How To Roast Nuts – Packed with protein, readily available, and quick to make, roasted nuts are a co*cktail hour staple.
Why roast nuts?
Do you know why we even do this? Because heating nuts gets the aromatic oils going and makes them taste, well, nuttier! Just taste the difference between a raw almond and a nicely toasted one; the flavor, and texture, are very different! Don’t get me wrong, I’ll scarf a handful of raw almonds just like the next harried mother running out the door. But toasty delicious browned nuts are just better in every way.
Which nuts are good for roasting?
Well…all of them! Just be gentler with softer nuts like pecans, walnuts, and pistachios. They will cook faster in about five minutes. Firmer nuts like macadamias, hazelnuts, and almonds will take maybe 8 to 10 minutes, if your oven is spot on temperature wise.
If you need your hazelnuts skinned, the BEST way to skin hazelnuts is to brink one cup of nuts, two cups of water, and three tablespoons baking soda to boil in a pot. Let boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water. Transfer to a towel and rub the skins off. Voila! Blanched hazelnuts.
Now if that sounds like a pain, or you’re out of baking soda, you can roast them in the oven and when they’re done, pour them into a clean kitchen towel and rub briskly. Voila half naked hazelnuts! Yes, when you have ass it, you only will get have the skins on. But let’s be honest, sometimes we just don’t care that much. Unless you’re making daquoise. Then you care very much because you want it to be pretty.
How To Roast Nuts
1. Always check your nuts first!
Nothing is worse than rancid nuts. Especially if they haven’t been stored in the freezer give them a good whiff. You’ll know right away if they’ve turned on you. Rancid nuts are the worst. And rancid oil *GAH*.
2. How to roast nuts on the stove
You can toss the nuts right into a pan over medium heat, no oil necessary. Just shake the pan occasionally so they toast evenly and don’t burn. When they’re finished, transfer them out of the hot pan so they don’t keep browning.
3. How to roast nuts in the oven
If you’re doing more than about a cup of nuts, definitely leverage the oven. Just put them on a rimmed baking sheet and into an oven that’s been preheated to 350. Check at about five minutes, they shouldn’t take more than ten for sure. And like all methods, shake or stir them up to make sure they’re browning evenly. When they’re done, transfer them off the hot pan so they don’t keep browning.
4. How to roast nuts in the microwave
I know it sounds crazy but you can totally roast or toast nuts in the microwave. Just be sure you use a good microwave proof dish, like a glass pie plate. Just put in the amount you need and microwave for 1 minute on high. Stir the nuts and repeat in 1 minute intervals and then go to 30 seconds, keeping an eye on them. You know how nuts are. They go from zero to sixty and then you’ve got burnt nuts. UGH When they’re done, transfer them off the dish if it’s hot so they don’t keep browning.
Yes, technically that was only three appliances. There is an addition to the oven method in the recipe printable you’ll love.
How to store roasted nuts
Have you ever needed just a couple tablespoons of chopped and roasted nuts for something and decided it wasn’t worth the trouble? And then when you were eating the dish, you regretted your laziness because it wasn’t as tasty as it should have been? Just me?
Well no worries, the next time you need to roast some up, do A LOT because they freeze beautifully and taste JUST AS GOOD as freshly toasted! Almonds, walnuts, even pecans. Just make sure you let them cool completely and put them in something airtight. They’ll keep up to a month in the freezer.
In this week’s video, Chef Shelley dishes about roasting nuts.
Techniques for how to roast nuts in the microwave, how to roast nuts on the stove and in the oven.
Recipes for savory roast nuts and sweet nuts.
Why using egg white makes great nuts!
Click here to download this week’s freebie printableRoast Nuts Four Ways Recipeswith techniques, recipes, tips and more.
So know armed with all this nutty knowledge, let me know, what are you going to make with your roasted nuts???
FAQs
Toasting Nuts in the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Spread the nuts in a single layer on your baking sheet; don't crowd or assemble them too close together.
- Put the baking sheet in the oven, and bake until the nuts are fragrant and slightly browned, about 5–8 minutes, depending on the size and type of the nut.
Because the dry, indirect heat the oven offers will toast the nuts more evenly than a skillet will. Using a skillet might trim a few minutes off your cook time, but the heat is uneven. Even if you're using medium or medium-low heat, you'll still get black or charred spots.
Should you use oil when roasting nuts? ›
How to roast nuts on the stove. You can toss the nuts right into a pan over medium heat, no oil necessary. Just shake the pan occasionally so they toast evenly and don't burn. When they're finished, transfer them out of the hot pan so they don't keep browning.
Why avoid roasted nuts? ›
When polyunsaturated fats are exposed to heat, as is the case with roasting, they're more likely to become damaged or oxidized. This can lead to the formation of harmful free radicals, which can damage your cells. Oxidized fat, or rancid fat, is responsible for the “off” taste and smell in some nuts.
Why do you soak nuts before roasting? ›
It may seem counterintuitive to soak your nuts before you roast them, when the goal is a crunchy cashew. But some experts swear by this trick to give your cashews extra flavor, as well as helping them be more digestible.
Should I wash the nuts before roasting? ›
The secret to getting the salt to stick to your nuts is in rinsing them before roasting.
How long do toasted nuts stay fresh? ›
Shelf life of roasted nuts
When chopped, roasted, or ground into creamy nut butter, the oil breaks down and is exposed to oxygen, reducing nuts' shelf life. Roasted nuts typically last for about a month. They have a shorter shelf life than raw nuts and should be consumed within two weeks for the best quality.
What happens if you over roast nuts? ›
Roasting at a temperature of 310°F (154°C) or above will lead to an exponential increase in acrylamide.
Can you roast nuts in an air fryer? ›
We love using the air fryer for a variety of recipes and cooking techniques, including toasting nuts! The dry, fast-moving, indirect heat provides the ideal toast, for perfectly crunchy, golden brown nuts with minimal time and effort. Most nuts can be toasted directly in the air fryer basket.
What is the difference between toasting and roasting? ›
In general, roasting is a process where the temperature is lower but the time is higher (may be more than several minutes) while toasting is conducted at a much higher temperature for a short duration (say less than one minute). Until the late nineteenth century, dry heat roasting in an oven was called baking.
Best cooking oil for roasting
Extra virgin olive oil and coconut are both good for slow roasts due to their low smoke point and added flavour, whilst vegetable oil and rapeseed oil are neutral, medium smoke point oils that are versatile and can be used in most roasts.
Are roasted nuts healthy? ›
Whether raw or roasted, nuts still pack a healthy punch, loaded with good fats, protein, and antioxidants. That being said, roasting does remove some of the antioxidant-rich skin, possibly compromising some of its superfood potency.
What is the number one healthiest nut? ›
1. Almonds. Relatively low in calories, almonds are an excellent food for health due to their protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
What is the healthiest way to roast nuts? ›
The high quality, heart-healthy fat inside a nut is what you're after and why you want to cook them with care. Roasting them correctly in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet at a gentle oven temperature of 300°F will coax out the aromatic and deeply flavorful oils inside while lightly browning the outsides.
What are the side effects of eating too much nuts? ›
Feeling bloated and gassy after eating too many nuts is quite common. You can blame the compounds present in the nuts for that. Most of the nuts contain compounds like phytates and tannins, which make it difficult for our stomach to digest them. Nuts also contain different kinds of fat, which can lead to diarrhea.
Should I roast nuts in the shell? ›
Nutrient Retention: The roasting process can cause some nutrient degradation. When almonds are roasted in their shells, the shell can act as a protective layer, potentially preserving more of the almond's inherent nutrients.
How to toast nuts without burning? ›
You toast nuts on a cookie sheet [or sheet pan] in a preheated oven set on a low heat*. The low heat is crucial because nuts burn both easily and quickly. I toast nuts at 250 F. This is a low temperature, but I find that the higher I set the temperature, the higher the chances of burning the nuts.
What is the best method for cooking nuts? ›
Roasting them correctly in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet at a gentle oven temperature of 300°F will coax out the aromatic and deeply flavorful oils inside while lightly browning the outsides. This will yield a toasty, buttery, earthy (and, well, nutty) nut.
Can I roast nuts without oil? ›
Can you roast nuts without oil? Yes! That's exactly what we are doing in this recipe. You don't need any oil and you can still get a nice and toasty flavor that's crisp and crunchy.
