These spicy roasted nuts are going to be the most popular snack at your next cocktail party. I toss them with melted butter and a fragrant garam masala spice blend then slow roast them in the oven to let all of the flavors slowly meld.
Your kitchen will smell like the warm baking spices we all crave during Christmas, yet these spicy nuts will be a welcome gift to those of us who fall more on the savory side of the spectrum.
The roasted nuts are simple, addictive and unique.
Best of all, these are savory roasted nuts. While I’m all about a good candied nut, sometimes I need a break from the sugar marathon of the holidays. Instead, these savory roasted nuts are salty, spicy, and free from sugar. And they're filled with a cozy blend of Indian spices.
what is garam masala?
Garam masala is a blend of warm, aromatic spices from northern India. Of course, there are endless variations of spices and proportions. In general, they are all derived from the classic Mughal garam masala that is made up of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. From there, cumin, coriander, fennel, nutmeg, cloves, sesame and bay leaves (to name a few) can be included.
For the freshest flavor, you can dry roast whole spices and then grind them to a fine powder. You can store the blend in a dark, airtight container for up to 3 months. In this recipe, I use ground spices for simplicity., but feel free to use the recipe below for the most fragrant garam masala:
whole spice garam masala recipe
- 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 ½ tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cardamom seeds
- ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
- ¼ tsp whole cloves
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cayenne (more or less to taste)
Toast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom seeds, black peppercorns and whole cloves until very fragrant and several shade darker. Let cool, grind to a fine powder then mix in the ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne.
how do you make spices stick to roasted nuts?
To get the spices to stick to the raw nuts, I combine them with melted butter and then I toss the spiced butter mixture with the nuts. This helps the spices and salt stick to the nuts, and it also adds a buttery flavor to the mixed nuts. Slow roasting and stirring every 10- 15 minutes helps cook the spices into the nuts and leaves them fragrant, spicy and very well seasoned.
how to make spicy roasted nuts:
- Toast spices, then add butter to pan and stir until melted
- Pour spiced butter over raw nuts and toss to coat
- Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant
- Cool completely, sprinkle with more salt if needed and enjoy!
more snack recipes to try!
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Printsavory and spicy garam masala roasted nuts
These spicy roasted nuts are tossed in a garam masala spiced butter and roasted until golden and fragrant. They make a delicious gift or savory snack for the holidays.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: about 5 cups
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne (more or less to taste)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 ½ lbs unsalted, raw mixed nuts (about 5 cups) (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and/ or macadamia nuts)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- In a small skillet over medium low heat, toast cumin, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, cayenne, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until fragrant and just beginning to darken, about 30 seconds. Add butter and cook, stirring until butter is melted and spice mixture is smooth. Stir in salt.
- Toss nuts with spiced butter on the prepared baking sheet, taste a few nuts and add more salt if desired. Spread out in an even layer and roast for 45- 55 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until nuts are toasty, golden and fragrant.
- Let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container.
Notes
- Store nuts in a cool, dry place for up to 3 weeks, or refrigerated for several months.
- If using roasted nuts rather than raw, roast in the oven for 20- 25 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 222
- Sugar: 1.6g
- Sodium: 119mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15.8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7.3g
- Fiber: 3.3g
- Protein: 6.8g
- Cholesterol: 6.1mg
Lala says
Went to Milan awhile ago and have been obsessed with aperitivo type recipes since then. Have been looking for a spiced nut recipe that suits what I have in the pantry and yours was perfect! I have store bough garam masala that has all the ingredients you listed, save cayenne.
Wanted to half the recipe so I set out to the stove with 2 tbsps butter and my jar of garam masala. Used three TABLESPOONS instead of the correct 3ish teaspoons. Panicked and added olive oil to the pot. Only used half the mixture. By some miracle they're still delicious.
Thanks for making recipes that are literally FOOL proof!!
Indi Hampton says
ahhh yayy!! that's cooking though, right?! I'm so glad they turned out great!