Roasted Nuts Recipe - 4 Ways (2024)

FAQs

What is the best method for roasting nuts? ›

Soaking your nuts beforehand will lead to better absorption of the spices and result in a crunchier, easier to chew texture. You may be tempted to turn the heat up, but don't! If you roast them at too high a temperature you'll have a dark outside and a raw inside, leading to an inconsistent flavor.

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.

Dry Roasting vs Roasting with Oil

A neutral oil such as grapeseed oil is fine, too. But it's not always appropriate to roast nuts with oil, especially when they are being used in a baking as the oil does increase their oiliness and can throw off the recipe.

“Certain nuts, like almonds and hazelnuts, are often better consumed roasted as the process can help in the absorption of some nutrients. Roasting can also aid in breaking down the phytic acid, a form of antinutrient, found in these nuts,” shared Sisodia.

Step 1: Preheat oven and mix nuts with oil and salt on a baking sheet. Make sure the nuts are not on top of one another, then set in the oven to roast!

Nagar recommended consuming a variety of nuts without the need for soaking, such as almonds (4), walnuts(2), cashews(1-2), pistachios, and pecans daily ensures a diverse intake of nutrients, as different nuts offer unique nutritional profiles.

Nuts naturally contain enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid, which can make them harder to digest and may interfere with the absorption of nutrients. Soaking nuts overnight helps to neutralize these compounds, making the nuts easier on the digestive system.

Softer nuts and seeds, like cashews, pumpkin seeds and walnuts can be soaked for even less time, about 4 hours. Just make sure to rinse all nuts very well after they've been soaking, since the water they were bathing in is filled with the enzyme inhibitors that you wanted to get rid of in the first place.

Stovetop toasting works well for small batches of nuts or seeds. With this method, the parts of the nuts or seeds touching the skillet may become darkest, unlike the oven method where they become more of an overall golden color. Toast nuts BEFORE chopping them into smaller pieces.

Should I chop nuts before roasting? ›

It's best to toast nuts whole, then to chop them if you need smaller pieces. When nuts are chopped before toasting, they are more likely to burn.

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.

Spread them out in an even layer on a sheet pan, and pop them in a 350° oven. Generally speaking, lighter, more tender nuts like pecans, pistachios, and walnuts will take 6-8 minutes to get to a good place. Denser nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and macadamias will take more like 8-10 minutes to finish toasting.

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).

To toast raw nuts in the air fryer, simply follow these easy instructions. Preheat the air fryer to 325℉ for 10 minutes. Pour the nuts into an even layer into the basket. Cook until golden and toasty.

Place nuts or seeds in a single layer in an ungreased shallow pan or RIMMED baking sheet such as a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. (DO NOT use a baking sheet without sides.