How to roast walnuts

If you've never made roasted nuts before, this cooking tip can change your life. Roasting nuts brings out their deep nutty flavor and minimizes the bitterness sometimes found in raw nuts – and you save money by roasting them yourself!

In just a few minutes, the nuts go from pale, somewhat waxy and mild in flavor to golden brown, intensely nutty and smell so good you can hardly wait for them to cool. Roasted walnuts are irresistible on their own and there are so many ways to incorporate them into all your favorite dishes, from hearty dinner salads to granola portions!

Two ways to expertly roast walnuts

There are two ways to roast walnuts: in Oven and on the Hundredth place. Both methods work very well, but both also require close attention from the cook – walnuts go from toasty to burnt in no time! Make sure you stay on task and set a timer.

Which technique you choose depends on the quantity and time:

• Toasting in the oven: This method is best if you want to roast a larger quantity of nuts (1 cup or more) and require a little more time.
• Toasting on the stove: It's better to quickly roast a smaller amount of nuts (1 cup or less), although nuts can burn quickly, so be careful.

Tips for successful toasting!

• Be sure to only toast as many walnuts as will fit in the pan in one layer– ideally a single layer with some space between the walnuts so that the hot air can circulate evenly around them.
• To avoid burnsStart checking your walnuts after 5 minutes and then check them every minute until you notice them starting to brown and smell nutty.
• Remove the walnuts from the oven as soon as you notice a change in color. The residual heat from the pan will continue to roast the walnuts for a few minutes.

Ways to use toasted walnuts

If you want to learn how to roast walnuts, you may already have a recipe in mind. But if you need inspiration, consider one of these recipes!