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posted by Sharon Chenon Feb 16, 2019 (updated Aug 19, 2020) 37 comments »
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16 reviews
These spiced roasted walnuts make the perfect salad topper or healthy snack. Easy, versatile, and done in 20 minutes. They are gluten-free and 100% vegan.
The thought of walnuts brings me back to one of my favorite childhood memories growing up in China: cracking walnuts straight out of the shell.
Have you ever tried this before? If you have, I’ll bet you used a different method than my family and I used—which was a very, very strong door.
That’s right. Whenever we’d want to eat raw walnuts, any door in our house would suddenly transform into a nutcracker. We’d pick any door in the house and open it slightly, just until the gap between the hinges was wide enough to hold a walnut. Then we’d place the walnut in the gap, give the door a push, and voila! As the door closed, the walnut cracked to perfection with barely any effort.
I had a ton of fun cracking walnuts when I was a kid. The sound of the shell cracking open was like music to my ears. But to be honest, I enjoyed the cracking process far more than I enjoyed eating them. The thin, light brown skin that covers the walnut lobe is actually quite bitter, not such a treat for my taste buds. I prefer the buttery and nutty lobes underneath the walnut skin.
Why not peel off the skin, you ask?
Because my mom says, “All of the nutrients are in the skin!”
99 percent of the time that woman is right, even though she can’t always explain why. So, when I researched this, I found that while the inside of walnuts are rich in omega-3 healthy fats, approximately 90 percent of the antioxidants in walnuts are indeed found in the skin. This includes tannins, polyphenols, and flavonoids—all of which are really good for the cardiovascular system, brain, and reducing inflammation.
It wasn’t until I finally found an easy recipe for spiced roasted walnuts (via my friend Herb), that I no longer needed to mask the bitter taste of the skin with a heavy salad dressing or by blending it into a smoothie.
This has quickly become one of my favorite walnut recipes. These vegan and gluten-free spiced walnuts are easy to make, generously spiced, and roasted to perfection. The spices naturally decrease the bitterness, and the buttery taste from the walnut lobes follows immediately, making them a dangerously addictive but great snack.
Best of all, these spiced walnuts are in the complete form—skin and all—which means you get to soak up all the nutrients that walnut skin is just waiting to gift your body.
Feel free to play around with the spices based on your liking. Want some heat? Add cayenne pepper. Want some sweet? Ground cinnamon, brown sugar, or coconut sugar make great additions. If you want an exotic flavor, add some taco seasoning, Creole, or Cajun spice. You get the idea.
PS: If exotic flavors are your jam, you might also want to check out these Szechuan-Style Toasted Walnuts. The article covers how to toast walnuts two ways in great detail.
You can wrap them in a cute paper box as a healthy Valentine’s Day gift or other holiday gifts.
Now, go roast your own walnuts and let me know how you spice them up in the comments. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Table of Contents hide
- Oven method:
- Stovetop method:
- About the Author
- Sharon Chen
Spiced Roasted Walnuts (Vegan & GF)
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star4.9 from 16 reviews
- Author: Sharon Chen
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: Snacks, Gluten Free, Vegan
- Method: Oven / Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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Description
These spiced roasted walnuts make the perfect salad topper or healthy snack. Easy, versatile, and done in 20 minutes. They are gluten-free and 100% vegan.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups walnut halves
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or melted butter if not vegan
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, chopped)
Instructions
Oven method:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place walnuts in a large bowl and toss walnuts with olive oil.
- Add all spices in the bowl and toss well.
- Lay the spiced walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Optional: use aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean-up. Bake for 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!
Stovetop method:
- Heat olive oil or melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, 2-3 minutes.
- Add walnuts, sprinkle with desired seasonings. Stir frequently to prevent walnuts from burning. Toast for 1-2 minutes or until the walnuts are golden brown. Transfer to a cookie sheet or a plate to let cool.
Notes
- Optional spices: Teaspoon of kosher salt, sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, black pepper.
- Store the roasted walnuts in an airtight glass container at room temperature for up to three months or refrigerate for longer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 291
- Sugar: 0.1g
- Sodium: 388mg
- Fat: 29.7g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8g
- Carbohydrates: 5.6g
- Fiber: 2.9g
- Protein: 5.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
About the Author
Sharon Chen
Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.
30-Min or Less Appetizers / Snacks Christmas Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Mother's Day No Added Sugar Oven Recipes Paleo Thanksgiving Valentine's Day Vegan Vegetarian Whole30
originally published on Feb 16, 2019 (last updated Aug 19, 2020)
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37 comments on “Spiced Roasted Walnuts (Vegan & Gluten Free)”
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E Maas —Reply
Flavor is good, but not nearly enough of it. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out fairly bland with walnut by far the dominant flavor. However, it should be an easy fix: just add more flavorings. I will try doubling all the seasonings next time. It’s a good blend!
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Sharif Siddique —Reply
Hello there,
that’s a great article about Spiced Roasted Walnuts (Vegan & Gluten Free).
keep your good job.Elizabeth —Reply
I Made this for a gathering and it was a hit, everyone loved it! Will definitely make it again!
Sharon Chen —Reply
Glad to hear. Thank you for letting me know, Elizabeth. 🙂
Gabriel —Reply
I added more of the spices called for and even a few other spices I had. Not too much of an interesting flavor as the recipe reads.
Gabriel —Reply
These are delicious! I wanted a sweet snack and a savoury snack on hand in the house so I made maple glazed walnuts and these walnuts…just perfect! Thank you for the recipe.
Sharon Chen —Reply
Oh… maple glaze!! Sounds delicious! Glad you liked this recipe.
Susan Dubose —Reply
These sweet and spicy walnuts were a lovely addition to my Thanksgiving cheese board. So easy to make and a big hit with my guests.
Rimmy —Reply
will be trying your walnut recipe. we grow organic walnuts and look for interesting and healthy recipes
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lillian —Reply
Love the little kick of heat!
Sharon Chen —Reply
Thanks Lillian! Glad that you like it. 🙂
Jacque Hastert —Reply
The only issue I had with these was they didn’t last long! They had just enough spice to keep enjoying them throughout the day!
Tara —Reply
These are so fragrant and absolutely delicious!
Danielle Wolter —Reply
the flavor in these sounds incredible. i love all the spices and heat you’ve got. great idea to package them as gifts as well. I’m going to have to try them!
TIsha —Reply
This is such a perfect snack idea! Can be eaten by the handful!!!
Kristine —Reply
You had me at walnuts! They’re my favorite nut, so I couldn’t wait to make this recipe. Simple and delicious – thank you!
Leslie —Reply
What a great snack! I’m going to use them to top casseroles, too. I’ve never liked walnuts because of the bitterness. I’ll try the above tips to remove the bitterness.
Sally —Reply
Has anyone used avocado oil when roasting walnuts? I have olive oil but would love to see if there are any good reports on using avocado oil. Thanks!
Sharon Chen —Reply
I think avocado oil will work just fine. It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, so you can even turn up the heat to toast which will result in a bit more crunchy walnuts.
Diwanna —Reply
I have 2 walnut trees and for the last 20 years given them all away cuz of that bitter taste. Just learned to soak your raw walnuts overnight in water and 1 tbsp of salt. Then you can either use a dehydrated or low oven till dried. OMG so good and buttery. ! Give it a try, you won’t even need to flavour them….
Sharon Chen —Reply
Whaaaat??? Really?! Thanks so much for sharing the tip! I’ll certainly try it.
Andrea Davis —Reply
My walnuts also tasted a bit burned. I’ve roasted nuts before at 275 degrees and I think this is a better temperature.
June Hayes —Reply
Walnuts are the best snacks for me! I tried this and they’re super duper yummy.
Monika Freeland —Reply
I am going to try your recipe tomorrow and take some hints from the comments I.e. Reduce roasting time and move the rack up.
To remove bitterness, try boiling them for 3 minutes in water (2 cups water to 1 cup walnuts) and then drain them and proceed with seasoning and roasting. Let me know if it works for you.
MonikaSharon Chen —Reply
Thanks so much for the suggestions, Monika!
Lyn —Reply
Well..my intention was to bring these in to work to share for a Valentine’s Day snack, but they did not turn out as expected! I followed the recipe exactly, and mine tasted burned. They didn’t really look burned, but tasted burned. So I’m not sharing them, but will find a way to eat them myself..maybe mix them in a salad or something. Bummer 🙁
Sharon Chen —Reply
Oh no! I am so sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t turn out well for you. 🙁 You probably don’t want to give it another try. But in case you do, maybe try to toast the walnuts on the higher rack of the oven or do it in less time. The power of each oven is a little different. Still, sorry that it didn’t work out. Those walnuts are great as a salad topping. You can also top pasta with them, adding a little crunchiness.
Lyn —Reply
I’m also wondering if I should have turned them halfway. I actually ended up putting some in oatmeal (go figure!) and it wasn’t half bad, because I certainly didn’t want to waste them..
Sharon Chen —Reply
Ohhhh… putting them in oatmeal is such a good idea! Hmmm… I am gonna make another batch again and see how it turns out. Will keep you posted.
These look fabulous! I could eat the whole lot in one go…which is probably why I shouldn’t make them!!!
Sharon Chen —Reply
Hahaha…maybe you should make a few batches to solve the problem then.
Marta —Reply
I adore walnuts. They make the best addition to anything especially lentil meatless loafs! I love snacking on them and this sounds divine! Ps moms always have the right answers.
#recipeoftheweek
.:Marta:.
Sharon Chen —Reply
Thank you, Marta! Moms are always right. haha…
