Homemade Honey Roasted Nuts
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Skip the store-bought versions and make your own roasted nuts at home. These honey roasted nuts bake up glossy, with a perfect balance of salt and sweet. Even better? It’s a lot more affordable!
After testing this recipe multiple times, I landed on a honey-to-oil ratio that creates a light, even glaze that caramelizes in the oven without turning sticky. A sprinkle of coarse salt and sugar on top makes these a snack you can’t resist.
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🥗 Ingredients
- Nuts: I like a combination of raw nuts including almonds, cashes, and pecans. You can make your own combination. Walnuts and macadamia nuts work well too, and you can also try pumpkin seeds.
- Honey: Try maple syrup as a substitute.
- Vegetable Oil: This helps evenly distribute the glaze over the nuts. Olive oil will work as well.
- Sugar: I like to use regular brown sugar to add more sweetness to the recipe, but top with turbinado sugar for a better crunch.
- Herbs: Rosemary adds an herbal note to these nuts, but you can leave it out if you desire.
- Pimente d’espelette: This is one of my favorite mild French spices, adding a little gentle heat to the recipe. You can substitute a mild chili powder or smoked paprika.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions for Roasted Mixed Nuts
Preheat oven to 325° F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine 1 cup raw almonds, 1 cup raw cashews, and 1 cup raw pecans with 4 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary, ½ teaspoon pimente d’espelette, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave 2 tablespoons honey and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil for 10 seconds, until runny, and stir. Pour over nuts and mix until the honey is evenly distributed.
3. Spread nuts onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Sprinkle with an additional ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, then bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Storage Tips
Roasted nuts keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Note that they can become a little stickier over time. You can try rebaking for 5 minutes, and letting them cool again to firm up the coating.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Honey Roasted Nuts
Honey holds moisture differently than sugar, so candied nuts made with honey often do get sticky. In this recipe, the combination of not using too much honey and mixing it with vegetable oil helps stabilize it so the nuts end up with a hard glaze. Make sure to bake for a full 20 minutes and let your nuts dry completely (up to 2-3 hours) before putting them in a container. Also, note that sometimes weather can affect stickiness as well. When it's really humid out, your nuts may end up a bit sticky.
Yes. Walnuts, hazelnuts, and peanuts all work. Just keep the total quantity about the same.
Yes, roasted nuts are great for make-ahead! The texture holds up beautifully, so these are perfect for entertaining or gifting.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Make sure to let your nuts fully dry before storing them. This helps make sure they aren’t sticky!
Spread out your nuts in a single layer on your sheet pan so they roast evenly and don’t dry in big clumps.
Don’t skip the stirring. This helps distribute the honey coating as it heats, and prevents uneven baking.
If you do end up with sticky honey roasted nuts, try putting them back in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Or, toss with some extra salt and sugar after baking.
Other Delicious Appetizer Recipes
These roasted nuts are one of my favorite easy appetizers to serve when guests come over for cocktail hour, and they’re fancy enough for your next holiday party too! Here are some other ideas to pair with them:
If you try this Roasted Nuts recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Homemade Honey Roasted Nuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
- ½ teaspoon pimente d’espelette or chili powder or smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine raw nuts with brown sugar, chopped rosemary, pimente d’espelette, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave honey and oil for 10 seconds, until runny, and stir.
- Pour over nuts and mix until the honey is evenly distributed. Spread nuts onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.
- Sprinkle with an additional ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 10 minutes, stir, then bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure to let your nuts fully dry before storing them. This helps make sure they aren’t sticky!
- Spread out your nuts in a single layer on your sheet pan so they roast evenly and don’t dry in big clumps.
- Don’t skip the stirring. This helps distribute the honey coating as it heats, and prevents uneven baking.
- If you do end up with sticky honey roasted nuts, try putting them back in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Or, toss with some extra salt and sugar after baking.
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this Honey Roasted Nuts recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
