These Cajun Roasted Nuts are the perfect savory snack. Forget complicated appetizers, these are a great addition to your table as an easy grab and go snack or finger food. Seasoned with cajun spice, extra thyme, and salt. I've also added maple syrup to balance out the flavors. It caramelizes perfectly.
How to roast nuts:
I'm a big fan of roasted nuts. Always have been. Whether they're sweet or savory, it's always a great protein-packed snack full of healthy fats. And there are so many options on how to season them! The options are literally endless.
To roast them, you just need a baking sheet, a little bit of oil with a high smoke point (I like avocado oil), a touch of maple syrup, and cajun spice, and some extra dried thyme for even more flavor.
Preheat your oven to 350°(175°C) and roast the nuts spread out on the baking sheet for 20-30 minutes. The roasting time will depend on what nuts you're using. Smaller ones like almonds or cashews will take less time than brazil nuts. Pecans and walnuts usually take the shortest.
In this recipe I use a mix of nuts and I try to roast them based on the ones that roast the quickest, pecans in this case.
If you want to make sure your brazil nuts don't stay raw in the center, roast them separately. I usually really don't mind.
Creative ideas for seasoning roasted nuts?
You can make them sweet with chocolate, warming spices, different extracts for special flavors, or use different sweeteners. You can also make them into a trail mix by adding dried fruits, chocolate chips, pretzels, chopped cookies, marshmallows, or anything else you like.
To make them into a savory snack you don't need much. The basics are just the nuts, some sea salt, and some natural oil (I like avocado oil).
There are ways to get creative though. I like adding a touch of maple syrup to bring out the saltines more and balance the flavor. You can add dried herbs, various spice blends, smoked paprika (a personal favorite!), or spice them up with crushed chili flakes or chipotle powder.
For the recipe I'm sharing today, I chose the Cajun spice mix and they turned out amazing.
What is Cajun spice?
Cajun spice is a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. I've also seen people use smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika which is a fun change if you're into smoky the flavor.
The ingredients and ratios are going to vary from brand to brand so you can definitely make your own mix to your own taste. I like to buy my cajun spice from Frontier Co-op as I really like their blend. It doesn't contain too much salt so I can add it separately to taste as I cook.
More roasted nuts recipes:
If you like these Cajun roasted nuts, try these other two recipes. The Garam Masala Pecans are my favorite!
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Cajun Roasted Nuts
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Southern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These roasted nuts are the perfect blend of salty, sweet, and spicy. Super delicious snack mix that only takes 30 mins to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup brazil nuts
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cajun spice
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the cashews, almonds, pecans, brazil nuts on the baking sheet, drizzle with the avocado oil, maple syrup, and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle with the cajun spice, dried thyme, and sea salt. Toss well to coat evenly.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes. The skin on the brazil nuts will start cracking when done. Keep an eye on the pecans so they don’t burn. Toss once halfway through.
- Cool on the baking sheet and transfer to an airtight container when completely cool. Store at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
You can use any mix of raw nuts you have on hand here. Just use a mix that adds up to 4 cups in total. Walnuts are also delicious here.
Keywords: snack, nuts, cajun spice
Bill
I love these! Cajun seasoning has always been a favorite of mine, and roasted nuts are always great. I'll have to try this.
Heather
It's been so long since I've had roasted nuts. I can't wait to make these.
Gervin Khan
I truly love nuts and one of my favorite comfort food especially when watching a movie or just resting. This nut recipe definitely looks delicious and so enticing. I'll gonna make this at home.
Rosey
That's a good idea to use avocado oil. These sound delicious, perfect for a New Year's treat.
Sayed Williams
I love eating nuts. Roasted nuts are also really healthy. I will definitely follow recipe to make my own roasted nuts.
Marysa
I love cajun spices. This sounds like a great snack for me to take to work!
anas
I never knew how to make these, thanks for sharing your recipe!
Julie Maloney
Funny I stumble upon this today, my husband and I spent a good while looking for nuts in the pantry! We settled on glazed pecan but I was thinking about wanting to try making my own. Thank you!
Elizabeth O
I love nuts and this a great way to make a tasty batch. Plus, I get yo use my avocado oil for a change.