Here’s one of my favorite go-to recipes. These Roasted Mixed Nuts with Rosemary work so well as a compliment to a cheese tray or stuffed into an attractive glass jar as a hostess gift.
The combination of sweet and savory is truly irresistible.
This is adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe for her Chipotle & Rosemary Roasted Nuts. It can be found in one of her older cookbooks, Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That?
I prefer to omit the ground chipotle powder since it makes them a bit spicy and many of our gatherings include young children. If you like spicy, go for it! They’re delicious either way!
Here’s what you need to make your own batch of Roasted Mixed Nuts with Rosemary…
- Vegetable oil – I like to use extra-virgin olive oil. It’s a healthy choice and adds a pronounced peppery fruity flavor. As an alternative, you could use any neutral oil such as avocado oil. As long as there are no food-allergy concerns, peanut oil would also be a good choice. It’s advisable to avoid seed oils since they can be toxic when heated.
- Kosher salt – If need be, table salt can be used with caution. Table salt is finer and more dense than kosher salt, so a teaspoon of table salt will contain more actual salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. When substituting, use about two-thirds the amount of table salt specified in a recipe using kosher salt.
- Whole roasted unsalted cashews – Although treated as nuts in culinary and nutritional contexts, cashews are technically in the drupe category. A drupe is a fruit that is fleshy on the outside and contains a shell covering a seed on the inside. What we consume is this seed which has been processed.
- Whole walnut halves – Do your best to use walnut halves that are mostly intact.
- Whole pecan halves – Same as with the walnut halves, try to avoid the small broken pieces.
- Whole almonds – Almonds are in the same category as cashews where they are actually processed seeds.
- Pure maple syrup – Pure maple syrup is a natural sweetener derived solely from the boiled sap of specific maple trees. Unlike imitation syrups, pure maple syrup contains no additives, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.
- Dark brown sugar – In contrast to its white counterpart, brown sugar boasts a richer, caramel-like, slightly nutty flavor due to its molasses content. If necessary, light brown sugar can be used as a substitute.
- Orange juice – Freshly squeezed is best.
- Fresh rosemary leaves – Finely chopped. Fresh rosemary is recommended over the dried version for its brighter, more delicate flavor.
The process is fairly straightforward.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil.
- Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecan and almonds in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar and orange juice.
- Pour the mixture over the mixed nuts and stir to fully incorporate.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Toss again to coat the nuts evenly.
- Turn onto the prepared sheet pan.
To save some clean-up time and effort, all ingredients can be combined right on the sheet pan.
I prefer to mix it all in a large bowl before turning it out onto the pan. That way, I’m sure every nut is covered with the delicious coating.
- Spread the nuts in a single layer.
- Roast for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.
- Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool.
- Taste for seasoning.
When stirring and removing the roasted nuts from the pan, be sure to use a metal spatula. While hot, the coating can be quite sticky.
While your Roasted Mixed Nuts with Rosemary are roasting, the aroma coming from your oven will be wonderful.
You may want to make these when there aren’t too many people hangin out in your kitchen. Otherwise, they may disappear before they are completely cooled.
On the other hand, go ahead. They’ll love you for it …you can always make more.
If you’re feeling adventurous, add some dried cranberries and dark chocolate bits just before serving.
You won’t hear any complaints.
Roasted Mixed Nuts with Rosemary
Adapted from Ina Garten's recipe featured in Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That?
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for pan
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
- 2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
- 2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
- 1/2 cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecan and almonds in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar and orange juice. Pour mixture over the mixed nuts and stir to fully incorporate. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again to coat the nuts evenly. Turn onto the prepared sheet pan.
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Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary. Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning.
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Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.
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