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Learn How to Roast Almonds in minutes in the oven, in a skillet, or even in the microwave. It’s an easy way to bring out their natural flavor while adding a little extra crunch in the process.
Toasting raw almonds in particular, and all raw nuts general, usually falls under the “optional but recommended” category. Like trussing a chicken or browning a roast before tucking it into the oven, taking the time to prepare roasted almonds pays off in the long run in many recipes.
Roasting almonds adds a little something for all your senses:
- A warmer, darker color
- A deeper, nuttier aroma
- Enhanced natural flavors
- Extra crunch and texture
Best of all, it doesn’t take much time, and there are several methods to choose from (oven, stovetop, microwave). And these methods generally work for all kinds of nuts, too.
The only time you shouldn’t roast almonds and other nuts is when a recipe itself takes care of the roasting. If you’re making granola, for example, add raw almonds to the baking sheet so they can toast along with everything else. Or, stir in toasted almonds at the end so they don’t scorch.
On their own or with a little sea salt, almonds are a savory, healthy snack packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Add them to snack mixes, fruit crisps, granola, salads, and other delicious recipes. Or, blend toasted almonds into your very own homemade almond butter.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Almonds: Cooking times vary depending on which method you choose. And keep an eye on your almonds! They can go from zero to burnt in under a minute. Don’t walk away.
- Oil or butter: Roasting in fat is optional for plain almonds and helpful when you want to add spices and seasonings. If using, toss with almonds before roasting in the oven or microwave, or heat in skillet.
Step-by-step instructions
Oven method:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup. Add whole, slivered, or sliced almonds in a single layer to the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roast whole almonds 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Roast sliced almonds for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Roast slivered almonds for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Remove from oven and chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: 1 cup of whole almonds weighs about 5 ounces. 1 cup of sliced or slivered almonds weighs about 3 ounces.
- Storage: Store raw or roasted almonds in a jar with a lid at room temperature in your pantry for 2 to 4 months. For best results and longest shelf life, store raw and roasted almonds in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 6 months.
- Serving suggestions: Toasted almonds are delicious in biscotti, Linzer cookies, almond butter, chicken salad, and other side dishes like couscous and bok choy salad. Or, drizzle vanilla ice cream with honey or maple syrup and top with toasted, slivered almonds.
- Roast any nut: learn how to roast pecans, how to toast walnuts, how to roast hazelnuts, and how to toast pine nuts.
- Rosemary almonds: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 cups almonds and ½ teaspoon dried rosemary. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Lemon-garlic almonds: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil or butter in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 cups almonds, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 tsp. garlic powder. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Barbecued almonds: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 cups almonds, ½ teaspoon cumin, ⅛ teaspoon chili powder, ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika, and a pinch of cloves. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Sweet almonds: Heat 1 tbsp butter in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 cups almonds, 2 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Candied Pecans: Deliciously crunchy and decadent thanks to brown sugar, cinnamon, and a an egg white to hold it all together, Candied Pecans are lightning fast, kid-friendly, and a snap to make for a last-minute gifts or bake sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. In a medium pan over medium-low heat, add whole, sliced, or slivered almonds in a single layer.
2. Heat whole almonds until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 6 minutes.
3. Heat sliced almonds until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 5 minutes.
4. Heat slivered almonds until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
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How to Roast Almonds
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
Oven method:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
- Add whole, slivered, or sliced almonds in a single layer. Roast whole almonds 10 to 15 minutes or slivered and sliced almonds for 8 to 12 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Oven temperatures may vary, so keep an eye on the almonds so they don't burn.
- Remove from oven and chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Stove top method:
- In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, heat almonds until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove from skillet and chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Microwave method:
- On a microwave-safe plate, spread almonds in a single, even layer. Microwave in 1-minute intervals until lightly golden and toasted.
- Remove from plate and chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Almonds: Cooking times vary depending on which method you choose. And keep an eye on your almonds! They can go from zero to burnt in under a minute. Don’t walk away.
- Oil or butter: Roasting in fat is optional for plain almonds and helpful when you want to add spices and seasonings. If using, toss with almonds before roasting in the oven or microwave, or heat in skillet.
- Yield: 1 cup of whole almonds weighs about 5 ounces. 1 cup of sliced or slivered almonds weighs about 3 ounces.
- Storage: Store raw or roasted almonds in a jar with a lid at room temperature in your pantry for 2 to 4 months. For best results and longest shelf life, store raw and roasted almonds in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
What’s the oil for?
Hi Kathryn, optionally you can roast the almonds with oil or butter. If using either, toss with almonds before roasting in the oven or microwave, or heat in skillet. I’ve clarified in the notes, thank you for asking and pointing it out! – Meggan
Thank you for your easy recipe. I get bags of raw shelled almonds from the food pantries all the time. I had been eating them as is but got tired of them that way.
Maybe now I can enjoy them more.
You’re welcome, Deborah! I hope you do! – Meggan
Thank you: handy information!
You’re so welcome! – Meggan
Couldn’t of been more clear or easy. Used tad of olive oil and tossed almonds with a pinch of salt.
Roasted in a flat sheet pan at 325 for about 10 -12 minutes turning three times. I like that I can control the amount of salt and oil.
Yummy
I’m so glad you loved it and found it easy, Jack! Take care! – Meggan
One thing you might mention is, when testing for doneness at the minimum time, take one almond out of the oven, split it to look at the color inside, and let it cool for half a minute or so and bite it to test the crunch. If you test it right out of the oven it will be chewy, regardless of how done it is, and you will be tempted to leave them in the oven (or pan) too long (my parents and brothers are life-long almond farmers in California).
I initially chose to “roast” my raw almonds with olive oil in a non-stick skillet, but the spices did not adhere to the almonds at all. I then transferred the oiled almonds to a silicone baking mat on a baking sheet. I sprinkled the full amount of the cumin/cayenne/chili spice mixture over all and roasted them in a 325 degree oven. I roasted them without stirring for about 12 more minutes, checking them frequently and turning the pan. I lightly salted them and left them on the sheet to cool completely. The results are delicious. My non-stick skillet is quite old, so that may explain the spices adhering more to the pan than to the almonds, All’s well that ends well, and I will definitely roast with this recipe again as a tasty part of my brain health diet.
I had raw whole almonds from the grocery. I soaked them in salt water overnight and then roasted at 325 for 15 mins. They were chewy so I turned the oven off and put them back in for awhile. They still aren’t crunchy! What to do?
Hi Mary, thank you for your question! I’m not sure exactly, as I don’t soak my almonds before roasting them. I would assume it has to do with soaking in water. Were they dried before you roasted them? Were they warm when you tasted them? Did they become better once cooled? I’m so sorry about not being able to help more. – Meggan
I roasted walnuts and almonds using olive oil how long will they last or go bad .
Hi Susan, a quick search says that roasted almonds can stay good for up to a year in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Hope thise helps! – Meggan
I want to wash the pesticides off my almonds. one site says to soak them for 12 hours, then rub together and dehydrate somehow.
I’ve heard that salt can help remove pesticide residues (my dentist also gargles with salt water–for whatever that is worth ha!) Other sites say to wash with backing soda to lower the Ph, breaking down the pesticides.
Another site says to roast nuts at a lower temp: 220 degrees for 20 mins. Caveat, that site assumed we were just roasting, not presoaking. Time **and** temperature often work symbiotically. think pottery glazes, steel making, and of course, no guy could forget to mention Shawshank Redemption where the secret is time + pressure. I know, not related.
Anyway, what do you think? Or is it time for experiments? thanks!
Hi Brad, thank you for the question. I didn’t realize how many ways there were to remove pesticides from almonds. I’m not an expert on this by any means, sorry about that. I would have to defer to someone with more technical experience than I have in this area. Sorry about that! – Meggan
Does roasting them change their nutritional content?
Hi Laura, if you are roasting them plain then there is no change! Hope you enjoy. – Meggan
Once I knew how to roast almonds at home, I never looked back ! So easy and quick, it is my favourite snack.
Happy to help, Helena. Glad you enjoy! – Meggan
I have a lot of almonds to roast and they all have their brown skin still on. How can i telll when they’re cooked?
Hi Ellie, you will see the almonds go from a golden brown color to a darker golden brown. Make sure to stir occasionally and watch them so they do not burn. For reference, you can look at the first image under “Instructions” in the post to see the difference between unroasted and roasted almonds. Hope this helps, enjoy! – Meggan
AMAZINGLY EASY to make. Used fresh almonds and my high speed blender and now I have almond butter with one ingredient. Whole foods doesn’t get any more whole than that.
Even though I have an expensive and powerful mixer, I found it laboring over the recommended four cups by the mixer’s recipe book. I divided the quantity in half (which is what you suggest) and it was perfect.
ONE QUESTION: Can I freeze almond butter? And any info on how long it lasts in the fridge?
Thanks Lianne! Almond butter will save for several weeks sealed in the refrigerator. – Meggan
Tasty. Like the variety. Good times for heating.
Thanks, the recipe was simple and successful.
I used bacon grease and Himalayan salt, very pleasant and super easy.
Great to see a microwave cooking option for roasting almonds! I covered the bottom of my large glass Pyrex pie pan & microwaved a total of 3 minutes (checking & stirring each minute to see progress). Delish!! And so easy.
Easy peasy! Perfect for my salad.
On my convection oven, it took 20 minutes @325.
As an avid hiker/backpacker roasted almonds are my favorite snack. I make a mix with them and sliced dates and dried pineapple. I do not salt the almonds or use oil when I roast them. sometimes I through in other dried fruit depending on what is in the pantry at the time.
Hello, I wanna ask, if I want to roast whole almond, roast for 10-15minutes at how many degrees? Is it still at 325 degrees like when preheat the oven?
Hi Christina, yes, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Just make sure you are checking every 2-3 minutes and stirring them through baking so they don’t burn! -Meggan
Instructions were so clear and helpful. Thank you.