True Life: I’m a Snacker. Really, I love putting together really delicious dishes, and meals! But, if I’m not in that mode, you will find me eating all kinds of things throughout the day. It’s at its worst when I have a lot of work on the computer, so I’ll have hummus and pita chips for a meal. Maybe I’ll have avocado toast later? If I’m really slacking on eating fruits and veggies, I’ll throw together a smoothie for a late dinner. It’s really a mess sometimes. So, I thought I’d create a little something for a protein-rich, flavorful snack: Pizza-Roasted Almonds!

Pizza-Roasted Almonds! Has 8 ingredients, is easy-to-make, and an absolutely delicious, healthy snack! Vegan, Gluten-free, Soy-free #veganyackattack

I got this idea from a Vegan Cuts snack box, where there was a snack of raw pizza-flavored almonds. They were SO good! I knew I had to take matters into my own hands and make some at home, for every day snacking. Now, originally, I wanted to try to make pizza-roasted chickpeas. But, after two batches of not having the best luck, and nearly breaking a few teeth, I moved on. I may revisit making crunchy, crispy chickpeas later on; for now, I’m loving these almonds.

The coating is super simple! Tomato pastes, spices, olive oil, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast AKA nooch. The tomato and herbs give you that marinara vibe, while nooch and lemon juice give a hint of cheesy-ness. Lately, these pizza-roasted almonds have been the perfect snack to enjoy with an afternoon beer, while hanging out in the sun. And if you’re not into beer, iced tea or lemonade work well, too. 😉

In this recipe, I used some dried basil from my garden last year, which is awesome. This year, my tomato and zucchini plants are taking over one of the raised beds and the basil is getting buried! It’s been really awesome to have a “huge” garden, this year, starting 90% of it from seeds. I have a feeling I’ll be giving away a lot of tomatoes, seeing as how all SIX plants are doing well and will soon have ripe ones coming up! Two Romas, a Chocolate-Striped, a Gardener’s Delight, a Homestead and a bonus plant that volunteered from my compost. Woohoo!

The corn stalks seem to be doing well, and my pepper plants are really bringing the heat. I have pole beans growing FAST, and just started some bush bean plants for tasty green bean dishes. Basically, I’m just super excited about all of this and can’t wait to make more recipes showcasing all of these beautiful ingredients. I might put together a video of when I constructed the raised beds, what seeds I used, what I’ve been doing to help everything grow, etc. If you’re interested in something like that, or organic gardening, let me know!

Now, back to these Pizza-Roasted Almonds! 8 ingredients, 20-25 minutes of your time, and a delicious product. Need I say more? ALSO, keep your eyes peeled for the next few blog posts here on VYA, some gorgeous new recipes coming your way!

3 years: Fruity Roasted Fennel Salad // 4 years: Choconut Chip Oatmeal Cookies // 5 years: Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 8

Pizza-Roasted Almonds

Name: Pizza-Roasted Almonds
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Dairy-free
Ingredients: 1/3 cup tomato paste; 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 tablespoon water; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional; 3 cups raw almonds

Pizza-Roasted Almonds! Has 8 ingredients, is easy-to-make, and an absolutely delicious, healthy snack! Vegan, Gluten-free, Soy-free

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1/3 cup tomato paste
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
3 cups raw almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tomato paste, nooch, olive oil, water, lemon juice, salt, oregano, basil, garlic powder and (optional) red pepper in a food processor with S-blade or small blender. Pulse until smooth and evenly combined.
Remove blade (if necessary) and add almonds to tomato mixture. Stir together, until almonds are coated well. Spread them out, in a single layer, on baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, then stir gently to heat the other side. Roast an additional 10-12 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
Remove baking sheet from oven and place on cooling rack for 1 hour before storing (otherwise they will be too damp, and not crunchy). But, you can eat/serve them 15 minutes after roasting them. Almonds will keep for 7-10 days in a sealed container. (you may need to refrigerate them if it's hot where you live)