Crunchy and salty-sweet, honey roasted nuts are made with just a touch of honey and flavored with smoked paprika and sea salt.
I love nuts. Who doesn’t? They have this winning combination of flavor and a wonderfully crunchy texture. Crunchy, fragrant and flavorful, these honey roasted nuts make a wonderful and good-for-you snack.
They also make a great homemade hostess gift 🎁this holiday season. Well. that’s assuming you’ll resist the temptation to polish them off by yourself! Speaking from experience here. 😳
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty snack. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
Unsalted butter: Personally, I’m partial to creamy European butter, but any butter will be great in this recipe.
Honey: I like to use the real thing, and I only use one tablespoon, which is more than enough. But you can try a sugar-free alternative if you wish.
Mixed nuts: Make sure the nuts you use are raw and unsalted. See the discussion below on what nut varieties you can use in this recipe.
Smoked paprika: Not regular paprika. The idea is to add a subtle smoky flavor to the nuts. It may sound suspicious, but it works!
Sea salt: Kosher salt works too, but I don’t recommend using ultra-fine table salt in this recipe.
What nuts to use?
This is entirely up to you. I like to use hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, and shelled pistachios. But you can use anything you like. Cashews or walnut halves would also be excellent. Pretty much all nuts are wonderful, so use what you like!
How to make honey roasted nuts
The recipe card below provides the full details. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
1. Your first step is to coat the nuts with melted butter, honey, and smoked paprika (yes! as explained above, the smoked paprika adds wonderful smoky flavor).
2. Then you roast them until golden. Roasting in a slow oven (300°F) ensures that the nuts roast slowly and evenly and don’t burn. I tried to roast them in a 350°F oven, and the results weren’t as good. I roast them for about 30 minutes and stir them twice during that time, to ensure even roasting.
3. The last step, when they’re done, is to spread them on a tray lined with wax paper, sprinkle them with sea salt, and allow them to cool.
How to store honey-roasted nuts
You can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days. They do lose some of their crunch after the first day, although they are still delicious. Reheat them in a 300F oven for 10 minutes to restore that crunch.
More recipes that you might like
This dark chocolate bark makes another wonderful homemade hostess gift for the holidays. And roasted chestnuts may be difficult to peel, but the effort is well worth it – they are delicious!
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Honey Roasted Nuts
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey*
- 8 oz mixed nuts, raw and unsalted (I used 2 oz each of hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, and shelled pistachios)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (not regular paprika)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the butter and honey in a glass baking dish. Heat in the oven until melted, about 2 minutes.
- Add the nuts and the smoked paprika. Toss to coat.
- Roast the nuts until golden, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- Remove the nuts from the pan and spread them evenly on wax paper or parchment paper. Sprinkle with the salt. Allow to cool and crisp up, about 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container, at room temperature.
NOTES
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.