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Roasting cashews brings out their soft, sweet flavor and adds a little extra crunch in the process. It’s easy to learn how to roast cashews and it will up your cooking game with very little effort.
The smoothest operator in the nut kingdom, cashews are even better when lightly roasted. Perfect in cookies, breakfast smoothies, or grain-based salads, cashews are easy to love.
Thankfully, it’s easy to do in the oven, on the stove, or even in the microwave. Set your ovens to 350, and let’s roast some cashews!
What makes cashews special:
Cashews are the seed of a tropical evergreen tree native to Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America, but were brought across the oceans by the Portuguese.
Today, cashews are a prominent part of Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines. And of course, a nut mix wouldn’t be complete without them!
Cashews always come shelled (out of the shell) because the shell of the cashew contains oils that can cause a reaction similar to poison ivy. That doesn’t mean that cashews are poisonous. It just means they have an irritating outer layer.
Why roast cashews?
Roasting enhances the flavor and aroma of the cashews. In my opinion, any nut is always better roasted.
How to roast cashews in the oven:
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup. Add cashews in a single layer.
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Roast for 10-15 minutes. But don’t walk away! Stir occasionally to prevent scorching and keep an eye on your cashews since oven temperatures may vary.
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Remove from oven and chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
How to roast cashews in the stove:
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In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat cashews until browned and fragrant stirring frequently, about 3 to 5 minutes.
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Remove from skillet and chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
How to buy cashews:
Cashews can be somewhat more expensive, so it pays to shop around for the most competitive cashew nut price. Look for cashews at larger box stores and reliable online shops, which are more likely to have a fresh supply of cashews.
How to eat cashews:
Roasted cashews and raw cashews are popular eaten as-is, right out of the bag. But they’re so great in recipes, too!
- Make Cashew butter
- Add chopped, roasted cashews to a Curried couscous salad
- Stir into homemade granola or oatmeal
- Boost the nutrition of Chex Mix
- Enjoy on broccoli slaw
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How to Roast Cashews
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
Instructions
How to roast cashews in the oven:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup. Add cashews in a single layer.
- Roast for 10-15 minutes. But don't walk away! Stir occasionally to prevent scorching and keep an eye on your cashews since oven temperatures may vary.
- Remove from oven and chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
How to roast cashews on the stove:
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat cashews until browned and fragrant stirring frequently, 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.
How to roast cashews in the microwave:
- On a microwave-safe plate, spread cashews in a single, even layer. Microwave in 1-minute intervals until lightly golden and toasted.
- Chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe Video
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.
Awesome guide! Thanks! Cashews are seeds though… not nuts.
Accidentally bought raw unsalted cashews. Followed the baking directions – and now I think that is the only way I’ll get them from now on. Lovely Smokey flavor and was super easy. Don’t miss the salt at all – they are delicious!
Thank you so much for your comment, Shell! I’m so happy this recipe was able to help! – Meggan
SIMPLE, QUICK AND JUST PERFECT FOR THIS IDIOT COOK! THANK YOU.
Hi Merry, thank you so much for your comment! I’m so glad you loved it! – Meggan
Really easy and delicious
350 degrees?????
PLEASE MENTION SCALE
Hi Annoyed Commonwealth Citizen and Acc, I’m sorry this was confusing. I hope you were able to convert this recipe to find the temperature to be 177 degrees Celsius. I hope you have a great day, take care! – Meggan
Thank you for the street style discipline recipe, keeping healthy the ‘motto’ as always you learn something every day. South America new destiny road in a food store package an fruitful diligence.
Why can you only store for a week? Just thought nuts lasted for forever lol
Hi Christina, due to the fat content in nuts they can go rancid. Hope you enjoy! – Meggan
So 180 degress cenitgrade is 350 degrees, I guess. it could also be 350 degrees Kelvin. I looked it up. I hope you know the whole world can access your site and most people do not use faranheit, it would be really nice if you could also provide metric measurements. I know I have just clicked on the X because of non metric measurements. How hard is it to realizethat not everyone lives in the USA?
Hi Robert, I am absolutely aware that people exist outside of the USA and that most of the world doesn’t use Fahrenheit. It comes down to a legal issue. The site is created for people in the USA for legal reasons. If I start to target people outside of the USA by providing metric measurements, I am more susceptible to requirements such as the GDPR (I am actually quite compliant with those regulations but the laws change a lot and it’s hard to keep up) and I really don’t want to be sued. At least, this is what my lawyer tells me. There are special rules for people in the EU when it comes to websites and even joining my email list and it’s all very stressful. So, I’m really sorry about that. At some point I might be able to add them. Thanks. -Meggan
Yes. All that’s needed is to add the word ‘Fahrenheit’ or even just a capital “F”
Hi! Can you tell me how to dry roast cashews so they’re like planters roasted peanuts?
Hi Samantha, sorry! I don’t have that recipe at this time. I’m adding it to the Test Kitchen list for possible future testing. Sorry about that again! – Meggan