These rosemary-roasted cashews blend sweet and savory, with a subtle kick of spice. Roasted in the oven, they become lightly caramelized and delightfully crunchy. Just a touch of cayenne pepper adds interest and a hint of spice.
The best part? You can make maple-roasted cashews in advance and freeze for later. Makers say they’re easy and make delicious holiday gifts.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review “I have been using this recipe for a couple of years now. They’re always excellent. Everyone request them.” ~ Terri
Roasted Rosemary Cashews Highlights
Having homemade snacks on hand means there’s always something to nibble on should the mood strike. These rosemary cashews fit the bill! They’re a delightful grab n’ go snack, make a crunchy addition to snack or cheese boards, and are a generous holiday foodie gift! They’re low effort for a tasty return.
Inspired by Ina Garten’s rosemary cashews, I adapted her recipe, substituting butter with coconut oil. I also wanted more caramelization on the cashews for flavor and crunch, so I added maple syrup, like in these Maple Candied Pecans and my Maple Candied Walnuts, and never looked back.
This Recipe Is
- crunchy
- lightly spiced
- sweet
If you love easy-to-make appetizers and snacks, you’ll enjoy these maple rosemary cashews.
Coconut Oil: you can use refined or unrefined coconut oil in this recipe. After it’s melted, make sure it is warm to the touch before adding it to the cashews.
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How to Make Maple Roasted Rosemary Cashews
step by step
Fresh Rosemary: is more flavorful than dried, so use fresh. Leftovers can be used in this tasty Roasted Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup. Be sure to chop fine.
Traci’s Tips
- Stay Close to the Oven: Keep a close eye on the roasted cashews after the 10-minute mark and after stirring. They can go from golden to over-caramelized fast.
- Work Quick: 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, and then separate the nuts; otherwise, they’ll stick together or break apart after they cool – you want to try and keep the cashews whole.
- For Foodie Gifts: This recipe makes tasty holiday gifts. Cool the spicy roasted cashews, then fill small Mason jars and lid. The jars can be tied with ribbon and be used again by the recipient.
Sweet and Spicy Maple Roasted Rosemary Cashews
Ingredients
- 2 cup (300 grams) Raw Cashews
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil, melted and slightly warm
- 3 tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
- 3/4 teaspoons Sea Salt, divided (see note)
- 1/4 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper, ground
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit (190 Celcius).
- In a mixing bowl add the raw cashews, warmed coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cayenne pepper and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Toss well to make sure the nuts are evenly coated with mixture.
- Roast nuts on an ungreased, unlined 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 darker or more 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. They'll continue to harden as they cool.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store in a covered container for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage. Thaw at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Made it? Leave a comment below!
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Wow! I wasn’t sure if this combo would work or if it’d be too spicy, but I made as directed and they are fabulous! Just enough spice to give warmth. If “Williams Sonoma” was a flavor, this would be it, haha! These cashews taste so fancy, and would make a perfect holiday, hostess, or housewarming gift. Even my young kids loved them! Thanks for sharing!
Best news ever, Megan! Thank you for your note, giving the cashews a go and sending a smile!
Made it today. Had to use honey and olive oil instead of maple syrup and coconut oil 😬 but anyway it turned out sooo tasty, crunchy and flavourful! Loved the recipe 🖤
I made this recipe exactly as written and they are delicious, crunchy morsels!
Just tried these with left over raw cashews that I had that were expired by a few months…what a delight!! I will definitely be making these again during the holidays to give as gifts! Thanks Traci!
Hi Mimi! Thank you for your note and five star review! They’re perfect for holiday gifting. So glad you’re enjoying the cashews!
I’ve made flavored cashews a handful of times and I have to say I might not ever make any other flavor again! These are so good! Hits the spot for a sweet flavor, and then follows up with a tiny hint of heat. Wish I had made more because I know my husband will eat them all!
Can you use coarse kosher salt instead of sea salt?
Hi Stephanie! You can use any salt, but there will be a conversion since kosher salt has a larger grain size than sea salt. So, I’d go with 1 tsp kosher salt, or you can salt to taste after baking when you’re adding the remaining salt. I hope this helps and you enjoy the cashews!
My family loves this recipe, it is so delicious!
Best news ever, Liliana! Thank you for your note!
This recipe was a big hit! I made these as part of one our Thanksgiving appetizers and everyone loved them. Easy and delicious! Thank you, Traci! I’m going to make more this week to snack on.
Excellent !! Just made them a second time, but modified by first melting 1 tbsp unsalted butter on medium and adding 4 tbsp maple syrup in a pan, with the cayenne, rosemary & salt. I let it thicken slightly for 3 minutes before adding the raw cashews and cooking + stirring occasionally for 3 minutes more. I find the thickened syrup adheres better to the cashews and they’re already on their way to darken a little. I then finish them off in the oven at 365 F for 10 + 3 minutes to add that little bit extra caramelized darkness to them, as per Traci’s suggestion. Tossing them half-way through roasting helps keep the colour uniform. Hard not to eat half of these cashews before putting them away in a jar. Will be making extra batches before Christmas to share.
Just a quick question. I have roasted (not raw) unsalted cashews. How much should I cut back on the heating time?
Hi Jane! The reason for raw cashews is we’re giving the maple and brown sugar enough time to caramelize – get crunchy – while the nuts roast. If you cut back time, I wouldn’t do more than five minutes because your sugars may come out sticky rather than crunchy. We’re going for crunchy. Sally, (see comments below) used roasted cashews, but instead of roasting in the oven, she tossed the ingredients in a pan on the stove top. I hope this helps!