Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts are the adaptable snack of your dreams. This recipe works with nearly any combination of nuts, herbs and sugar. Just don’t forget the cayenne pepper—it’s literally what brings the heat! Best of all, they take just 10 minutes to make.
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Whether you’re looking for something for guests to nosh on pre-dinner, a snack for whenever or something to add a bit of pizzazz to a charcuterie board, these roasted nuts are it. They take just 10 minutes to make and they’re the perfect edible gift to give during the holiday season. How’s that for a multitasking recipe?
As I hinted at above, roasting your own nuts is incredibly easy and gives you the freedom to customize them with your favorite flavors. The brown sugar in my recipe caramelizes the nuts while the cayenne pepper adds a little heat to this protein-packed appetizer.
These roasted party nuts pair well with a variety of cocktails, including my favorite Cranberry Champagne Cocktail and Christmas Margarita.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s adaptable.
- It’s a 10-minute snack or appetizer.
- It’s make-ahead.
- It makes a big batch.
- Almonds, cashews, walnuts and roasted pistachios: This is my nut combination of choice, but you can use any nuts you like. Pecans, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts and peanuts would all be great here.
- Unsalted butter: Butter helps the nuts brown, but also adds flavor. If you’re dairy-free, you could substitute coconut oil or vegan butter.
- Kosher salt: Don’t be afraid of the amount of salt here! It complements the sweet-spicy flavor. If you’re using table salt, halve the amount of salt this recipe calls for.
- Brown sugar: I use just 1 ½ tablespoons of brown sugar in this recipe, but feel free to double this if you like things on the sweet side. You can also substitute maple syrup or honey.
- Cayenne pepper: Here’s where the spice comes in! For the heat-averse, you can cut the amount of cayenne to ¾ or ½ teaspoon.
- Dried rosemary: Dried rosemary is wonderfully herby and also makes these nuts smell like the holidays. You can use double the amount of fresh rosemary or another dried herb like thyme in its place.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place the nuts on a baking sheet. Roast the nuts for 5 minutes.
- Make the seasoning mixture. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Mix the salt, brown sugar, cayenne and rosemary in a large bowl. Then, pour the butter into the spice mixture and stir to mix evenly.
- Add the nuts. Add the nuts to the bowl with the seasonings and toss until thoroughly coated.
Pro Tip: For extra flavor, brown the butter before adding it to the spices. You can find instructions for how to do so in my recipe for Brown Butter Banana Bread.
- Use the Smell Test: You want the nuts to be roasted and lightly browned when you pull them out of the oven. You should be able to smell the nuts toasting before you even open the oven door. That’s when they’re ready.
- Use Fresh Herbs: Instead of dried rosemary, you can use any fresh herbs you like (just double the amount). Fresh rosemary, thyme, sage or oregano are some options.
You can store the roasted nuts in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
They can also be frozen. Store in an airtight container for a few months in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Roasted nuts are roasted with some type of oil or fat to encourage browning, whereas dry roasted nuts are toasted without the addition of oil or fat.
Most nuts can have their flavor improved and amplified by roasting. This includes almonds, peanuts, pecans and walnuts.
Nuts can go from good to burnt quickly in the oven. So, you should roast nuts at a lower temperature (like 350ºF).
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Ingredients
- 1 cup raw unsalted almonds
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
- 1 cup raw unsalted walnuts
- 1 cup dry roasted pistachios
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the almonds, cashews, walnuts and pistachios to the baking sheet.
- Add the butter to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second increments until melted then whisk in the salt, brown sugar, cayenne pepper and rosemary.
- Pour the butter mixture over the nuts and toss until well-combined. Arrange the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake the nuts for 10 minutes, stir, then bake them an additional 10 to 12 minutes until dark golden.
- Remove the nuts from the oven and let them cool completely before serving.
Kelly’s Notes
- You want the nuts to be roasted and lightly browned when you pull them out of the oven. You should be able to smell the nuts toasting before you even open the oven door. That’s when they’re ready.
- Instead of dried rosemary, you can use any fresh herbs you like (just double the amount of them). Fresh rosemary, thyme, sage or oregano are some options.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Great recipe. Can I use hot honey instead of brown sugar and cayenne?
Hi Bev! That should work but you’ll need to adjust the roasting time because honey is sweeter than brown sugar and the difference in texture can cause it to burn more quickly.
Hi Kelly
Absolutely Scrumptious
Quite keen to turn this into a Slab – breakaway pieces
would adding maple syrup & a tiny bit of super dark chocolate be enuff to stick the nuts together ?
Thanks, Pamela-Clare! I haven’t tried making it into that texture, but I think that should work great!
What if some of the nuts are already roasted? Will they still work with heating them up again? Also, rosemary is to strong for me, what other dried herbs could I use?
Hi Becky! You can still use them if they’re already roasted, and feel free to just leave the rosemary out. Enjoy!
These have the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. I’ll be making a double batch for the holidays.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kelsey!
Funny the recipe does not call for pecans, but the picture shows them in the mix.
To make them healthy,I cancel the butter and use 1 or 2 egg whites
Hi Denise
I beg to differ from you…..I saw walnuts, but no pecans.
I guess you can add your own choice of nuts, you don’t have to follow the choice of nuts in the recipe. It’s all about personal taste.
Thanks Kelly for amazing recipes. Simple, easy and perfect!
Any sort of nuts work!