This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Maple Sesame Almonds (V+GF): An easy recipe for skillet-roasted maple sesame almonds made with just 6 ingredients. Vegan and Gluten Free.
Anyone else dreaming of the good old days?
I’m talking about the days when your biggest concerns were: three fill-in-the-blank homework assignments being due, having to wash the dishes after mom made a huge, satisfying meal, whether or not your new top looked cool or kinda dorky… and whether or not you could go to the local carnival for four hours instead of two. Sigh. #KidProblems. Ya know?
Anywho… adulting is: all the bills, sweaty-palms meetings, family drama and all of that stuff. #AdultProblems. And I don’t want to know! 😉
But when you come here, to this little corner of the food-loving, food-blogging world, I hope you forget all of that. Um, after you blow past the fact that I just mentioned it. Ahem.
Anyway, I know that life kinda sucks sometimes. That’s just the truth. But when you come here, forgettaboutit. 😉 Here, things are simple. We can reminisce about our childhoods, happy sigh over our last amazing vacations, and swap stories and recipes that make life better.
What do you think?
In the spirit of all this goodness, I’ll tell you about one of my favorite vacays, ever. It was about 10 years ago—okay, that was awhile ago, but hear me out—I was in college (quit doing the math on my age!) I had moved from California to Massachusetts. I don’t mind telling you that I was super sheltered. Seriously, I had hardly even crossed the street by myself. Feel free to pop your eyes back into their sockets over the shock.
Needless to say (funny phrase, I know), I was scared like nobody’s business. I was actually scared to go into my dorm’s basement to do laundry ‘cuz… hello, Home Alone? Yeah. I didn’t know more than three people in a five thousand mile radius. And two of those people were my roommates.
Fortunately, one of those three peeps was my sister Jenny. Hey, if you’re gonna know three people, one of them might as well be a sister, right?
Anywho, Jenny lived a few cities away, in Boston. And I lived in the boonies. So naturally, whenever we met up, I greatly deterred her from visiting me. I mean, who’s gonna go to the boonies when they can go to Boston?
We spent a lot of good times exploring Boston. Checking out Thai restaurants, walking along the Charles, heartily elbowing people on the T and counting how many CVS’s and Starbucks there were in a two-block radius (like 100).
One of my favorite memories ever from those days was visiting Boston Common. Have you ever been? There’s Frog Pond, which is a sort of kiddie pool in the summer, ice skating rink in the winter. There’s a botanic garden across the way… plays and movies in the summer and ice sculpture competitions in the winter. It’s really, really, wonderful.
Thinking back, one of the most memorable things were the mouthwatering scents that were always wafting through the air in the Common. Strolling by kids climbing on monkey bars, locals chowing down on benches (well, eating on a bench… not eating the actual bench), and tourists spinning in circles, you could always smell fried dough, ice cream (oh, you know what I mean) and by far the BEST scent: roasted nuts.
I’m telling you, if heaven has a scent for roasting nuts, this is it. Nutty, warm, sweet, salty, cozy… it was just everything. Immediately upon catching this scent, you would feel happier about life. It didn’t matter what was going on.
To this day, whenever I’m in Boston, I search for that scent. That and banh mi, of course.
Well, since I’m here in Maine… quite far from Boston, I can’t just take the T to Boston Common (darn it). However, I do have my own roasting tools and some manner of cooking skillz in the kitch. Thus, let me humbly present to you, my Maple Sesame Almonds.
You see, I even fashioned a paper cone. Just like they used to in the Common. Lined with parchment paper and everything. 🙂
These maple sesame almonds are my vegan and gluten free ode to those wonderfully happiness-inducing roasted nuts from the Common.
My recipe for Maple Sesame Almonds is:
- super quick, super easy to make
- made with just 6 ingredients
- lightly sweet, perfectly crunchy
- vegan and gluten free
- the perfect pick-me-up snack
This recipe is as easy as it gets. Once you start heating up the ingredients, you’ll see what I mean about those Boston Common roasted nuts. Would you like to try a few?
☀︎ Click below to Pin ☀︎
☀︎ Did you make this recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker. I would love to see it! ☀︎
Maple Sesame Almonds (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups unsalted, raw almonds
- 1 ½ tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or greased foil. Set aside.
- Place a large, nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut sugar and salt. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Add in almonds and increase heat to medium. Stir until almonds are thoroughly coated.
- Stir occasionally (about once every few minutes), allowing almonds to soak in the sugar mixture. Watch the almonds closely. When the almonds become fragrant and smell roasted, you are close to being done. This will take 8-10 minutes. You'll know it's done when the sugar mixture is almost completely soaked up and the almonds are sticky like taffy.
- Now, decrease the heat to low. Add in sesame seeds and stir until well incorporated. This will take 1-2 minutes.
- Pour almonds onto the prepared baking sheet, creating an even, spread out layer. Set baking sheet on a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 1 hour. Enjoy!
Notes
© beamingbaker.com. All content and images are protected by copyright. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please re-write the entire recipe using your own words and include a link to this post for the recipe.
If you’re craving more nutty snacks, try my No Bake Almond Butter Coconut Bites (Vegan, Gluten Free).
Less than 15 minutes to homemade granola bar bliss. Try my No Bake Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (Vegan, Gluten Free).
What’s one of your favorite happy memories?
I can’t wait to hear your responses.
I went to Art college and our “commons” consisted of 5 vending machines – which I cannot complain too much about as one (even back then) had fruit in it and one had sandwiches – though am not sure how fresh they were as there was this one time a friend had a pimento sandwich and then had a nasty bought of food poisoning! I would’ve probably gained a freshman50 if these nuts were in my commons as they sound and look freaking amazing! “Nutty, warm, sweet, salty, cozy” THEY ARE “just everything.” And, Demeter, just looking at them made me happy! Gosh, if I were sitting in snacking distance of them, I might just become delirious!
You went to art college? How cool! Woah… those 5 vending machines sure sound like they were hit and miss. Oh, the college days… Lol. I’m so happy that you’re happy (and far, far away from those dodgy vending machines). 😉 Thanks Shashi! xo
These almonds look so tasty and flavourful! I could snack on them all day!
Thanks Marsha! You really could! 😉
Adulting is sooooo not fun. Didn’t it seem like being an adult would be so awesome when we were kids? And now…it is mostly cleaning and paying bills and making ourselves go to bed early. But I do love the sound of Boston, I have never been and people always tell me I would love it there. Also THESE ALMOND Demeter, omg. You have done it again, and they look amazing. Also the photos are beautiful! Pinning this (on time and for real this time 🙂
Riiiight? It so did! What mini fools we were. Lolol. Oh so true on going to bed early! Let’s just say some folks would not mind staying up all night, eating pizza and watching movies. 😉 Meghan, you would SO love Boston! It’s the best. Thanks for the comment love + pinning (on time)! Well done! Haha. xoxo 🙂
Ahhhh! The good old days…. Ahhhh! Boston Common…. Ahhhhh! “Nutty, warm, sweet, salty, cozy…” There isn’t anything about this post that doesn’t have me sighing, so much so, I’m about to hyperventilate! Thank you for the gorgeous visuals and stunning recipe! I’d really love to munch on these babies while enjoying the views at the Common… Have a happy weekend, my dear! xo
So many Ahhs, so little time! 😉 No hyperventilating for you! How’s about some skillet-roasted almonds to soothe you? 🙂 That really does sound like the perfect weekend. Thanks Annie! Have a wonderful weekend, friend. xo
Ahhh, the good old days! The best time of our lives — isn’t it? Your stories are so wonderful, beautiful, Demeter. You know what I also had the same problem of not repeating my dresses like Cheyenne. That time it was a HUGE issue, but now these adult problems are far bigger than that. And these Maple Sesame Almonds are so pretty and so delicious. That glaze is making them drool-worthy. A must try recipe for me. Love this is made with just 6 ingredients. Cheers, girl! 🙂
So true! But I know we’ve got lots to look forward to as well! 😉 You didn’t repeat either? Man! I was totally the dork who was just trying not to repeat in the same week… Lol. Well, here’s to us figuring out adulting together. 🙂 Thanks for the lovely comments as always, Anu! Cheers!
Love your stories Demeter! I definitely dream about the good old days at times! Real life as an adult is so much different… These almonds look fantastic! Never been to Boston commons, but would love to try these!
Thanks Mira! Being an adult is the pits! Lol. J/k. I hope you get to visit some time. 🙂
What a wonderful story to read in the morning. I enjoy your stories as much as enjoy your recipes! I had a quick throwback to my college days, which was also in the East Coast. You were so lucky that you had your sister, Jenny, there with you! I didn’t have any family members nearby, but I definitely appreciated my experience! I visited Boston a lot and it truly is a fabulous place, full of delicious smells and gorgeous buildings. And yes, the roasted nuts! Yum! Will have to make these nuts for movie night (maybe for a showing of Good Will Hunting!)
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Lucy. 🙂 Oh, so you know all about the very special East Coast college experience. 😉 There are seriously so many wonderful colleges in that area! You’re right–I was definitely very lucky. Boston really does have the best smells and architecture. What a funny combo when said together though, right? Haha. Oh, I am loving the Boston vibes with your movie night! Have fun Lucy. 🙂
Oh my gawsh, do I wish I could go back in time to when my biggest problem was worrying about repeating a shirt or dress to closely together. I was a nerd who kept a clothes journal and would write down what I wore daily and wouldn’t repeat them within 2 months of each other. So yeah, I was Hella sheltered too!! Adulting sucks. Bills suck. Real life problems suck. Now i need a bucket of these Maple Sesame Almonds to forget my woes!! 😉 I’ve never been to Boston commons but it sounds great, especially if I can purchase some of these babies! Lucky for me we are friends and you share your baking skills and killer recipes, so I don’t need to take a vacay to devour this deliciousness! I bet these make the house smell amazing when they are roasting! And I bet they taste seriously scrumptious!! Love the maple with sesame, chicka! Pinning so hard. 😉 cheers to a weekend as fab as you! Xoxo
Agreed! Okay, can I just say that I LOVE the visual I have in my mind of you writing down every outfit? Goodness, that is the sweetest, most adorable thing. And look at how sassy you grew up to be! 😉 And girl, two months?! Wow!! That’s an impressive wardrobe! We are super friends, so maybe I can bring you two big buckets when I visit. 🙂 Pin on, my dear. Thanks Chey! Have a great weekend too. xoxoxo
I am always look for ways to sweeten my nuts for my “healthy snack” Especially in salads since I’m a dressing-free kinda gal. I love these nuts for a mid-day snack but also on top of that chicken salad just to give it a bit of a sweet tang. Sesame is my total favorite. Loving the texture they must give to these nuts. Can’t wait to experiment. And yes, sigh…..was just reminiscing with my college roommate about the good old days, when the most difficult decision we had to make was which couple we were gonna smack with water balloons from our 3rd story dorm room!
Laura, I love your idea of adding these to a salad! Such a great way of adding crunch, sweetness and a bit of protein. 😉 OMG! I can totally imagine you scheming with friend to plop those water balloons on those poor, unsuspecting passerby. Lol. Thanks for sharing that memory, Laura. 😉
You always tell the best stories, Demeter! I can’t imagine you being scared, ’cause you seem so outgoing 🙂 The Boston Common sounds like a lovely spot! I’ve never been, but would love to, of course! Oh my goodness, these almonds, Demeter! Maple Sesame? Yes, please ! Love everything about this, so naturally Pinning 😉 Those little cone cups are adorable. I’d want to eat everything from that, but, obviously, not so practically, is it? I think I would have to double the recipe, though, ’cause I’m sure both hubby and I would finish this off in 1 minute flat, lol. I’ve made roasted nuts before , but never had ’em on the stove top. Hope you have a lovely weekend, girl! xo
Thanks Dawn! Telling stories is fun, isn’t it? 🙂 Oh gosh, I’m scared all the time–aren’t we all? 😉 Boston Common is the best! I hope you get to visit it some time. Double: that sounds like a fantastic idea! Enough for you each to have a good-sized pile. Hope you have a lovely weekend too. xo