Cooking With Beer – Sweet Jalapeño Beer Nuts

American Craft Beer|September 27th, 2025|

Football season is ON and you’re gonna need the right snacks, like these sweet & spicy beer nuts made with a serious craft lager. This mix of Jalapeño beer nuts are guaranteed to pair brilliantly with college football as well as the NFL, and definitely with another lager or two.

Although this recipe would work with a wide variety of lagers, we went with Scrag Mountain Pils, a widely-distributed 4.8% ABV Czech-Style Pilsner from Lawson’s Finest Liquids that’s a tribute to Waitsfield, Vermont’s pure water source which comes from an ancient aquifer deep beneath Scrag Mountain.

So, let’s do this!

Sweet Jalapeño Beer Nuts

Ingredients:

3 cups mixed nuts (peanuts, cashews, almonds, or your favorite combo)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup beer (Scrag Mountain Pils worked great)
1 fresh jalapeño, finely diced (seeds removed for less heat, leave them in for more kick)
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for extra heat)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp butter

Instructions:

Prep your oven: Preheat to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease it.
Cook the syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine beer, sugar, brown sugar, butter, and jalapeño. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugars dissolve. Let simmer 5–6 minutes until slightly thickened and syrupy.
Spice it up: Stir in salt, smoked paprika, and cayenne (if using).
Coat the nuts: Add nuts to the saucepan, stirring until well coated.
Bake: Spread nuts in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until glossy and caramelized.
Cool & break apart: Let cool completely (the coating hardens as it cools). Break apart clumps and store in an airtight container.