Finally the secret to perfectly salted DIY roasted almonds (not just salted on top) that are SO much better than anything you can buy!
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So, if you’re a fan of Saturday’s Three Things articles, you may remember when I told you that I had discovered, by accident (because I’m cheap frugal smart with money), that DIY roasted almonds are WAY better than roasted-salted almonds from the store.
Way. Better. As in, you may find you have trouble eating only a few (but that’s where your small bowls for portion control will come in to play – we don’t need to suffer through blah food in order to practice portion control, do we? This is just fair warning that you will not want to start eating these straight from the jar!).
MY LATEST VIDEOSNow, before you go all “can’t we just buy anything for convenience anymore?” on me, let me explain that I don’t make these DIY roasted almonds because they are any more healthier or ‘real food’ than basic roasted nuts you can buy (though if you were soaking and sprouting them, they might be, but most raw almonds seem to be already steam-pasturized…). So if you’re needing convenience, buy away.
No, I make these because they save me a couple dollars (and we all eat a lot of nuts around here, so it adds up), but most importantly they taste amazing. Really, I had no idea there would be such a difference between home-roasted almonds and store-bought! And it’s not just me – everyone I serve them to agrees, too. I’ve had guests be so surprised that they *had* to go back for seconds – and thirds.
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Make DIY Roasted Almonds
I’ve made a lot of flavored nuts (this spicy one is great) but I’ve not been happy with basic roasted nuts, mainly because the salt never wanted to stick to the nuts after cooking.
So when confronted with the price difference between roasted and raw almonds, I started researching and I learned from this recipe that the secret to a salted flavor all the way through roasted nuts is to dissolve salt in hot water first, and then coat the raw nuts with this mixture and cook them. (By the way, I LOVE using a little glass tablespoon measuring cup in recipes like this calling for more than one tablespoon – so easy!
Shop this recipe:
- Almonds
- Fine grain sea salt (or go use a pink Himalayan sea salt)
- Glass tablespoon measuring cup
- Olive oil
- Roasting pan
I adapted the recipe to cook fully in an oven to be easier and to be able to make a large batch. After baking, you coat the warm nuts with a bit of olive oil and a couple shakes of sea salt and let them cool. They soak up all that goodness and then look like the perfectly roasted almonds that they are.
I don’t often add any flavoring because I usually want a basic nut I can then use to top salads and in my favorite granola, as well as for snacking. Any herb can be added, though, and garlic powder or seasoned salt would probably make them even harder to stop eating as a snack – if that’s possible – so flavor as you’d like.
This basic DIY roasted almonds recipe has changed our nut-eating life, though, so I just had to share with you how easy and amazing it is to roast your own almonds at home.
The one thing you have to be careful of is burning – it’s literally a minute between perfect and slightly burned nuts. And, yes, I’ve experienced it first hand – but you know what? Brian and I agree that even the slightly “too-browned” almonds are better than commercially roasted. Go figure.
I’d love to know what you think of these!
Click the arrow for the full DIY Roasted Almonds recipe (with printable options)!
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Great recipe, thanks! I’ve made it several times now. I recently tried it with cashews, hazelnuts and pecans with great results! Just had to reduce the oven time to a total of about 13 – 14 mins so the cashews didn’t scorch. And I usually add a sprinkle of garlic powder to the mix. No more store bought mixed nuts for me!
Wonderful – thank you so much for these tips, Jen – the cooking time will definitely help others wanting to expand on this!
★★★★★
Absolutely delicious, and so easy! Also used with black walnuts and cashews.
★★★★★
Good to know you had success with other nuts – thanks.
If I want to half the recipe I would only use half the amount of water an salt, right?
Yes.
Your video says 8 minutes roasting time, yet your printed receipt says up to 16 minutes roasting time. Which is correct, or am I missing something?
I do 8 minutes and then toss the nuts in the pan before doing the remaining 7-8 minutes. Sorry for the confusion!
Excellent recipe! I will be adding it to my nut gifting collection this year for the holidays! I normally do the spiced pecans, but I will add this recipe this year. I did an experiment and only did 1 cup of almonds to see if I liked the recipe. I did half the recipe without adding the last step of coating with oil and salt and half with the oil and salt. I must say I prefer the one without the added oil and salt. I really liked the almonds with the coated sea salt. I may try to soak them a bit longer in the salt water to infuse the inside with a bit more saltiness. I don’t know if it’ll work, but it’ll be fun trying! This is a keeper!
★★★★★
Great, Julie! That was a good idea to do the two batches. I think it’s more like dry roasted nuts. We just like how the oil and salt helps the nuts keep moist. Good idea about gifting – I think I may do that, too!
Have made this a few times already! Great recipe, thanks! After roasting, I also make almond butter out of them in my Vitamix.
So much better than what you get in the stores.
★★★★★
Ooo, I bet that IS good – all that roasted flavor in the butter!
Just curious, why the oil and extra salt? Does the initial salt water treatment not give them a hint of saltiness?
I would have thought that coating them in oil at the end would shorten their shelf life, as the oil would become rancid and affect the flavour.
Going to try this when I next get a chance, I love roasted almonds! Maybe I’ll try adding a touch a Cajun or Moroccan spice mix…
Cheers!
The oil is really soaked up by the almonds and I feel it gives more of a roasted flavor and texture. You can skip that step if you want to have more of a dry-roasted almond and then see which you like better.
The salt also is by taste – add it or not at the end, again it gives that roasted flavor and not the dry-roasted.
★★★★★
Excellent, leaves almonds crunchy and delicious. I used a little less salt.
★★★★★
Tried the exact recipe with cashews & it turned out awesome. Just read your spicy nut recipe & was wondering if we could apply the same method here. I mean mixing oil to the almonds (with salt & water) prior to baking. And also do you think if I skip the water & just coat the almonds with only salt & oil prior to baking will make any difference in the result. Thanks
★★★★★
I’ve made nuts in the past with oil and salt before baking, but the salt just comes off – that’s why I love this method! I have been thinking of how to apply this with other spices, but I haven’t trie it yet. Good to know about the cashews – thanks.
The almonds are very good.
★★★★★
Hi,
Thanks for the recipes. The question I have is on your PERFECTLY SALTED DIY ROASTED ALMONDS {SERIOUSLY THE BEST} page you dilute the salt in water and mix with the nuts (in my case I was soaking them in salt water) , bake, then oil and salt again. I wanted to try your other recipe of spices (cumin, curry, turmeric, garlic powder etc….) but this time go straight to putting oil and spices on and then baking. So question is when is the best time to put spices/oil on? before or after baking?
thank you,
paula
I hope I understand your question, Paula, but I’d put spices on before baking.
Checked these after 8 minutes and they were already overdone! Otherwise a good recipe.
I’m glad you checked! I’ve found that ovens all seem to heat differently, so it’s best to check early with a new recipe.
These are absolutely the best! Thanks so much for the step by step. They’re delicious. I’m addicted, and saved a ton of $$ doing it myself. 👏
★★★★★
You’re welcome – I’m so glad you like them!
These almonds are perfect! Thank you so much! So nice to have such a delicious, healthy snack.
Have you tried this for other nuts, like walnuts? Or even for raw sunflower seeds?
★★★★★
I haven’t, Lisa, though I should!
I am not fond of Pecans, but thought I would try the Maple Chili recipe on Walnuts and they are delicious!! Thanks so much for your recipes. The Almond recipe was a hit with my friend. He came over to visit and I offered him some Almonds and while we were talking, he finished all of them!!
Ah, yes I should make a note that you can use either pecans or walnuts – they both work well. I’m glad your friend like these almonds so much, too.
You are genius. These are the best nuts ever. I made the basic… I am looking forward to trying different spices on them. Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Thank you, Gigi!
I’ve tried several other recipes and this is absolutely the best!!
★★★★★
Thank you, Leslie!
I love your recipe. I’ve been making the almonds and pecans for the past couple of months. Today I bought some liquid hickory smoke and added about a tsp to the water, then another teaspoon or more to the oil. They are Effin delicious!
Oh, thank you Dixie, that’s great to know!
OMG – the most amazing almonds!!! I will be making these over and over again. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!!
Yay!
I have been roasting almonds at home for several years and even though I really liked them, I always thought they needed a touch of salt. I came up on this recipe and since I needed to roast more almonds, figured it was the perfect time to try it. Just finished and they are a ABSOLUTELY delicious. Thank you so much…this will definitely be my go-to way to roast almonds from now on. THANK YOU AGAIN.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you found this, Louise! I’m with you (obviously) – cooking them with the salt water makes ALL the difference.
The best almonds I ever ate!!! I followed the recipe carefully, except I cooked them 22 or 23 minutes (before I got that nice nutty wafting smell). When I first took them out of the oven, they were soft and I was disappointed. But we oiled them, let them cool, and they just got better and better. This is DEFINITELY going in the rotation. Thanks, Ken
★★★★★
So glad you waited, Ken. 🙂 I should put a note about that in the recipe for others – thanks!
I can’t wait to try this for myself! Roasted salted almonds are a favorite, but, the cost can be quite prohibitive unless you take advantage of the pricing at club warehouses such as Sam’s, Costco, and BJ’s were you can buy the raw item and use your technic to roast them at home. I have one small sugestion I’d like to offer and one question, first I use popcorn salt in several different applications were I need to be sure that the salt will dissolve or not be overly noticable. Popcorn salt is much finer than regular table salt and dissoles much easier, I’m not realy sure how it compares to sea salt as far as grain size, but, I thought I’d mention it because it works for me and tastes good too. Now for my question, as far as almonds are concerned the only thing better than roasted salted almonds, are smoked almonds like Blue Diamond which are the best hands down, so I was wondering if you have any insight into making smoked almonds at home? Smoked almond are a luxury even more costly than buying commercially roasted salted almonds so they are a definite rarity in my home. It would be nice to figure out how to do it. Any way thanks for the recipe and keep up the good work.
Yes, the finer the salt, the easier it will be to dissolve for sure. That’s a good idea about smoked almonds – I’ll have to start work on creating a recipe!
butcher-packer.com has a hickory smoke cure for meat, I’ve used it to cure pork loin into Canadian bacon. It has a nice hickory smoke aroma right out if the bag. Perhaps a tablespoon of that or something like it dissolved in water would do the trick!
That’s a good idea – thanks.
I will never buy already roasted nuts again! Oh my word!
★★★★★
I know, right?
These came out absolutely perfect!!! Thank you. I’ve always added olive oil before baking the water salt combo was key!!
★★★★★
You’re welcome, Lisa – that is the key for sure.
Recipe looks great and is exactly what I am looking for! How long are the nuts good for once you cook them?
A long time as long as you keep them in an airtight container, Sarah. We’ve had them in a sealed jar on the counter for more than a month before (though they don’t usually last that long!).
Great recipe! I find that I can just roast the saltwater tossed nuts and then forget about the oil and extra salt. Not as pretty, though. Your temp and time is spot on. Another tip: If for some reason you don’t want to roast the almonds, you can just toss them with powdered salt, which I make in the spice grinder for popcorn (sticks nicely without butter). Leave the lid on the grinder for a minute to let the powder settle. Probably want to clean the grinder with bread before you make salt powder. Thank you!
★★★★
Nice tip about powdered salt, Lydi – I’ve never thought of that! I’m glad you enjoy this recipe.
What is your oven set to and how long do you let them bake?
All the steps are in the full recipe when you click on either of the green arrows at the top or bottom of the article!
Seriously????? This is the best recipe out there. The directions are clear and precise! I just made these and they are still cooling and absorbing. My goodness they are great!!
I’m glad you like them, Mjas!
Made these today. They came out fantastic! Thanks for sharing your recipe. So much better than store bought????
Yay!
I got back from the store and realized I had bought a huge bag of RAW mixed nuts when I had wanted salted, roasted ones. I searched the Internet and found your recipe. WOW! I made A test batch and was so pleased. It worked perfectly! Thanks so much.
So happy to hear this Anna! Seems your experience was like mine – I hardly ever buy roasted almonds anymore. 🙂
Love cooking and trying new things.
I have never roasted nuts before, would this method work for walnuts? Would the temp or time change?
Yes, it probably would, Chelsea, though I haven’t tried it. You will need to adjust the time I think – just roast for 3-5 minutes the second time and keep an eye on them (I think they will brown faster than almonds).
I tried these yesterday and LOVE them! The prep and roasting is easy too. I had to cook mine longer but that is just my oven. These will be one of my main ways to roast almonds. Thanks.
Yes, some ovens are different, Andrea – I have found that, too. Glad you liked them!
I am assuming the sea salt you are using is fine ground but just want to be sure since it will definitely affect the saltiness. I want to try these soon!
Yes, it is regular fine sea salt (it dissolves better). You can put larger flakes when you shake some on after roasting if you want.
You are right, THESE ARE SO GOOD!!! Thanks for posting, I will make these again for sure.
Yay – another convert. 😉
I agree completely, these are the BEST and so easy, I’ll never buy commercial nuts again! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
All right!! Another convert 🙂
I was always buying the roasted and salted almonds at Costco. Our local fruit market had raw almonds on sale for $2.99/ lb. I thought, I’ll give it a try this recipe and roast my own. What do I have to loose as the nuts were so cheap. Oh my…………. these are the best roasted and salted almonds I have ever had. I went right back to the fruit market and bought several more pounds of almonds while they were still on sale. The regular price is only $3.99/lb when they are not on sale. I will ALWAYS buy raw almonds and roast them myself. I also sprinkle some smoked paprika on some of them after roasted and when I’m putting the salt on. They are yummy that way too. Thank you so much for this recipe.
I felt the same way, Kathy – the difference is amazing! I like your paprika idea, too – I will sometimes use chipoltle seasoning for a bit of spice on some. 🙂
Trying this method now and my almonds are in the oven! Usually I just roast them and eat them unsalted but I’m pregnant and have been craving extra salt on everything lately!
Pretty sure you won’t go back to your old method, Nicole. 🙂
You might find it interesting to look at soaking the almonds first and then drying…a method written about by Sally Fallon in “Nourishing Traditions.” Supposedly makes the almonds (or any nuts) easier to digest and better for you. (Recipe is called “Crispy Nuts.”) We like them alot!
Could you share where you buy your Almonds? I’m always looking for good sources!
I buy the raw almonds at Costco, Heather. They are about $16 for the 3 lb. package.
I think I paid about $12 for 3 lbs pkg at Costco last week. We also have bins at Winco but much more expensive there about $6+ lb.
That’s a great price Leslie – and these are worth it. 🙂