Warm Nuts with Rosemary: Your Guests Won’t Want To Leave
Sneak Preview: These warm nuts are mixed nuts seasoned with rosemary and sautéed shallots. They smell SOOOO good! Almost better than fresh cookies.
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At a recent Christmas cookie exchange, this recipe was the star of the show. Never mind the sparkly cookies, decorated cut-outs, fudge, and numerous other sweets. Instead, we wanted savory, spicy, and salty. We wanted whatever it was we could smell baking in the kitchen.
Happy Cooks Speak Up:
“OK shower is over and this recipe was a big hit! Again many thanks for the new recipes.” —Susan
Just in time for your next party:
These nuts are an excellent idea for your snack table.
Rosemary, shallots, and garlic are the star seasonings in these toasty mixed nuts.
It’s best to eat them warm out of the oven. However, I recommend serving the nuts from a small slow cooker since “warm” is the best way to eat them.
One warning: the smell!
Oh my! Talk about aromatherapy. One whiff, and you’ll forget about your troubles and your waistline.
Ingredients and possible substitutions:
- MIXED NUTS: Mixed nuts make the prettiest presentation. If you’re not a fan of all the different nuts and don’t have a party of people to help you eat the ones you don’t like, cashews are particularly amenable to this recipe.
- OLIVE OIL: Any vegetable oil could be substituted, but olive oil adds flavor. It’s worth the trouble to get some.
- SHALLOTS: The shallots shrink and become mild in flavor during the toasting process. They are the best choice.
- GARLIC: Garlic powder could be substituted here. However, the toasted garlic is mild and plays nicely with the toasted shallots.
- BUTTER: Stick with butter, not margarine. If you use salted butter, consider adjusting the salt added at the end.
- ROSEMARY: Fresh rosemary is the best choice here. Dried rosemary won’t give you the same aroma or texture when warmed. This is the ingredient that “makes” this recipe.
- DARK BROWN SUGAR: Substitute light brown sugar if you don’t have dark brown sugar.
- SALT: Kosher salt is preferred, with fine sea salt close behind.
How to make warm nuts:
- Arrange nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until golden–8-12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add shallots and garlic to hot olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Fry until golden brown. Remove to paper towels and set aside.
- Pour melted butter over the nuts. Stir in rosemary, cayenne, brown sugar, and salt. Add shallots and garlic and combine well. Serve warm.
Parting Thoughts: The smell of these warm nuts in the house is better than a candle. Seriously! Speaking of warm nuts, did you know you can toast pecans in the microwave?
Rosemary also smells wonderful when it’s warm. That’s why we love this Rosemary Bread Machine recipe with Cranberries and Pecans, and these Rosemary Dinner Rolls.
Recipe Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.
Warm Nuts with Rosemary Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups (720 g) mixed nuts – such as walnuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, and hazelnuts
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 (50 g) small shallots – thinly sliced crosswise into rings to yield about 1/4 cup
- 3 (9 g) garlic cloves – thinly sliced lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (6 g) coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Arrange 5 cups (720 g) mixed nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until golden–8-12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add 2 (50 g) small shallots and 3 (9 g) garlic cloves to 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Fry until golden brown. Remove to paper towels and set aside.
- Pour 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted, over nuts. Stir in 1/4 cup (6 g) coarsely chopped fresh rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Add shallots and garlic and combine well. Serve warm. Nuts can also be reheated in a 300˚F (150˚C) oven for 8-10 minutes, but watch carefully.
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.