected by a bridge of hardened brown sugary goodness. 

For gifting, transfer the dressed-up nuts to a mason jar and add a bow. Or for keeping, store them in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 7 days.

According to a five-star reviewer who tried this recipe at home, the “instructions say they can keep for a week, but the only way they'd last that long in my house is if we made a pound of them. Maybe. There's a good chance they’d still be eaten within 3 days … These are absolutely delicious.”

I could not agree more. When I share this with loved ones as a host gift, they ask for the recipe so often that I’ve taken to writing it on an index card, which I share with their jar. 

How to Use Candied Nuts

After listing the ingredients and directions, I also offer a few suggestions for how to enjoy these Bourbon-Brown Sugar Nuts. Whether you savor or share them, these ideas might come in handy:

• Feature them as part of a charcuterie board
• Try them sprinkled on top of pancakes, French toast, or waffles
• Build crostini with fig jam, blue cheese or goat cheese, and a few candied nuts
• Add a handful to a salad for a welcome dose of crunch and extra flavor (Strawberry Salad with Feta, Arugula, and Pickled Red Onions and Cherry Caprese Salad are two terrific candidates for this treatment)
• Assemble parfaits with layers of fruit, yogurt, and nuts
• Stir a few into oatmeal
• Try them as a topping for an ice cream sundae