Roasted Nuts Recipe - 4 Ways (2024)

FAQs

What is the best method for roasting nuts? ›

I prefer to use avocado oil or coconut oil when roasting nuts, because they both have a much higher smoke point while cooking than olive oil does. Avocado oil is a very neutral flavor, and it's my favorite oil to use for cooking.

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.

To get the spices to stick to the nuts, use egg whites, butter, coconut oil, olive oil or blanch the nuts in boiling water. Some recipes call for nuts to be fried in oil prior to seasoning, but this adds unnecessary fat – you can make them just a delicious without all the extra calories.

Hands down, the best method for toasting nuts is in the oven. In my experience, it produces the best flavor and yields the most even results, especially for large batches.

Place nuts on baking sheet and drizzle with oil and salt. Roast for 3 minutes, then shake the pan, and roast remaining 2 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

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.

You can buy nuts roasted, or you can roast them yourself. Summary: Nuts are generally roasted to improve their texture and taste. They can be roasted with or without oil.

For a More Mild Flavor, Reach for a Neutral Oil

That's okay. Instead, reach for a more mild, neutral cooking oil, like vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil. It will coat foods the same way, helping them cook evenly and come out of the oven with dreamy caramelized edges, without imparting any extra flavor.

For example, flax seeds turn into a mucilaginous goo in water, and brazil nuts don't always soak well due to their high fat content. Peanuts can also be soaked, however I didn't include them as they should be consumed sparingly due to inflammatory and allergenic potential.

Should I wash the nuts before roasting? ›

The secret to getting the salt to stick to your nuts is in rinsing them before roasting.

It is true that nuts contain phytic acid, or phytates, which can bind with minerals, making them unavailable to the body. But while soaking nuts in salted water may reduce phytic acid levels, the amount of phytates in nuts is too small to cause a mineral deficiency in either children or adults.

How to do it: Spread nuts in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or in a smaller baking pan). Bake in the center of a preheated 325°F oven, stirring to redistribute nuts every 5 minutes or so. Keep your eyes peeled and your nose on alert: Nuts in the oven can quickly go from just right to burned.

Tips: If you're making almond butter without oil (just roasting) and it seems dry and flaky and not turning into butter, there's likely two reasons: 1) the almonds needed to roast just a little bit longer (see temperature note above), 2) the brand of almonds.

Rinse the nuts under running water and pat dry. Spread over a dehydrator rack, or baking tray. Dry in the dehydrator for around 12-24 hours. If drying in the oven, set the oven at the lowest temperature possible, preferably no more than 65C.

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.

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.

There are two main kinds of roasting: Dry roasting: Roasting without any oil. Nuts can be dry roasted in the oven or on a frying pan. Oil roasting: Roasting using oil.