A few months back I was sitting on the sidelines of a soccer game when a dad I didn’t recognize held out a bag of Emerald brand cocoa dusted almonds: two of my favorite foods under one proverbial roof. I went in big and the nuts didn’t disappoint. Without realizing it, I had commandeered the bag and taken down well more than my fair share. I apologized to the dad, who I later learned was actually someone’s very congenial uncle (and hasn’t brought snacks to the games since).
With the embarrassment of the “nut incident” behind me, I headed to the market to track those babies down, only to learn they weren’t as wholesome as I’d assumed. Indeed, they were artificially flavored and contained two different artificial sweeteners. Bummer.
Homemade Cocoa Dusted Almonds
Committed to the idea of a cocoa dusted almond, I decided to make them myself. You start by roasting raw, unsalted almonds in a 350 degree oven to make them crunchy and bring out their nutty flavor. Then, toss in a combination of cocoa powder, confections’ sugar and salt. Easy!
A Tasty, Sweet Snack
The result? A flavorful, roasted nut lightly coated in cocoa powder with just enough sugar to satisfy a sweet tooth. It’s a treat with plenty of good nutrition to boot. Almonds are a source of protein, healthy fats, vitamin E, fiber and other key nutrients. My kids have been enjoying them in their lunchboxes and I’ve found my new afternoon pick-me-up.
As for that kindly uncle, perhaps I’ll bake him a batch. I’d like him to know that soccer moms can be generous in addition to being greedy.
If you like almonds, you might like these tasty recipes:
Chocolate AmazeBars (with almonds and hemp seeds)
Tahini Almond Butter Chocolate-Dipped Cookies
Almond Flour Banana Bread from Simply Recipes
Cocoa Dusted Almonds
Any easy way to satisfy your sweet fix. Almonds get roasted until crunchy and then tossed with cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar. Pack a few in school lunches or enjoy them as a late afternoon chocolatey treat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat
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Pile the almonds onto the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to evenly coat. Bake for 13 minutes.
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While the almonds bake, in a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, and salt.
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When the almonds are done, transfer immediately to the bowl and toss until evenly coated with the cocoa mixture. Return to the baking sheet to cool. Store in a container with a tight lid.
Comments
12.13.2011 at1:22 PM #
meg hart
Thank you! Another delightful idea so accessibly presented.
12.13.2011 at3:12 PM #
Tami @Nutmeg Notebook
Awesome recipe! I have bought those commercial almonds and I am sure yours taste even better.
12.13.2011 at3:12 PM #
Katie Morford
Thanks. Love the name of your blog. Cute!
12.13.2011 at4:13 PM #
Leslie
Oh, I was just wondering what to give to various people this holiday season — this is perfect. Thank you!
12.13.2011 at8:02 PM #
Beverly
I love that you post things that even the culinary-challenged can handle! Thanks Katie – can’t wait to try this one.
12.14.2011 at5:22 PM #
Pam Hochman
Can you use just unsweetened cocoa and add some sugar? Not sure I have the sweetened in my cupboard but these sound great!
12.14.2011 at5:22 PM #
Katie Morford
Pam, I haven’t made it using sugar and cocoa powder so can’t vouch for measurements and how it would work. I’d probably go at it by whirling sugar and cocoa powder in a mini food processor for a few seconds, taste it and adjust for sweetness and then proceed with the recipe. You may want to test half a batch first to be sure it works before using up too many almonds. Let me know if you give it a try.
11.12.2012 at3:58 PM #
Leslie
Thanks so much for this recipe!!! I ended up doing a google search, because I liked the Emerald brand too but wanted a cheaper/healthier version!
11.12.2012 at3:58 PM #
Katie Morford
Hi Leslie…hope you like this version!
09.24.2013 at11:12 AM #
April
Hey Katie! I absolutely love mint coco almonds. I used to get a personal shipment of the Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Almonds in Mint Dark Chocolate (see link below). Unfortunately they’ve recently stopped producing them. I’m dying for a copycat recipe! Any tips or links?
http://www.fooducate.com/app#page=product&id=9CAC1A78-A7B3-11E0-86F7-1231380C180E
09.24.2013 at11:12 AM #
Katie Morford
You might try adding a drop of mint extract to my recipe to get that flavor. Good luck!
05.13.2019 at5:06 PM #
Shelly Smith
Just found your recipe. What brands of cocoa powder did you use for dusting your almonds? I’ve got to make my own now that Costco discontinued their Kirkland Cocoa Dusted Almonds 🙁
05.13.2019 at5:06 PM #
Katie Morford
Hi Shelly,
I’d say Guittard is my go-to brand for chocolate and cocoa powder. Hope that helps.
06.11.2019 at5:24 PM #
Shelly Smith
When you do your sweetened cocoa, do you purchase it that way? If yes, what brand and where? If no, do you mix your Guittard cocoa powder with sugar and how much of each do you mix together? Do you use granulated or powdered (confectioners) sugar?
Thanks, Shelly
06.11.2019 at5:24 PM #
Katie Morford
The recipe calls for sweetened cocoa powder. Most any brand will do, you just need to read the ingredients. You want it to be just cocoa and sugar, without milk powder or the like. Ghirardelli and Guittard are two brands I have used.
06.11.2019 at5:24 PM #
Katie Morford
Hi Shelly,
I just wanted to let you know, I reworked the recipe so that it now calls for unsweetened cocoa powder. It seems more difficult to find sweetened cocoa powder these days…so now this should be easier to make than before. Enjoy!
07.05.2019 at5:09 AM #
Ed Freeman
Shelly,
I’ve performed a multitude of searches to find sweetened cocoa powder on both the Ghirardelli and Guittard websites. Most don’t provide the ingredients showing whether they contain milk powder or not. Do you have a link to a product that you’d suggest. It appears several folks have the same question above. I too have enjoyed Costco Cocoa Dusted Almonds, but can’t find these now unless you want to pay a huge price.
Thanks, Shelly
07.05.2019 at5:09 AM #
Katie Morford
It seems availability of sweetened cocoa has diminished since I first developed this recipe. As such, I’ve reworked the recipe and now it calls for unsweetened cocoa powder. This should make it easier for everyone 🙂
07.13.2019 at11:30 AM #
Melissa V.
These worked out great. Everyone loved them! So easy.
09.01.2019 at9:43 AM #
Nancy
In step 4 of your recipe, after you dust the almonds with the cocoa mixture the recipe states: “Return to the baking sheet to cook.” Should that word be “cool instead of “cook” ?
09.01.2019 at9:43 AM #
Katie Morford
Yes….cool, not cook. Thanks for catching that!
10.31.2019 at7:51 AM #
summer
how many calories are in the 1 cup serving?
10.31.2019 at7:51 AM #
Katie Morford
The recipe makes about 5 servings that are a little less than 1/4 cup per serving. Each of those servings is 129 calories.
08.16.2021 at4:38 PM #
Linda
Just made these! Very NICE!!!!!
08.16.2021 at4:38 PM #
Katie Morford
Good to hear. Thank you!
01.24.2022 at8:18 PM #
Debbie
How can I make these with already roasted almonds? Looking forward to trying them!
01.24.2022 at8:18 PM #
Katie Morford
I’m guessing they will be fine with roasted almonds. Only one way to find out 🙂
09.11.2022 at11:12 AM #
Katie K
Hi Katie,
I am supposed to be sugar free. I’m wondering if you think I could use Splenda in this recipe? I eat these things like candy and I was really happy to find your recipe. Now I just need to plant almond trees to really save money. Lol
09.11.2022 at11:12 AM #
Katie Morford
Sure. I imagine Stevia would work as well. You’d want to use far less, since these sweeteners are far more concentrated in sweetness. Let me know if you give it a go!
05.12.2024 at3:10 AM #
Angela
Do you think that your recipe would work with peanuts in place of the almonds?
05.12.2024 at3:10 AM #
Katie Morford
It’s worth a shot, though I’ve never tried it.
07.19.2024 at7:43 AM #
Andrea
I’m going to try this but what if I have almonds that are already roasted? Can I double roast them?
I’ve made cocoa dusted almonds before but with stevia and did not care for the fake sweetener taste. I think I will be totally on board with this recipe!
07.19.2024 at7:43 AM #
Katie Morford
I think that would work fine.
08.28.2024 at2:38 PM #
Carol
These are fabulous on their own and great in trail mix for your chocolate mix I.
08.28.2024 at2:38 PM #
Katie Morford
oooh! good idea!
11.03.2024 at2:48 PM #
Nina
Not sweet at all 😡
11.10.2024 at1:34 PM #
My Free MP3
These cocoa dusted almonds sound absolutely delicious! I love the combination of healthy snacking with a touch of sweetness. Can’t wait to try making them at home!