These rosemary roasted cashews are quick to make and seriously hard to stop snacking on. They also make the perfect last-minute gift. Whip up a batch for your next party spread—or pop them in a jar for an easy, edible hostess gift.
I always have nuts around to snack on. Not only are they a great source of protein, but they taste great, too. My favorite nut is the cashew. It’s so flavorful on its own, why would you add anything more to it?
One summer night we were invited my friend’s house for dinner. The hostess offered up some delicious appetizers including these delicious rosemary roasted cashews. My family and I could not stop snacking on them!
Who knew you could make cashews even better?
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Recipe highlights
- Versatile: I roast the cashews with rosemary, cayenne pepper and a little bit of brown sugar. You can easily adjust the seasonings with the herbs and spices you have on hand. Plus you can roast any nuts, not just cashews!
- Simple: Just a little work make take your ordinary cashew into something irresistible!
- Gifts: Instead of giving cookies out for the holidays, bag or bottle up these roasted cashews for a savory gift.
- Flavor: The roasted nuts have a mildly sweet and salty taste with a slight bit of kick from the cayenne pepper. And the rosemary -wow! A little goes a long way and offers so much fragrance and flavor.
Ingredients you will need
- Cashews: Because you are roasting the nuts yourself, raw cashews are preferred. You can also use roasted cashews that are unsalted, which will roast more quickly than raw and allows you to control the salt.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I have a personal love affair for olive oil, as you know. You can use any flavor you have, depending on what you want to taste. A pungent peppery olive oil is my personal choice for this recipe, but you can also use a mild oil. You can also use melted butter, if you prefer this flavor.
- Rosemary: I love fresh rosemary and have two big plants growing in my yard. Dried rosemary can be a bit hard and tough to eat, so try to use fresh. You can also use any other herbs like chives, oregano or basil, but they might oxidize and turn black once chopped.
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is larger, flakier and less salty than sea salt. So if you need to substitute salts, be sure to use less and taste to see if you have added enough.
- Cayenne Pepper: I love a bit of spiciness in my food. You can add a little or a lot, depending on your tolerance. You can also use black pepper or chile powder of different kinds and heat intensities.
- Brown Sugar: There isn’t much sugar in these roasted cashews, but just enough to add a touch of sweetness. You could also use honey, agave nectar or maple syrup. If you do this, then I suggest to use melted butter instead of olive oil. You will also need to spread the nut mixture, once mixed, onto a baking sheet and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
How to roast cashews
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- Spread the raw cashews evenly onto a baking sheet.
- Roast cashews in a 375ºF/190ºC oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Halfway thru, use long handled tongs or wooden spoon and flip the cashews to brown evenly.
- Combine the warm cashews with the olive oil and toss to coat. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until covered evenly. Enjoy!
Tips on making roasted cashews
As you can see, these are super easy to whip up and perfect when you have unexpected guests at your door. In the ingredient section, I shared my tips on how you can customize the recipes to your own favorite herbs and spices.
If you like this recipe, wake up your taste buds with some chile lime macadamia nuts or lemon pumpkin seeds.
Storing Instructions
TO STORE: Since these are roasted in olive oil, these nuts should keep in an air tight container for up to one month.
If you don’t want to use your oven to roast the cashews, you can also roast them in a cast iron or stainless pan. Just heat the pan over medium high, add the cashews and toast them until they are golden.
Raw cashews can be difficult to find. If you want to use salted cashews you have two options. Use them as is and just give them a quick roast in the oven and omit the salt. Or rinse off the salt and roast them.
Absolutely! Roast peanuts, brazil nuts or even almonds. You can also roast pecans or walnuts Nuts with less oil, like almonds, might need an extra drizzle of oil, so adjust accordingly.
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Rosemary Roasted Cashews
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon rosemary fresh, minced
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar light
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F (190°C).
- Spread cashews in one layer on a baking sheet
- Toast in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Halfway through, use long handled tongs or wooden spoon to turn the cashews so they brown evenly
- Transfer warm cashews to a bowl and coat with olive oil.
- Add remaining ingredients and toss to evenly coat the cashews.
- Pour into serving bowl and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
I love roasted nuts! Don’t often roast cashews for some reason — but now you’ve got me craving them. And we have tons of rosemary at the moment in our garden, so your idea of using rosemary to flavor the cashews is really appealing. Good post — thanks.