How to Roast Nuts

Recipe adapted from Kitchn

TIP: Check and Stir.
It is important to check the nuts frequently while they roast and to stir them often.
Most ovens have hot spots, so you want to move the nuts around for even roasting.
I often focus on moving the nuts from the edges, which can brown sooner than the nuts in the middle.

Ingredients

Amounts may vary depending on how many you'll need for your recipe(s)...

Types of Nuts

This guide works for practically any kind of nut. If the recipe requires chopped nuts, do this after roasting.

  • Almonds: Roasting almonds gives the otherwise bland nuts a bold, rich flavor.
  • Pecans: Roasting pecans brings out their nutty aroma.
  • Walnuts: Roasting walnuts removes their bitterness.
  • Pine nuts: Smaller nuts such as pine nuts are notorious for burning quickly. Check them more frequently, usually every 2 minutes or so.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts in an even layer on a baking sheet.

  • Place in oven and roast for 5 minutes.

  • Stir. Remove after 5 minutes and stir so that the outer nuts are moved towards the middle and the middle nuts towards the edges.
    If you are using a cake tin, you can gently shake it to redistribute the nuts. Return to the oven.

  • Check for doneness. Check the nuts again after 3 minutes. You are looking for the color to be a few shades darker. They should start to smell nutty and you might hear them crackling.
    Return to the oven if needed and check again after another 3 minutes. If they need longer, give another stir. Nuts rarely take longer than 15 minutes to roast, usually closer to 8 to 12 minutes.
    When the nuts are browned and smell nutty, remove from the oven and immediately transfer onto a plate or another baking sheet.
    Do not cool the nuts on the tray they were baked on or you will risk scorching them.

How Long to Toast Nuts

Roasting nuts can be a little tricky as they can go from almost done to overdone in less than a minute.
You are also dealing with several discrete pieces, some which seem to be roasting faster than others.
And they don’t spend a lot of time in the oven — usually not more than 15 minutes — so people often say “Why bother?” and skip this step, not wanting to preheat their oven for such a short procedure.
But it bears repeating: if your recipe called for roasting the nuts (and sometimes even when it doesn’t) be sure to take this important step.