How to Roast Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole raw almonds
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
Instructions
- Spread almonds on two 9 x 13 inch baking dishes
- Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, until a nutty aroma wafts out of the oven
- Remove almonds from oven and cool for 20 minutes
- Toss with olive oil and salt
- Serve
I’ve been roasting a lot of almonds lately. They taste much better purchased raw and roasted fresh at home (rather than purchasing them already roasted). My husband loves it when I make fresh roasted almonds. And that’s a good thing because almonds are a superfood. This ultra-nutritious nut is high in antioxidants and full of beneficial fats that raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol. Studies have shown that almonds curb hunger. I think they taste delicious and keep a little jar of roasted almonds in my car for when I get a snack attack on the road. Just a few do the trick.
If you love whole almonds for snacking, you may also want to try blanched almond flour (not almond meal). Honeyville makes incredible almond flour, and has my Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe on the back of their bag! Honeyville almond flour is wonderful because it is finely ground and yields fantastic baked goods. I bake with almond flour often, as it is tasty, easy to use, and full of good fat! I wrote the book on almond flour in 2008, called The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. It has easy paleo recipes for everything from birthday cake to chicken fingers, and I think you’ll love it!
If you are looking for healthy low-carb recipes, check out all of my recipes that use almond flour, as well as my Keto Diet Recipes page. Here are some of my easy paleo recipes that use almonds or almond flour:
Carol Gaudreault says
THE GLUTEN-FREE ALMOND FLOUR COOKBOOK is a huge positive addition to my cooking habits. We are enjoying the recipes immensely as the flavors and textures are a dellightful surprise of success to the taste buds. Thank you also for all your tips.
Sheila says
I disagree with the temperature you roast your almonds at. Roasting almonds at high temperatures damages the delicate fats in nuts and causes the production of free radicals. Almonds (nuts) should be roasted at a lower temperature; 160-170F for 15-20 min.
Andie says
Thanks for posting this! I accidentally bought unroasted almonds and was hoping to find out the best temp to bake them at. Now I’m excited that they may turn out better than what I meant to buy.
Jeanne Marie says
Elana, This is one of my favorite posts!! I love it… The Abs Diet and the Elana Diet!!
Your website and cookbook have inspired me and have changed the way we eat!!
Thank you,
Jeanne Marie
Sara says
Ok the Lillian’s videos are hilarious! Those recipes look absolutely delicious. Its so much fun seeing those from the test perspective. Thanks for showing the almond roasting – I’ve been trying to stick to raw almonds, but this will be really nice for those days when I want something kicked up a notch.
Anne says
I definitely think soaking and dehydrating nuts is the way to go most of the time. By heating them at 150 degrees or below, you retain all the enzymes and nutrients in the nuts. Roasting them at high temps kills the enzymes. The result of soaking and low-temp dehydration is a crispy, slightly salty nut. Delicious and good for any number of things. In addition to snacking, I rough grind them with flax seeds, top with yogurt and berries for breakfast. Or chop and add to a salad.
Thank you, Elana. I love your site!
Scentsy says
Yumm… this sounds delicious.
Marla says
I love all your recipes. Thanks for forward Lillian’s video…My daughter and I enjoyed it ;)
Philip123 says
I’m all for healthy and delicious recipes and healthy eats however to pick a nit, cholesterol is a single molecule it has single chemical structure. There are no “good” and “bad” versions as it is a single molecule. High and low density lipoproteins are, well, proteins, they are two different carrier proteins for cholesterol. The Framingham study evidence underlying the “lipid hypothesis” was never strong to start with. Since then a massive lipid lowering campaign has shown no effect on heart disease rates. While an elegant and seemingly intuitive hypothesis, more and more openly people are rightly questioning the wisdom of the cholesterol lowering campaign. Not to even mention the myriad and serious side effects often seen with statin drugs. I’m all for healthy and delicious almonds but there is no need to sweat the cholesterol.
http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/
Dena says
Okay – I’m going to have to reread your post when my brain’s more alert! In the meantime, I’ve been eating macadamia nuts to lower my cholesterol. Just started, so we’ll see if it works. Rumor has it 1-1/2 oz a day (about 17 nuts) lowers your cholesterol. Elana, I’ll have to search old posts for good mac nut recipes, now!
MaryMoh says
That looks very simple and delicious. I love almonds. Thanks for sharing.
~M says
This looks great…my husband and I have been going through tons of raw almonds recently since we both take trail mix several times a week as a snack to work/school. Have you ever tried soaking them whole and then roasting them? How much longer would they need?
Pamela says
For ~M, I couldn’t resist replying to your question about soaking your nuts first…..YES YOU SHOULD!!! Acording to Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions, “sprouting (soaking) increases vitamin B content, especially B2,5 and 6. Carotene increases dramatically. Even more important, sprouting neutralizes phytic acid, a substance present in the bran of all grains that inhibits absorbtion of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc and neutralizes enzyme inhibitors present in all seeds. These inhibitors can neutralize our own precious enzymes in the digestive tract.”
I soak all my nuts. 4 cups of nuts with 1 Tbs sea salt and fill up the container with water to cover the nuts. For almonds, soak for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain and spread on baking sheet. Bake at 150 degrees for 12 to 24 hours until completely dry and crisp. I dehydrate mine for the same amount of time. You can double and triple etc. the recipe.
Ellen Smith says
My husband and I also love almonds. I roast them the same way you do, but instead of using salt, I sprinkle the cinnamon on the almonds before placing the baking sheets in the oven.
Nancy Hasek says
I have wanted to try roasting almonds dusted with dark cocoa powder. Has anyone tried this and can provide some direction. I don’t want to use oil but don’t know how to get the cocoa to stick. Thanks!
JoeyG says
If you’re soaking your almonds they’ll be moist which will allow the cocoa to stick.
Great idea by the way.
Blair B. says
Hi Elana,
Love your cookbook. Was wondering where you purchase your almonds?
Thanks,
Blair
Elana says
Blair, if you click the green text in the ingredients portion of the recipe you will be given that information :-)
syifa says
bake to 12 to 24 hours?? That’s a very long time of baking!
Cyndye says
You’re dehydrating the almonds in a 150 degree oven. It takes about 24 hrs to do this. The come out crunchy and need no seasoning. You can also use these “crispy almonds” to make almond butter.
Carolyn says
dehydrating takes this long, but baking (roasting) in the oven only takes about 7 – 9 hours. I just put them in there overnight and they are perfect in the morning!
Joyce Lowe says
When you bake them overnight for 7 to 9 hours, what temperature do you use??
Andrea MacLeod says
Regarding Pamela’s comment – thank you for posting info on Phytate’s. As a vegetarian most of my adult life, with a great love of all nuts, especially almonds, and an avid interest in nutritional health and well-being I was astonished to find I didn’t know (until just recently) about Phytic Acid as something in all nuts, seeds, grains, beans and legumes that binds with and removes other minerals from the digestive system UNLESS they are sprouted. It speaks to the innate intelligence of life that seeds lock up their nutrients until they are alive and ready to use them and it speaks to our need as intelligent humans to eat live food: soaked, sprouted, fermented, in combination, with beneficial enzymes and probiotics. Ode to the ongoing quest for vitality.
Will Wiegman says
150 degrees is much better than 350 since a lot of good nutritional benefits get reduced above 212F!
Diane Lovejoy says
So if the lowest temp on my oven is 170, then it should still be ok? Just shorten the time?
Melissa Ennen says
I want to add herbs and spices when I roast the nuts, but I want to soak and dehydrate first. Do you dehydrate them for 12-24 hours (at what temperature?) AND then bake them for 12-24 hours at 150 degrees? Or is the roasting time reduced if you soak and dehydrate first? Thanks,.
Joe says
Rosemary is my favorite herb for Roasted Almonds. Roasting time depends on moisture level of almond. Longer dehydration “should” result in less time need for low temperature roasting. From my experience, a dehydrated almond, roasted nicely after 8 hours at 150 degrees.
But seriously, try the rosemary its really great. Then try it with roasted blanched almonds… even better
Nuts says
Actually you want the phytic acid.
http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/phytic-acid/
Meredithi says
After soaking them, you should rinse them until the water runs clear. Gets the remaining residue off the nuts.