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Make a batch of Roasted Cashews to bring out their soft, sweet flavor, and add some extra crunch in the process. Level up your cooking with very little effort and enhance salads, grain bowls, and afternoon snacking with a handful of roasted cashews.
Cashews are the seed of a tropical evergreen tree native to Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America, but they 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! Roasted cashews are delicious on salads, roasted vegetables, grain bowls, oatmeal, and in baked goods. Or, add them to snacks like Homemade Chex Mix or Puppy Chow.
Like other nuts, roasting enhances the flavor and aroma of cashews. Thankfully, this easy roasted cashews recipe can be made right in the oven, on the stove, or even in the microwave.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Cashews: Cooking times vary depending on which method you choose. And keep an eye on your cashews! They can go from zero to burnt in under a minute. Don’t walk away.
- Oil or butter: Toss cashews in extra-virgin olive oil or butter when you want to add salt, spices, and seasonings.
Step-by-step instructions
To roast cashews in the oven:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup. Add cashews in a single layer.
- Bake until the cashews are fragrant and golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. But don’t walk away! Stir occasionally to prevent scorching and keep an eye on your cashews since oven temperatures may vary.
- Remove the pan from the oven and chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
To roast cashews on the stove:
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat cashews until browned and fragrant, stirring frequently, 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.
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 tips and variations
- Yield: The recipe as written makes 1 cup of toasted cashews (enough for 4 servings, ¼ cup each). It can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.
- Storage: Store raw and roasted cashews for a year or more in the refrigerator or the freezer (not the pantry). They spoil easily, especially when roasted. If they smell like paint, throw them away immediately.
- Freezer: For longer storage, store cashews in the freezer. Both raw and roasted cashews once opened and exposed to air, are prone to turning rancid. Unopened, factory-sealed cashews are safe in the pantry until their expiration date.
- Trail mix: Make a healthy snack mix by adding cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts to your toasted cashews.
- On roasted veggies: Add roasted cashews to Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Roasted Butternut Squash, or Roasted Green Beans.
- Herbaceous cashews: Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 cups cashews and ½ tsp dried rosemary or 1 tsp fresh rosemary. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes. They taste great with thyme, too.
- Lemon-garlic cashews: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil or butter in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 cups cashews, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 clove minced garlic. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Barbecued cashews: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Add 2 cups cashews, ½ teaspoon cumin, ⅛ teaspoon chili powder, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, a pinch of smoked paprika, and a pinch of black pepper. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Sweet cashews: Heat 1 tbsp butter in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 cups cashews, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon honey, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon allspice. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes, stirring the honey mixture frequently.
- All the nuts: Learn how to toast hazelnuts (filberts), how to toast pecans, how to toast pine nuts, and how to roast almonds.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Cashews can be somewhat more expensive, so it pays to shop around for the most competitive price. Look for cashews at larger box stores and reliable online shops which are more likely to turn inventory and have a fresh supply.
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Roasted Cashews
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter, optional (see note 2)
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 until the cashews are fragrant and golden brown, about 7-10 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 2 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
Notes
- Cashews: Cooking times vary depending on which method you choose. And keep an eye on your cashews! 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 cashews and helpful when you want to add spices and seasonings.
- Yield: The recipe as written makes 1 cup of toasted cashews (enough for 4 servings, ¼ cup each). It can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.
- Storage: Store raw and roasted cashews for a year or more in the refrigerator or the freezer (not the pantry). They spoil easily, especially when roasted. If they smell like paint, throw them away immediately.
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.
Perfect, thanks!
You’re welcome! -Meggan
Good grief…all these people griping about having to convert the temperature. It’s not difficult to Google conversions, people. Get over yourselves. Thank you Meggan, for taking the time to provide simple and effective methods for those of us less experienced in the kitchen.
Hi Cass, you’re welcome. Thank you for your support! – Meggan
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
Thank you for your advice Meggan.
How sad that some people vent such negative comments for a genuine simple error.
It’s good that kind people like you offer us advice,
We learn new things in cooking from people like you. Best regards.
If I’m using the cashews in a recipe that involves roasting would I pre-roast them for the recipe I’m using them in?
Hi Jennifer, I would recommend pre-roasting them if your recipe calls for roasted cashews, otherwise if your recipe involves roasting them, I would recommend you follow the directions in the recipe. If you pre-roast them, then they are roasted in the recipe, they may burn. Thanks! – Meggan
These are not raw cashews, picked from the fruit.
You’re right, these have been heat processed to remove the toxic shell. But, when most people who aren’t pretentious look for “raw cashews” at stores, this is what they find. You’ll have to take your issue up with the nut industry.
How sweet, you conveniently left out Africa. The sweetest nuts are found in the continent of Africa. It is a plant native in West Africa but of course, it is convenient to purposely leave out Africa.
I feel offended.
Well done!
I will fix this, I’m so sorry. It wasn’t on purpose. The person who wrote this article is no longer employed with us, but it’s ultimately my site and my fault. A simple google search shows Africa is a MAIN source, so it’s a major oversight. It’s just native to Brazil which I’m sure is what she latched on to when she wrote this. I’m sorry, it was never my intention to offend you. -Meggan
Quit wining Peter, good grief, you sound like the rest of the world.
Are you for real Peter? If you muster enough energy to complain about an honest mistake (esp in the manner you did) lord only knows that your entire life must be full of complaining and negetivity! Glad not to know you!
Do I need to prewash or soak the cashews then drain them well before roasting? I already have the raw nuts, can’t wait to try your tips. Thanks.
thank you for this easy recipe.
Times have changed. Yet people stick to old techniques to roast nut.
Know that you need temp of around 120-135C.
20-30 minutes in an Air Fryer, stirring half way and it’s all done.
Hi! Thanks for this info, I should update all of my nut-roasting recipes with air fryer directions. I love my air fryer. I haven’t been able to convince people in my family to get one, but maybe someday. They are so great! Thanks! -Meggan
I purchased a big can of Planters salted whole cashews and they are not roasted near enough. Can I re roast them?
Hello, thanks for the recipe – how long do you roast them for in the microwave? 1 minute intervals – for how long? (Or do you just keep checking after each minute?) TIA!
Hi Reshmi, sorry for the confusion! You should just do 1-minute intervals until they are lightly golden and toasted. This is because microwave power varies greatly and if I put in a time, someone is going to burn their cashews and yell at me. It will probably take about 3 to 4 minutes, but you should check it after each minute. If you do 3 or 4 minutes straight, they will probably burn. Thanks! -Meggan
So easy. Thanks for the tips! I just did it on the stove. Easy Peasy. I love all your recipes.