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  1. Midwest Living
  2. Food
  3. Comfort Foods
  4. Must-Try Nut Recipes

Must-Try Nut Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com Updated September 14, 2021
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Hickory Nut Cake

Pecans, walnuts, hickories and other nuts add crunch and flavor to our recipes for cakes, pies, sweet breads, salads and main dishes.

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Hickory Nut Cake

Hickory Nut Cake
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Hickory nuts add a buttery taste to the inside of this dense cake, from Audrey and Robert Biersach of Columbus, Wisconsin.

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Chili Pecans

Chili Pecans
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A coating of spicy and sweet turns toasted pecans into a great snack. Make these ahead of time if you're having a party. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 1 month.

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Spicy Rosemary-Peanut Caramel Corn

Spicy Rosemary-Peanut Caramel Corn
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This is caramel corn all grown up-studded with salted peanuts, flecked with rosemary and kissed with cayenne. Make a double batch to pack as gifts, or set a bowl on the coffee table as a way-fun alternative to Chex Mix.

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Coffee Nut Torte

Coffee Nut Torte
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Cocoa and rum flavor the soft butter frosting that crowns this airy three-layer cake from Elizabeth Varga of Barberton, Ohio. The recipe came from her Hungarian grandmother.

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Whole Wheat Apple-Nut Bread

Whole Wheat Apple-Nut Bread
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This quick bread from Missouri nut growers Drew and Susie Kimmell bakes in a casserole dish for a round loaf. They recommend using pecans, black walnuts or hickory nuts.

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Walnut Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream

Walnut Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream
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Fill layers of walnut cake with caramel whipped cream and drizzle it all with caramel sauce for a rich fall dessert. 

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Winter Orange Salad

Winter Orange Salad
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The croutons made from walnuts or pecans infuse nutty flavor into this tossed salad, made with oranges and dried cranberries. Nut producers Barb and Dwight Ittner of Noel, Missouri, created the recipe.

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Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake

Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake
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This nutty layer cake is a favorite dessert with Midwest Living® readers. Whipped cream tops a moist filling of pumpkin, brown sugar, pecans, butter and more whipping cream.

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Mixed-Nut Brittle

Mixed-Nut Brittle
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This fresh twist on peanut brittle takes just 15 minutes to make using your microwave. Be sure to use a heavy-duty glass measure that's free from cracks or chips to withstand high temperatures.

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Nuts for brunch

Chocolate-Pecan Coffee Cake
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Our coffee cake (recipe at link above) is an indulgent mixture of chocolate, butter, sour cream, pecans and coconut. A brunch could also feature Stuffed French Toast, flavored with cream cheese, apricot preserves and pecans, or Maple Oatmeal Muffins, which blend pecans with oats, maple syrup, cinnamon and butter.

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Slow Cooker Sweet-Hot Nuts

Slow Cooker Sweet-Hot Nuts
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Nuts in your slow cooker? Sure! Just toss them with sugar, butter and spices, and cook on low heat for two hours.

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War Eagle Bean Palace Pecan Cobbler

War Eagle Bean Palace Pecan Cobbler
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Using the beloved pecan pie as a guide, cooks for the restaurant at the top of War Eagle Mill near Rogers, Arkansas, fashioned this cobbler adding oat flour for a different flavor in the crust. This buttery crust actually layers in the middle of the syrupy filling, an escape from the usual cobbler crowned with topping. A generous measure of pecans adds crunch.

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Pecan pie—three ways

Pecan pie - three ways
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Oatmeal-Pecan Pie (recipe above) gives the traditional pecan pie a chewy-good twist by adding oatmeal to the usual ingredients. Chocolate Pecan Pie is a rich treat that comes from Historic Clifton Mill restaurant in Clifton, Ohio. Black Bottom Pecan Pie comes from Miss Aimee B's Tea Room in St. Charles, Missouri.

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Black Walnut-Crushed Catfish

Menu #2: Heartland fish dinner
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A maple butter sauce tops this nutty catfish recipe from Hammons of Stockton, Missouri, a major producer of black walnuts. The Hammons family likes the deep, robust flavor of black walnuts in this recipe. We listed the much milder English walnut as an alternative.

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Strawberry-Walnut Shortcakes

Strawberry-Walnut Shortcakes
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Nuts and orange zest give a crunchy and flavorful twist to this summer classic. This recipe comes from Hammons black walnut company in Stockton, Missouri.

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Easy Banana Nut Bread

Easy Banana Nut Bread
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Make a couple of these easy nut-filled banana bread loaves-like most quick breads, they'll keep up to a month in your freezer. Overwrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezerproof bag. Thaw at room temp.

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Shortcut German Chocolate Cake

Shortcut German Chocolate Cake
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Coconut, pecans and caramel make a sweet sauce for an easy, one-layer twist on German chocolate cake.

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Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
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This dish from Max Archer of McPherson, Kansas, packs some heat. Adjust it to suit your taste by varying the amounts of chili paste and poblano chiles.

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Rigatoni with Spinach, Walnuts, Sweet Potatoes and Goat Cheese

Rigatoni with Spinach, Walnuts, Sweet Potatoes and Goat Cheese
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This main dish adds walnuts to the flavors and textures of sweet potato, red onion, baby spinach leaves, goat cheese, basil and pasta.

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Chocolate Nut Revels

Chocolate Nut Revels
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A luscious chocolate and pecan mixture swirls throughout these festive cookies.

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Wasabi Almonds and Popcorn

Wasabi Almonds and Popcorn
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If you'd like to cut additional fat from this zesty snack mix, use five sprays of butter-flavor nonstick spray instead of butter. Be sure to add the spray right before eating to prevent the popcorn from getting soggy.

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Badgersett's Stuffed Pork Chops

Badgersett's Stuffed Pork Chops
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Philip and Meg Rutter at the Badgersett Research Farm in Canton, Minnesota, use extra-thick Iowa chops to hold stuffing featuring their chestnuts and hazelnuts.

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Cafe Latte Turtle Cake and other nutty treats

Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake
Credit: Blaine Moats
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Cafe Latte Turtle Cake (recipe at link above) is a favorite with diners at Cafe Latté in Saint Paul. A creamy Praline-Crusted Cheesecake delights guests at the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, Wisconsin. Peach-Pecan Cobbler tempts fruit lovers with swirls of pecan-studded biscuits on top of sliced peaches. 

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Black Walnut Ice Cream

Black Walnut Ice Cream
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Staff at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, churn dozens of ice cream flavors at Hannah's Ice Cream Factory. For a sweeter ice cream, use more sugar. Look for black walnut flavoring, which pairs with nuts to give this cool treat its flavor, in large supermarkets.

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Gooey Pecan Pie Bars

Gooey Pecan Pie Bars
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These sweet, nutty and oh-so-buttery bars are a guaranteed showstopper on any cookie tray.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

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    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

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    View All

    1 of 25 Hickory Nut Cake
    2 of 25 Chili Pecans
    3 of 25 Spicy Rosemary-Peanut Caramel Corn
    4 of 25 Coffee Nut Torte
    5 of 25 Whole Wheat Apple-Nut Bread
    6 of 25 Walnut Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream
    7 of 25 Winter Orange Salad
    8 of 25 Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake
    9 of 25 Mixed-Nut Brittle
    10 of 25 Nuts for brunch
    11 of 25 Slow Cooker Sweet-Hot Nuts
    12 of 25 War Eagle Bean Palace Pecan Cobbler
    13 of 25 Pecan pie—three ways
    14 of 25 Black Walnut-Crushed Catfish
    15 of 25 Strawberry-Walnut Shortcakes
    16 of 25 Easy Banana Nut Bread
    17 of 25 Shortcut German Chocolate Cake
    18 of 25 Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
    19 of 25 Rigatoni with Spinach, Walnuts, Sweet Potatoes and Goat Cheese
    20 of 25 Chocolate Nut Revels
    21 of 25 Wasabi Almonds and Popcorn
    22 of 25 Badgersett's Stuffed Pork Chops
    23 of 25 Cafe Latte Turtle Cake and other nutty treats
    24 of 25 Black Walnut Ice Cream
    25 of 25 Gooey Pecan Pie Bars

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