Honey Roasted Cashews

Ingredients 

Only five ingredients are needed to make this recipe, and chances are you already have them in your pantry.

• Salted and roasted whole cashews. You can also use unroasted; please see my substitution notes below. I have a complete guide on How To Roast Cashews.
• Honey. Any brand or kind you like. However, I find that the darker the honey, the more flavorful it. (Check out my Honey cake and Honey Chocolate Cupcakes for more recipe ideas)
• Butter. A small amount of butter is added to the honey to enhance the flavors.
• Vanilla extract. Best way to bring all the flavors together.
• Granulated sugar. It is added at the end to provide a crunchy texture and prevent the cashews from sticking together. If you chose to skip this part, the nuts will stick into clusters and should be refrigerated, or frozen.

Substitutions

If you are out of ingredients or have a preference, here are some substitutions options:

• Raw cashews. If you are using raw cashews, increase the oven temperature to 350F. If you are using toasted cashews, reduce oven temperature to 325F.
• Nuts. While cashews are delicious, they are on the expensive side. So use any other nuts you would like: pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or your favorite nut.
• Butter. You can skip it or use vegan butter or coconut oil.
• Sugar. Sprinkling the cashews with sugar is an option, but it helps prevent the nuts from sticking. You can play around with the sugar and use cinnamon sugar to make a honey-roasted cashew recipe with cinnamon.
• Maple. You can add 1 tbsp of maple syrup to the honey mixture.
• Unsalted cashews. Add 1/2 tsp salt with the vanilla extract.

How to make this recipe

There are two ways to make this honey-roasted cashews recipe: on the stovetop and in the oven. Choose the one you like. The oven adds another layer of complex and rich flavors and contributes to the crunchy texture. The microwave is not a good option for this recipe.

1. Place the honey and butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Make sure to stay put, or else the honey will boil over. Once the mixture reaches boiling point reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking while stirring. The honey will turn a bit darker and thicker, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Place cashews in a bowl then drizzle the honey over.
3. Use a rubber spatula to distribute the honey.
4. Spread the cashews over a baking sheet layered with parchment paper in a single layer and bake.
5. Remove from the pan from the oven every 5 minutes and stir the cashews. (the honey will melt and drizzle down on the pan)
6. Remove from the oven allow to cool for about 7-10 minutes then sprinkle over the sugar. Use a spatula or your hands to distribute and separate the cashews.

A stovetop option:

For the stovetop option, please make sure you use roasted cashews.

1. Bring the honey and butter to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low then add the cashews. Keep stirring and cooking until the honey has thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Spread the cashews over a pan layered with parchment paper in a single layer, let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the sugar over. Use a rubber spatula or your hands. Allow to cool completely before storing.

Variations

Do you find this recipe a bit more predictable and want to spice things up? No problem at all. Here are some variations ideas:

• Spice it up. Add some spices to the honey mixture like cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, curry, cardamom, cumin. Note that if you don’t mind the spice’s texture you can mix them with the sugar. Add up to ½ tsp of hot spicy spices and up to 1 tsp to the others.
• Add herbs. Chopped fresh herbs are a great way to really upgrade this honey-roasted cashew recipe. Add 2 tsp of chopped Tyme, rosemary, or oregano to the cashews when pouring over the honey mixture.
• Make it vegan. To make this recipe a vegan honey roasted cashews, replace the butter with vegan butter or coconut butter.
• Sea salt flakes. Now remember that we are already using lightly salted cashews but if you are a fan of sweet and salty, mix 1 tsp of sea salt with the sugar. I guess a little salt can’t hurt.

How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze (and Thaw)

Like I mentioned before, this recipe’s is great for making ahead of time and storing in the freezer, see below for full details

• Make ahead. You can make this recipe up to 6 weeks in advance then store it in the freezer. A freezable bag, an airtight container, or even mason jars are all great freezable options. When ready to use simply take it out of the freezer.
• In the refrigerator. This recipe will stay fresh for up to 10 days in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag or an airtight container.
• At room temperature. 3-5 days in a covered container or a glass jar. Spread in a single layer.

Expert Tips

Here are some of the tips and recommendations I gathered for you:

• Buy in bulk. Because cashews are expensive, consider buying them in bulk. Trader Joe’s, Costco, and ethnic markets have great competitive prices. Do not go with prestige brands; off-brands are a great, cheaper option.
• Don’t be shy. Use your fingers to separate the cashews after sprinkling them with the sugar, and spread then in an even single layer to avoid them from sticking. The rubber spatula is not going to do as well as a job. If you want to take the extra step, use disposable gloves.
• Gift it. Check out your local Goodwill or antique market for cool-looking vintage containers. It is a great as well as unique way to pack and gift these honey candied cashews.

DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?

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