Fancy Roasted co*cktail Nuts (2024)

The holidays have so many food associations for me, and one of those is fancy roasted co*cktail nuts. Every year when I make them, I wonder why I don’t roast them year round. But the truth is, there’s just something seasonal and special about them.

Whenever I have friends or family over for a big holiday feast, I serve some homemade roasted nuts alongside the cheese board. I vary the flavors each time, but they always disappear!

It’s honestly astonishing how flavorful nuts are when they’re toasted in the oven. And then when you add fresh orange zest, rosemary, maple, salt, and a little cayenne for heat? It’s so good. It hits so many of those flavor components you want, and people go crazy (or nuts? Sorry, I had to) for them.

Making your own roasted nut mix is one of those things that makes everyone think you’re a genius. They’re so snackable and addictive, but also wonderfully easy to make.

To get started, place whatever combination of nuts you’d like into a bowl. I’m doing equal parts walnuts, cashews, pecans, and almonds, because I’m too nice to pick favorites.

Just kidding. Cashews are my favorite, but who knows what my guests will like! So by all means, use a single nut if you prefer.

For flavorings, I like to do fresh orange zest, minced fresh rosemary, and a hint of cayenne pepper.

Add these to the nut bowl, along with some salt.

Toss this all around to distribute, then drizzle some pure maple syrup on top.

Toss everything around again until the nuts are uniformly covered with sticky goodness.

Place the nuts on a tray, then spread evenly with a spatula.

One quick note I’ll add is that the nuts will caramelize and harden some (and thus stick to the pan a little bit). I use a metal spatula to scoop them up right when they come out of the oven. I prefer this over using a silicone mat because I think it caramelizes better, but if you want to avoid that sticking, you can use a mat (or even parchment paper).

Roast the nuts for 30 minutes, then transfer immediately to a bowl or container. They are now ready to be enjoyed!

The nuts can be served warm or at room temperature, and they can be made a couple days ahead of time.

Here are other flavor combinations I like:

Curry co*cktail Nuts
Roast nuts with 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon salt

Pumpkin Pie Spice Nuts
Roast nuts with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, ¼ cup maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon salt

The next time you’re looking for something special to add to your cheese board, I hope you try these fancy roasted co*cktail nuts. And if you have any favorite combinations, come share!