Sweet and Spicy Maple-Roasted Rosemary Cashews make a fabulous appetizer, snack or gift, anytime! | vegan + gluten free
My relationship with cashews began late in life. After giving up meat, I discovered many new foods in my efforts to eat a wider variety. Nuts were high on the agenda because they provide a powerhouse of nutrients, fats, and are an excellent source of protein. They’re delicious too.
I always have cashews on hand and I continue to discover their versatility. Not only can they be made into Homemade Cashew Milk, but they can also be turned into cashew creme to make things like Dark Chocolate Cocoa Nib Ice Cream! I didn’t believe it either….
…until I tried it. #mindblown
But because I’m such a big fan of cashews, why not have them on hand for a sweet and spicy snack? It didn’t take long before these Sweet and Spicy Maple-Roasted Rosemary Cashews made an appearance on a fall picnic.
Roasted cashews are simple enough to make, but you need to keep an eye on them because they can go from golden (or darker – pictured here) to overcooked fast!
Cashews are delicious simply roasted too. Roasted with coconut oil and mixed with a bit of cayenne, rosemary, salt and a touch of sugar, they make a tasty snack, appetizer or gift. Think holidays or housewarming…
Sweet and Spicy Maple-Roasted Rosemary Cashews is such a tasty treat and simple y’all! They’ll disappear fast. You’ll want to keep these roasted nuts on hand for snacking, road tripping, or to take them on a hike. Doubling the recipe is easy peasy too if needed!
How to Roast Cashews
- First, preheat the oven to 375F.
- Second, chop the rosemary into little bits.
- Third, in a bowl mix the raw cashews, oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, spice and fresh rosemary.
- Next, pour the cashews on a sheet pan and roast until lightly golden, or dark gold (pictured here).
- Last, sprinkle with more salt and fresh rosemary then turn out on to a piece of parchment paper. Separate the nuts so they aren’t sticking and allow to cool.
Store in lidded jars until ready to share. These roasted cashews are super simple and fun to have on hand for snackin!
A Few Recipe Notes
- Use fresh rosemary. It makes all the difference.
- Look for cashews in the bulk bins. They’re more economical and you can refill that old large container you saved.
- Sweet and Spicy Maple Roasted Rosemary Cashews roast fast – in about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them after the 10 minute mark and after stirring. They can go from golden to over caramelized fast.
- After pulling the cashews from the oven, work quickly to transfer them to a piece of parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and more rosemary, stir, then separate the nuts, else they’ll stick together or break apart after they cool – we want to try and keep the cashews whole.
- This recipe makes fabulous gifts. Cool the roasted nuts completely, then fill small Ball jars and lid. The jars can be tied with ribbon and be used again by the recipient.
Watch A Video To See How Simple This Recipe Is!
More Roasted Nut Recipes to Love
- Balsamic Spiced Mixed Nuts – from Food Fashion Party
- Spicy Candied Nuts – from Foolproof Living
Sweet and Spicy Maple Roasted Rosemary Cashews
Ingredients
- 2 C (300g) Raw Cashews
- 1 Tbs + 1 tsp Coconut Oil melted and slightly warm
- 3 Tbs Maple Syrup
- 2 tsp Brown Sugar
- 3/4 tsp Sea Salt divided
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper ground
- 1 Tbs + 2 tsp Fresh Rosemary finely chopped, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
- In a mixing bowl add the raw cashews, warmed coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, cayenne pepper and 1 Tbs rosemary. Toss well to make sure the nuts are evenly coated with mixture.
- Roast nuts on an ungreased sheet pan for about 10 minutes, stirring and turning pan 1/2 way through roasting. Roast for another 5-8 minutes if needed, or until golden. I like to push these nuts to make them dark are caramelized. Keep an eye on those last 5-8 minutes, though because they can go from golden to too dark fast! The nuts pictured in the blog post are more caramelized than golden.
- Immediately after removing nuts from oven, sprinkle with remaining salt and fresh rosemary, give them a stir and pour on to a piece of parchment paper. Gently separate the nuts that are sticking together.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store in a covered container for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition is provided as an estimate (per serving) and courtesy. If this information is important to you, please verify it independently.
*Photography and video updated 10/18 to show how fabulous these roasted nuts are!
I made these last night and they are absolutely delicious. A friend of mine made a similar recipe with butter and I was searching for a vegan option. I came across this recipe and couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. I will be making these for many years to come. Thank you so much!
So Delicious! I have to make a second batch because my husband and I can’t stop eating them.
I had to use coconut cream mixed with some avacado oil as I didn’t have coconut oil. It gave a slight coconut flavour that works well. I also added a little extra cayenne to balance the slight sweetness from coconut cream and skipped the rosemary.
I’m also planning to try it with almonds
Woooo! Thank you for your note and rating! So happy to hear Laurie and that you made them to what you had on hand! Thank you for sharing your modifications and tips! I bet the almonds will be amazing!
Such a quick easy recipe. I just love the way the cashews nuts are roasted with rosemary with the combination of sweet and species. I’m not much into cooking, but I’m surely going to replicate the fabulous appetizer. Thank you for making this look so easy, I have bookmarked it already, eagerly waiting to prepare this.
These were amazing! Doubled the recipe and now regret it because we can’t stop eating them! Thank you (I think).LOL
So happy to hear, Rose! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note!
Easy and delicious. I use olive oil instead of coconut oil. I recommend using Dorset Maple Reserve Vermont Smoked and Spicy Maple Syrup (or similar) in lieu of maple syrup and cayenne.
Hi Sally! Thank you for your note and tips. That maple syrup sounds amazing! So glad you enjoyed the cashews!
I made these on Christmas Eve and they were so great I gave quart mason jars of them away for gifts. LOVE these! Another HIT from Tracie! Thank you!
Thank you for your note, Nancy! What a fabulous gift… so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe!
These are absolutely deadly! I used olive oil instead of coconut oil (less unsaturated), and these were absolutely unbelievable. I am glad I made them as a gift, otherwise I would have eaten them in one sitting. Thank you so much!
Al
Hehe! Thanks so much, Al, for coming back and leaving a note! So happy to read!
Very Nice Post, I learned a lot through it. Thanks for posting.
Oh Traci, these look fantastic! Have to try them soon. My kids will love them too… Best wishes, Chris
Hi Chris! I hope y’all enjoy them!
I have an emotional reaction to your food! It is ALL so beautiful! Great video, my friend! xo
Hehe! Love reading this Annie… it gave me a big smile :D Thaaaank youuu!! xo
Love these cashews Traci! So perfect for the upcoming holidays. And great for holiday gifting too! LOVE the videos!
Oh yeah, you know I love those foodie gifts, Mare!
Love the new photos and the video! You KNOW this is one of my favorite recipes. I bet I’ve made it more than you. Ha!
Hooray! I knew you’d approve, Liz! :D
Traci, these are hands down always part of my appetizer menu for parties and are so popular. I have shared this recipe many times. I usually triple the recipe and I still find myself wishing I made more! Sweet, spicy, herbaceous-it hits all the right notes!
Love reading this Jean! Thank you for sharing and as always, giving the recipes a go! I love this one too! :D
excellent, easy to make, and gone in an instant. Thank you!
Thank you Vivian! :D
Girl I can’t even tell you the sounds that just came out of my mouth because they’re barely human. Just guttural moans. Because ROSEMARY! So happy you added these to my FBC call out.
Hooray, Christine! Thank you my dear… and yes, I do the same for Rosemary. I’ve about picked my neighbor’s Rosemary bush clean… every year!! :D
I checked on mine after 10 minutes and i’m glad I did! The ones on the edges were beginning to burn. It was perfect timing though because even the ones with black on the edge were delicious. I also added Chia seeds for extra nutrition. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Danielle, for your note! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Different ovens can sometimes produce different results. I’ll make a note of it in the recipe to start checking at 10 min! :D
Oh, that Ina recipe is my absolute party GO TO. I like the twist on ingredients–will have to give it a try next time!
Oh that Ina! All her recipes are fabulous! I hope you enjoy my twist on it. Thanks for stopping by Tessa! :D
These seem like the perfect thing to snack on while I write! I can use all the extra (delicious) protein-filled energy-boosters I can get.
They’ll boost your brain power for sure! :D
Aren’t cashews such an amazing nut! You can do so many awesome things with them! I always try to have some kind of nuts around, they are so great for snacking! And roasting them with all these delicious flavors is such a great idea! Spicy, maple-y, rosemary-y oh my! I could see myself eating an entire bowl of these in one sitting :)
I have to portion mine out, else I’ll eat way too many! It’s the rosemary with maple… so delicious!
i love cashews. I am definitely going to try your cashew creme ice cream recipe! Right after I try these babies. Sweet and spicy is my jam. By the way, I wish I had half of your photography skills!
Oh Amanda, thank you for your kind words. Touché my dear! :D I would love to hear what you think about the cashew ice cream! :D
I need to make a batch of these immediately!! Cashews are one of my favorite kinds of nuts – I love their slightly sweet taste – and you’ve made them look even more amazing with these wonderful spices!! Salty + sweet is one of the best combinations out there, so I’m sure I would devour these. And beautiful photography, Traci!!
Oh I know, Julia! That’s it! They are slightly sweet! That’s why I love them so much! hehe! Thank you, Julia!! :D
I discovered cashews a few years ago and was always too poor to afford them – so I’d basically dance around the supermarket when they were on offer because they are just so good. I LOVE cashew creme based anything and home roasted they are simply divine! Love the flavor combination of maple and rosemary – never would have put them together!
I hear you, Nora. I buy them in bulk so the price is a bit better. When they’re on sale, I stock up. I think you’ll like the maple and rosemary together! :D
These are seriously the most unique spiced nuts I’ve ever seen! :) Loving the process shots.
Thank you, Medha :D They are tasty! The buttery flavor of the cashews still come through despite the bit of sugar and spice. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Yum!
These look like they’d be dangerous!
Portion control on these is not my strength… :D
Love spiced nuts, Traci. Never thought of making them myself so looking forward to trying these!
Try them! I looked at a bag of Shale snacks today and woah! They are pricy.. (although delicious), they cost much more than making my own. I got a bit motivated to experiment today after seeing those!:D
What a yummy idea to change up the typical, plain cashews! Definitely have to try this out sometime! :)
Thank you Christina! :D
Roasted nuts are so phenomenal and I never think to make them at home, but then always find myself drooling whenever I pass those stands in the mall or at fairgrounds. You know the ones. Yes- perfect football snack!
Yeah, Chrissy, I KNOW the ones! Addicting. Really, they’re so easy to put together at home. I think for me, I just need a little inspiration. I need to do more taste testing at the fairgrounds! Thanks for stopping by! :D