Easy Perfectly Salted Roasted Almonds Recipe (Seriously the BEST)
Discover how easy it is to roast your own nuts at home with this simple and delicious roasted almonds recipe. In just 20 minutes you can create a batch of perfectly salted, golden brown almonds for a protein-rich appetizer or snack that will have everyone asking for more. When you learn the trick to homemade roasted nuts that don’t lose all their salt, you’ll see why they are SO much better than anything you can buy!
✩ What readers are saying…
“This is my go to recipe for salted almonds. I’ve now become the designated roasted salted almond maker in the family!!! Thank you so much for sharing such an easy foolproof recipe especially for an amateur like me.” -Tasneem
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I discovered, totally by accident because I’m cheap frugal..ahem, smart with money, that DIY roasted almonds are WAY better than roasted-salted almonds from the store.
Like, 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!
Now, before you go all “can’t we just buy anything for convenience anymore?” on me, let me explain that I don’t make this roasted almonds recipe because it is any more healthier or more ‘real food’ than the basic roasted nuts you can buy. So if you’re needing convenience, buy away.
No, I make these nuts because they save me a couple dollars, but more 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 with me – I’ve had guests be so surprised that they “had” to go back for seconds – and thirds.
The Trick to Perfectly Salted 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 stuck to the nuts after cooking and cooling.
But when I saw the the price difference between roasted and raw almonds on a Costco shopping trip, I came home with raw almonds and started researching (the “smart with money” part referred to above). 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.
I then adapted the recipe to cook fully in an oven to be easier and to be able to make a large batch.
Roasted Almonds Recipe Video
Ingredient Notes
- Almonds: You’ll want raw almonds for this recipe, I like the large bags from Costco.
- Fine grain sea salt: or use a pink Himalayan or other pure, non-additive salt.
- Olive oil: Any olive oil works for the final toss – I’ve even used garlic infused olive oil from Trader Joe’s for a garlic salt flavor.
Equipment Needed
- Roasting pan
- Glass tablespoon measuring cup
- Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Large metal or wooden spoon
TIP: I LOVE using a little glass tablespoon measuring cup in recipes like this calling for more than one tablespoon – so easy!
How to Make Salted Roasted Almonds
Step 1: Dissolve salt in water as much as possible and then pour onto raw nuts, stirring thoroughly. Spread onto a lined baking sheet.
Step 2: Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, stirring at the halfway mark.
Step 3: After baking, coat the warm nuts with a bit of olive oil.
Step 4: Add a couple shakes of sea salt, toss, and let them cool. They soak up all that goodness and then look like the perfectly roasted almonds that they are.
Step 5: Spread back on baking sheet to cool completely.
TIP: 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.)
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature. These last for us for more than a month in our glass storage container (and maybe more, but they’re always gone by then!).
These amazing roasted almonds have changed our nut-eating life, so I just had to share with you how easy it is to roast your own almonds at home – and how much better they taste from store-bought!
Reader Raves
“Simply the best “Perfectly” Roasted Almonds I have had. Thank you for such a simple and delicious recipe.” -Carolyn
“I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about putting water on the almonds, but my goodness! This is the best roasted almond recipe! So many others are too salty or too oily, but these are perfect. Infinitely better than store bought! Thanks for sharing this!” -Paula
“Finally! A recipe for almonds that tastes delicious with perfect amount of salt. Thank you!” -Ct
You may also like to try this flavor variation: Chipotle Spicy Roasted Almonds – Easy, Sugar Free, 20 Minute Recipe
I’d love to know what you think of these – be sure to leave a rating and review so we can all know!
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Perfectly Salted Roasted Almonds Recipe – the BEST!
Equipment
- large baking sheet or roasting pan
- silicone liner or parchment
Ingredients
- 4½ cups raw, whole almonds
- 1½ tablespoons HOT water
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, to taste*
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with silicone or parchment.** Place the raw almonds in a large metal or ceramic mixing bowl (we'll be adding the hot nuts back into it, so don't use plastic).
- Stir 1½ teaspoons of salt into the hot water until mostly dissolved (it hardly ever completely dissolves for me – it's okay if it doesn't). Pour over the nuts in the bowl and mix well until all are coated.
- Transfer the almonds to your prepared baking sheet and spread them in a single layer.
- Bake for about 8 minutes, stir well and spread back into a single layer. Bake for 6-8 minutes more, depending on how your oven cooks (Ours are usually perfect at about 15 minutes total, but your oven may vary, so may take 5-10 minutes longer). TIP: To test doneness, the nuts should be nicely browned, inside and out (you can cut one open to see if it's browned inside). Keep an eye on them, this is when they can burn quickly – but you don't want them undercooked either or they won't be crisp (once you've made them, the timing is easier).
- When they are done baking, put the hot nuts back into the large bowl and pour the olive oil over them. Toss well until all the nuts are coated and then shake on some sea salt. You can taste one, but they're very hot, so be careful (I usually just like to see a bit of salt on the outsides and that seems to be enough with the original salt-water coating).
- Spread the nuts out on the pan again to cool completely. The nuts will soak up the oil as they cool.***
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. These last for us for more than a month in our glass storage container (and may be more, but they're always gone by then!).
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
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.
Some people prefer to soak their nuts before roasting – feel free to do that before proceeding with this recipe.
As for acrylamide formation in roasted almonds, you can always roast at a lower temperature for longer (though long roasting may also cause formation). But the few almonds we eat are a small source of acrylamide in any case – it’s much more prevalent in fried and toasted foods like potatoes and bread. As stated here, “Estimated dietary exposures of acrylamide from roasted almonds are very low.”
Feel free to adjust the oil coating at the end – you can minimize or leave out all together for more of a dry-roasted almond. It does soak up as the nuts cool.
Yes! Though roasting at 350-360 degrees is better for lighter nuts like pecans and cashews (still at 15 minutes). Blanched almonds work well, too.
Readers have made smokey almonds by adding a little liquid smoke to the brine and a bit more to the olive oil. And one made salt-and-pepper cashews by turning the oven down a smidge and adding pepper with the oil.
More Healthy Snacks
- Healthy Maple Sweetened Chili Pecans
- Easy & Healthy Spiced Nuts Recipe (No Sugar)
- Cashew, Cranberry and White Chocolate Granola Bites
Disclosure: affiliate links in this article will earn commission based on sales, but it doesn’t change your price. Click here to read my full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.
How delicious! I will never buy salted roasted almonds again. This recipe is both simple & delicious. Take these almonds on a hike or use for a simple appetizer or have on hand for a snack. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you liked these so much, Ginny – thanks for the review!
Made this quick and easy recipe. Turned out perfectly! My wife and daughter will love them.
Great!
Thank you so much for leaving a review – it’s super helpful.
Quick and easy…..delicious!!! I sprinkled a bit of smoked paprika on at the last step…yummy!!
That is a great idea!
Glad you liked this – thanks so much for the review!
The best way to have salted roasted nuts! I used a mix of nuts — fed up with paying high price for same in shops (not as good as mine now!) I always bulk buy nuts so have a constant supply of them to roast. It’s now such a struggle to limit how much I eat as I’m keto so can have nuts — in moderation!
Glad you like this – so smart to buy nuts in bulk, too!
Thank you for taking the time to review!
My husband and I LOVE these!
I’m so glad – thanks for leaving a review!
Hi, Jami. This is a super-duper recipe! I made a half-batch, wanting to see if my family would like the almonds. WOW ! Next time, I’ll make the whole batch. Thank you for posting this recipe. It is a winner.
SO glad!
Thanks for leaving the review, too – that really helps everyone!
I made these and they are amazing! I am putting them on a board for Christmas with some cheeses and things.
I bet they were great on a board like that, Linda!
OMGsh!! These are The. Best. Nuts. Ever.
So good!!!!!
Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome – so glad you tried them!!
These are absolutely amazing. Portion control is definitely a problem. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe.
Ha – so true!!
Yes, it’s true, best roasted almonds. Have made a few times, have to portion control for hubby!! Thanks!
Glad you like them, Carole – thanks for the review!!
I have made these twice. The first time, the almonds didn’t come out as crunchy or as salty as I had hoped/liked (the almonds still had the raw taste to them, which I’m not a huge fan of). I tried this again, with a smaller batch and in my toaster oven. DELICIOUS. I’m eating them now as I post this review! I kind of eyeballed the hot water + salt, and also eyeballed the olive oil at the end. I may have put just a tad bit too much olive oil (I’m only saying this because these are too good lol). I will definitely do this in small batches because 1) the result was much better (but not sure if I made mistakes the first time around) and 2) I will have less nuts and won’t feel bad eating the whole batch if its a smaller batch! I know almonds are a healthy snack, but they’re still calorically dense and the calories add up QUICK lol I’m so happy they came out so good, though! I’m all about saving money by doing things myself so this is awesome. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I’m glad that worked for you, Linda!
It does sound like that first batch of almonds could’ve been cooked longer – your oven is probably different than mine, as far as temperature.
Really appreciate the review!
just like to say that these are great..iam followong a low carb/keto WOE and these make a great snack…i had been buying shop bought almonds but really wanted to get away from the highly processed vegetable/seed oils. I’d just like to mention for the UK people that I made this recipe out to be about 675g of almonds. and I bakes on gas mark 5. I also had to bake in two lots as our ovens/ trays arnt as big. but none the less they came out perfectly.
Great -thank you so much for your UK tips, Stacey!
These are super delish! I recommend everyone to try these. The inside of these almonds are brown just like you said and perfect.
I’m so glad you like these – thanks for the review and spreading the word about them!
So easy, so yummy! My 7 year old gobbled them up. Thank you!!
Yay! Thanks so much for the review, Melissa!
Good flavor, but I’m going to try soaking in water overnight then add salt, then roast at 350 for about 15 minutes. Soaking makes nuts lighter and less chewy. Soaking may also protect from burning.
Hi Jami! I usually roast my raw almonds in the toaster oven once cup at a time (I’m the only one here that eats them). My toaster oven requires a lower temp (325 degrees 8 min) BUT I always wanted them to be salty. Today I followed your recipe but for 1 cup almonds I did 1 Tablespoon hot water and 1 teaspoon sea salt.
Mixed like you said in a bowl, and roasted 4 min, stirred, then 4 more minutes. Perfect! And I did not add the oil. Delicious. Thanks!
Oh, good to know it will work for a smaller batch like that in a toaster oven-
Thanks, Carol!
These are THE BEST and will now be my “go to” snack!! Bought a 12oz bag (2 1/4 cups) of raw almonds which is exactly 1/2 of your recipe! So I halved the rest of the recipe and used a 10 x 15 jellyroll pan which was the perfect size!!
Wonderful, Ellen -thank you so much for the review!
Excellent roast almonds recipe! I agree with another post…I’ll never buy commercially roasted nuts again after trying this simple and delicious recipe! I like that I can control the salt..
So happy you like this, Mary – thanks so much for a review!
love your recipe for roasted nuts! I use a mix of almonds, pecans and walnuts and love they are not overly salty.
Glad you like this, Elizabeth – thanks for the review!
Holy Toledo, Batman! So incredibly good! Never buying roasted almonds from store again.
😂 So glad you liked these!
Jami,
I just made these for the first time…
They turned out GREAT!! Thank you for the recipe and for taking the time to share it.
Glad you liked these, Mike!
Perfect… next batch I’m going to add Old Bay for the post oil “salt”…
Following you now on IG
That sounds wonderful, David – thanks so much for reviewing!