Rosemary Cashews
Rosemary cashews are a perfect easy holiday snack to set out on a charcuterie board or appetizer buffet table. Set them in pretty bowls around the house during the holiday season for a festive bite to enjoy with your friends and family.
You know it is the holiday season when my mom sets out little candy bowls filled with seasoned nuts and red & green M&Ms all around the house for family to nibble throughout the day.
Now that I'm the holiday hostess, I've carried on this simple tradition. Knowing cashews are my parents' favorite, I took just 10 minutes to roast homemade rosemary cashews for my candy dishes.
This recipe makes a generous batch so you can have plenty to refill the snack bowls throughout the celebration. They last really well and I've got fun ideas for using up the leftovers, too!
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Quick & Easy: 5 ingredients and 10 minutes are all you need.
- Homemade is Better: Yes, you can buy pre-seasoned holiday nut mixes at the store but the bulk nuts at Costco and other stores are so much more affordable for a whole lot more. AND they taste better, too.
- Sweet and Spicy: I love the mix of brown sugar and the heat from the cayenne!
Ingredients
All you need to make homemade roasted cashews is:
- Whole Cashews: I bought a giant bag at Costco during the holiday season and they were nice and budget-friendly. Check Aldi's, Walmart, or the baking section of your grocery store for a similar price-friendly bulk bag of nuts.
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Fresh Rosemary: You could use dried rosemary, but the fresh rosemary has a better fragrance and color and really makes the nuts feel special.
- Cayenne Pepper
- Kosher Salt
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Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Spread the cashews in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Bake for 8 - 12 minutes, shake the pan half way through so they roast evenly.
Season the Cashews
While the cashews are roasting, melt the butter in the microwave and pour it into a mixing bowl that has enough room for you to add the cashews to it later.
Add the brown sugar, fresh rosemary, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves in the melted butter.
When the cashews come out of the oven, pour them directly into the mixing bowl and toss them gently to coat in the butter mixture.
Spread the cashews out into a single layer on another baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow them to cool completely.
Storage Tips
Once the rosemary cashews have cooled, you can store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week.
To be honest, ours lasted even longer but they did start to soften up a bit and lose that fresh-roasted crispy texture but they'll be perfect for serving to company for at least a week.
Serving Suggestions
The simplest way to serve these pretty holiday nuts are to just pour them into tiny nut bowls and place them around the house during your party.
I set one on the kitchen island as part of a cheddar snack board, placed another one in the living room on an end table, another on the dining room buffet table. Anywhere you think family and friends will gather, add a bowl.
Rosemary cashews would also be an excellent homemade food gift to share with co-workers or bring to a holiday potluck party. You could make a batch of peppered glazed pecans, pumpkin spice pecans, or my easy candied nuts and make your own DIY nut sampler in a festive holiday tin.
More Easy Holiday Appetizers
The holidays are the season for easy to assemble party appetizers. Make a snack board with my delicious roasted nuts alongside one of these make ahead cold dips or a couple of these other easy recipes:
How to Use Leftovers
If you have more rosemary cashews than you need for your holiday party, you could use them in a homemade cashew chicken stir fry. The seasonings would really complement the recipe in my family cookbook, The Totally Awesome Ultimate Kids' Cookbook.
📖 Recipe
Rosemary Cashews
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds cashews
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- Spread the cashews in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes, shake the pan half way through the cooking time so they roast evenly.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in the microwave and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar, fresh rosemary, cayenne pepper, and salt and stir until the sugar is dissolved in the hot butter.
- Pour the roasted cashews into the mixing bowl while they are still warm. Gently toss them in the seasoned butter until all the nuts are evenly coated.
- Spread the coated cashews into an even layer on large sheets of parchment paper and let them cool completely.
- Serve the seasoned cashews in pretty nut dishes or as part of a snack board. They may be kept in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week.
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