Anyone else obsessed with the flavors of dirty chai? If you need a fun party snack with minimal fuss for the holidays, allow me to suggest these dirty chai spiced pecans. You can easily customize the nuts and spices based on what you have on hand but this might be my new favorite.

What’s the Difference Between Chai and Dirty Chai?

Chai is most commonly known to be a blend of warm spices steeped with black tea. The spices that make up a chai blend typically include some or all of the following:

Cinnamon
Ginger
Cardamom
Nutmeg
Cloves
Black pepper

These days, it’s become so popular that you can find a chai tea latte in just about every coffee shop. To make, a base of steamed milk is mixed with simple syrup and spices (not to be confused with chai tea, which is just a tea bag steeped in hot water).

I got the idea of experimenting with my own homemade chai spice blend several weeks back. I researched a bunch of different recipes (like here and here) and came up with my own blend based on personal preference; mainly that it’s heavy on the ginger and low on the sweet.

The word “dirty” in reference to coffee shop drinks just means adding a shot of espresso. In a previous life (namely, college) I was known to add a shot of espresso to my iced coffee sometimes but gone are the days when I caffeinate to that level. Chai lattes seem to be the most popular drink to “dirty” so often times this flavor combo makes its way into recipes too!

Using Instant Espresso Powder in Baking

I’ve seen a few other bloggers post recipes using this Delallo Foods Instant Espresso Powder (affiliate link) and had been wanting to order some for myself because it’s hard to find in stores. From there, my dirty chai spice blend was born.

The cool thing about this powder is that it’s perfect for baking and incorporating into your favorite recipes for a strong, roast-y coffee flavor, no espresso machine required. You don’t even have to add water to it before using. Some of the recipes I saw this used in are totally drool-worthy like these 6 Ingredient Espresso Brownies and this Banana Bread with Espresso Glaze.

I rarely make sweets and with holiday parties on repeat this month, I wanted to think of something interesting to make that doesn’t require a separate grocery stop and a lot of hands-on time. For this reason, spiced nuts came to mind!

How to Make the Perfect Spiced Nuts

After some trial and error I found out that the secret to great spiced nuts is to coat them in frothy egg whites before adding the spices. This helps everything stick together and get nice and crispy on the edges. From there you can add whichever spices and sweetener you like.

In addition to being super tasty, these are also dairy-free for those of you who need to avoid it (it can be hard to come by an appetizer than doesn’t involve cheese this time of year). It’s a nice bonus to get some protein and healthy fat in something a little bit more substantial than cookies or fudge, while still feeling special.

Put these out to tide your guests over until dinner without spoiling appetites, or package them up in a mason jar with a bow and you have an easy homemade gift option!