Learn How to Toast Walnuts in the oven or on the stove. This simple technique enhances the flavor of walnuts for salads, snack mixes, baked goods, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, and more.
Toasting raw walnuts is generally optional, but it’s almost always recommended. The toasting process adds a better taste, golden brown color, nutty aroma, and a delicious crunch. Nuts toast quickly in the oven or on the stovetop, and they add a healthy, gluten free, protein-packed, omega-3 rich element to many recipes.
Give banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, and pumpkin pancakes extra texture. Sprinkle toasted nuts over ice cream, salads, oatmeal, and in snack mixes. And use toasted walnuts in your favorite roasted vegetable side dishes (just stir them in after roasting the veggies so they don’t scorch), and top your next Pear Crisp with a handful.
If you toast then chop, the chopping will expose so untoasted edges so the overall effect will be less uniform. Toast the nuts evenly first, it will let off the steam in the nut. Then chop them. If they are evenly toasted the toasty flavor & crunch will be present throughout the nut.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: The recipe as written makes 1 cup of toasted walnuts (enough for 4 servings, ¼ cup each). It can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.
- Storage: Store raw and roasted walnuts for a year or more in the refrigerator or the freezer (not the pantry). They spoil easily, especially when roasted. If they smell like paint, throw them away immediately.
- Freezer: For longer storage, store walnuts in the freezer. Both raw and toasted walnuts, once opened and exposed to air, are prone to turning rancid. Unopened, factory-sealed walnuts are safe in the pantry until their expiration date.
- Trail mix: Make a healthy snack mix by adding cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and cashews to your toasted walnuts.
- On roasted veggies: Add toasted walnuts to Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Roasted Butternut Squash, or Roasted Green Beans.
- Rosemary walnuts: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 cups walnuts and ½ teaspoon dried rosemary. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Lemon-garlic walnuts: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil or butter in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 cups walnuts, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 clove minced garlic. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Barbecued walnuts: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Add 2 cups walnuts, ½ teaspoon cumin, ⅛ teaspoon chili powder, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and a pinch of cloves. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- Spiced walnuts: Heat 1 tbsp butter in a nonstick skillet. Add 2 cups walnuts, 2 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon allspice. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.
- All the nuts: Learn how to toast hazelnuts (filberts), how to toast pecans, how to toast pine nuts, and how to roast almonds.
Both the stovetop and the oven work. The stovetop is faster because you don’t have to wait for the oven to preheat, but the oven is superior if you have a lot going on and don’t want to forget to stir the walnuts.
Roast walnuts in a 350-degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes (oven temperatures may vary, so keep an eye on your walnuts).
In theory, chopping the nuts first would lead to more toast-able surfaces and would lead to better flavor. In my experience, though, I never notice the difference. I find it easier to handle walnut halves when transferring them around the kitchen, so I save chopping until I’m done toasting. But if you bought chopped nuts, you can still toast them and it’s great!
Toast in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Cool to room temperature.
Put your walnuts to work
How to Toast Walnuts the Easy Way! Toasting Walnuts in the Oven!
FAQ
Should I chop walnuts before roasting?
Is it better to toast nuts whole or chopped?
What is the best way to toast walnuts?
What is the procedure for toasting nuts?
Should you toast raw walnuts?
Toasting raw walnuts is generally optional, but it’s almost always recommended. The toasting process adds a better taste, golden brown color, nutty aroma, and a delicious crunch. Nuts toast quickly in the oven or on the stovetop, and they add a healthy, gluten free, protein-packed, omega-3 rich element to many recipes.
Can we divide 7 to 10 walnuts to take throughout the day rather than all at once?
You can divide 7 to 10 walnuts to eat throughout the day instead of eating them all at once. That way they will slowly raise blood glucose levels.
Can you cook toasted walnuts in the oven?
Make toasted walnuts in the oven when you have time to preheat the oven! This method is also nice for quantities of walnuts that are larger than 1 cup. Advantages: This method cooks the nuts more evenly than the stovetop method, and you can cook lots of nuts at once. Drawbacks: You’ll need to wait for the oven to preheat: about 10 to 15 minutes!
How do you eat toasted walnuts?
Sprinkle toasted nuts over ice cream, salads, oatmeal, and in snack mixes. And use toasted walnuts in your favorite roasted vegetable side dishes (just stir them in after roasting the veggies so they don’t scorch), and top your next Pear Crisp with a handful. Walnuts: Cooking times vary depending on which method you choose.