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Learn how to roast hazelnuts (filberts) in minutes in the oven or in a skillet (and the best way to remove their skins, too!). Enhance their natural flavor through roasting while adding a little extra crunch in the process.
Hazelnuts are most widely known as a key ingredient in Nutella spread, but they are delicious in a wide variety of recipes.
You can enjoy them raw, but roasting hazelnuts really brings out their warm, nutty fragrance and flavor. Any nut that can be roasted should be roasted, at least in my book. It’s easy enough to do in the oven or on the stove.
Hazelnuts typically have a thin paper skin on the outside, but you can easily rub that off after roasting. Just wrap the roasted hazelnuts in a towel or cloth napkin, secure the bundle, and rub against a flat surface. See my photo below to learn how easy it is.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Hazelnuts: Cooking times vary depending on which method you choose, and you can toast blanched hazelnuts (no skins) the same way. Keep an eye on your hazelnuts. 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 hazelnuts and helpful when you want to add spices and seasonings.
Step-step instructions
Oven method:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and arrange hazelnuts in one single layer.
- Toast until golden brown and fragrant, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stove-top method:
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the hazelnuts.
- Toast until golden brown and fragrant, about 5-10 minutes, stirring the nuts occasionally.
To remove the skins:
- Place on a clean kitchen towel, cover, and let steam for 1 minute.
- Rub off skins: Using the towel, gently rub the hazelnuts to release their skins.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: The recipe as written makes 1 cup of toasted hazelnuts (enough for 4 servings, ¼ cup each). It can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.
- Storage: Store raw and roasted hazelnuts for a year or more in the refrigerator or the freezer (not the pantry). They spoil easily, especially when roasted.
- Simple spread: Drizzle some fresh ricotta cheese with honey, then sprinkle with toasted chopped hazelnuts. Serve with toasted baguette slices.
- Dreamy ice cream sundae: Top your favorite vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and toasted hazelnuts for a luscious treat.
- Candied hazelnuts: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add 1 cup hazelnuts and ½ sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Sweet rosemary hazelnuts: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add 1 cup hazelnuts, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, and a pinch of salt. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant about 5 to 10 minutes.
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How to Roast Hazelnuts (Filberts)
Instructions
To toast hazelnuts in the oven:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
- Arrange in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Toast until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and wrap in a kitchen towel to steam for 1 minute. Rub nuts in the towel to remove loose skins (don’t worry if there is still some skin left) and cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the pantry for 6 months or freezer storage bag in the freezer for up to 1 year.
To toast hazelnuts on the stove:
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat hazelnuts until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from skillet and wrap in a kitchen towel to steam for 1 minute. Rub nuts in the towel to remove loose skins (don’t worry if there is still some skin left) and chop or use as desired. Or, store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months or freezer storage bag in the freezer for up to 1 year.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Hazelnuts: Cooking times vary depending on which method you choose, and you can toast blanched hazelnuts (no skins) the same way. Keep an eye on your hazelnuts. 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 hazelnuts and helpful when you want to add spices and seasonings.
- Yield: The recipe as written makes 1 cup of toasted hazelnuts (enough for 4 servings, ¼ cup each). It can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.
- Storage: Store raw and roasted hazelnuts for a year or more in the refrigerator or the freezer (not the pantry). They spoil easily, especially when roasted.
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.
Can I use dry roasted hazelnuts in place of toasted hazelnuts?
Hi Joan, for the most part, yes! Dry roasted hazelnuts typically are cooked the whole way through, while toasted are typically only the outside. Hope this helps! – Meggan
I would like to make sugarfree Nutella. Do you have a recipe?
Hi Sheena, I don’t have a recipe for this. Sorry about that! – Meggan
I bought some hazelnuts with shell, how do I get rid of shells?
Hi Michelle, you’ll have to use a nutcracker to remove the hazelnuts from their shells. – Meggan
Can I use chopped raw hazelnuts?
Hi Shelby, yes! – Meggan
thank you for the info
Very easy to follow. They turned out perfect.