Over the holidays, as I was digging down in our 3lb tin of mixed nuts, it suddenly hit me. I should just make my own damn nuts! This way, I could improve upon the pecan-to-dirt-nut ratio, preferably by eliminating the dirt nuts altogether. It’s not that I haven’t roasted my own nuts before, I’ve actually done it quite a few times (Spicy Roasted Almonds). I just get lazy, particularly when presented with an over-sized tin of mixed nuts from our local wholesaler. We go through a ridiculous amount of nuts in this house, and I am not sure I could quite keep up with that by making my own. But then again, I can’t complain about the ratio of pecans to brazil nuts if I am not willing to make them myself, now can I? And making my own also allows me to adjust the salt and any other seasonings to my own liking.
A few years ago, some friends came to dinner and made us some rosemary roasted cashews from The Barefoot Contessa. They were so good and I believe I may have stood over the bowl, forking them into my mouth and not really letting anyone else near them. My friend kindly let me copy the recipe and I’ve been meaning to make them for a long time. Alas, they are all cashews, and they are made with brown sugar. Not exactly the ideal snack for a carb-conscious diabetic. So imagine my excitement when I came across THIS recipe on Foodgawker. I bookmarked immediately, planning on making some over the holidays, but of course I never did. I had three sick children and a large tin of already roasted nuts, so it just wasn’t going to happen. But I did finally get around to making them this past weekend for the women in my bookclub.
The Results: These are phenomenal and a perfect addition to any party menu. They are definitely best served warm, so I only made a half-batch because I knew that the six of us couldn’t polish off 4 cups of nuts. I also cut back on the oil a bit, and my nut mix was made up of mostly pecans and almonds, with a few cashews for good measure. I didn’t really measure my spices, I just eyeballed them, but I probably put in a bit more rosemary, cayenne and red pepper flakes than called for in the original recipe. I found that they only needed 8-10 minutes in the oven before they were beautifully roasted.
A big thumbs up for these. I will be making more very soon. They are so easy and so amazingly delicious! Dirt nuts need not apply. Unless you like dirt nuts. Then have at it.
Spicy Rosemary Cocktail Nuts – minimally adapted from Gourmande In the Kitchen
3 cups mixed raw nuts
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine nuts in a medium bowl and add olive oil. Stir well. Add remaining ingredients and stir to comine thoroughly.
Spread nuts on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes, stirring occassionally. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Makes approximately 8 servings. Carb count will depend on what types of nuts you use. The way I made it (mostly pecans and almonds with a little bit of cashews), each serving has 7.4g of carbs and 4.8g of fiber.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Looks fabulous! I love to make my own nuts, but like you I get lazy haha. My children and husband included are nuts for….er nuts 😉
Oh yes, I agree with you about the pecans…and I'm a can shaker to get at them too, lol! Your nuts look delicious, I really love the addition of rosemary!
I made Spicy Maple Walnuts over the holidays, and they were a hit. Much better to make your own, no matter what the recipe is.
Itty bitty and I can easily polish off a tin of mixed nuts within a day or two. Itty bitty picks out cashews and I love the almonds. Your mixed nuts look and sound delicious!
Sounds delicious. I heard that there is a bar in NY famous for their roasted nuts, they use butter, herbs etc. Yours is the healthier version!
I am so happy to hear that you tried my recipe and that it worked out well for you! To tell you the truth I eyeball the spices when I make these too, and they have always turned out well. My favorite nuts are cashews and almonds so I tend to go heavy on those as well.
Nice snack..looks simply awesome!
Waw!! these mixed spiced nuts look incrdibly tasty!!
MMMMMMM,..thanks for sharing!
I love the red pepper flakes & rosemary in here!
15 minutes later…
Risking scalding the roof of my mouth, have just taste them and… OH MY! They are superb. By far the best spiced nut recipe I've ever had (and I've made many), probably because that combination of olive oil and rosemary is one of my favourite flavours in the world. Thanks again for posting this! (Hope that after typing this they'll be a little cooler so that I can have a good handful.)
OK – these look seriously good. Thanks to Christmas as well as a very bountiful herb garden this year, I have everything I need. Oven's already on, so… yeah! Making them now, pretty much.
Carolyn, they look and sound heavenly! It would have never occurred to me to add herbs to nuts, but I can see how it would really liven up the flavor!
I always pick out the cashews and eat them first! I never thought to make my own nuts, either. I love this soooo much. I'm sure to gain 10 lbs because of it too. So worth it.
That would be a great snack!
I'm the one that eats the pecans and cashews before others get to the tin … oops 🙂
I am with you in thinking that Brazil nuts should be left in Brazil. I have been eating through a bunch of nuts still in their shells. I ate the almonds first because they were the easiest to open. The hazelnuts came second, but I crushed a lot of them with my nut cracker and had to find all of the pieces amongst the shells. The walnuts and pecans have been more tricky. The Brazil nuts are still in the bag. Sitting. Destined most likely for the neighborhood squirrels, if they will have them.
What you have done to these nuts is truly magnificent.
Yum, Carolyn! This is so pretty and simple. They look delicious too, and I know your rosemary cocktail of nuts are so much more healthful than anything in a tin. Did you know even most 'roasted' nut tins are full of nuts that have been deep fried and then roasted?! Craziness (smile)…
looks delicious to snack on