Who doesn’t love roasted nuts? Nothing is better than snacking on crunchy, salty cashew nuts while you watch your favorite show or enjoy a good book. This perfect snack can be made in less than 10 minutes without oil or special ingredients.
Air fryer roasted cashews are a delicious, quick snack for long hikes or picnics. Just add a bit of olive oil and your favorite spices, roast for a few minutes in the air fryer for extra crunch, and serve it as an appetizer or a snack on the go.
Masala Kaju, commonly known as air fryer roasted cashews, are little crunchy flavor bombs that are incredibly easy to make. Cashews have got a bad rap recently for their high-fat content, but if you enjoy them in moderation, they can be great for your health.
Are Nuts Good for you?
Nuts are a great source of fiber, protein, fats, and many other nutrients and antioxidants, so they can help to prevent severe illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. In addition, thanks to their low-GI nature, nuts help you to feel fuller for longer and therefore avoid snacking on unhealthy foods. This, in turn, can help you to maintain a healthy weight.
Nuts can also lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels in the body. This is highly beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. It can also help to reduce inflammation, which has been linked to heart disease.
An excess of anything is bad, so while nuts are great for your bone and muscle strength and overall health, you shouldn’t consume many of them. Instead, doctors suggest restricting your intake to one ounce or 30g daily. This is equivalent to around nine walnuts, 15 cashews, 20 almonds, or 30 pistachio nuts.
Why Should you Roast Nuts at Home?
Many people are put off by the effort of roasting nuts at home and prefer buying store-bought roasted nuts instead. However, by doing this, you’ll miss out on the rich goodness of the homemade variety.
Of course, it seems convenient to get your favorite roasted nuts from the grocery store, but this comes at a considerable cost to your wallet and your health. Most store-bought roasted nuts are loaded with additives and chemicals that keep the nuts fresh but are terrible for your health.
Furthermore, you’ll save a lot of money by roasting your nuts home. All you need is an air fryer, some spices, and your raw cashews. This is much cheaper than unreliable, store-bought brands. You’ll also say goodbye to unhealthy oils: air fryer roasted cashews use only minimal oil, unlike store-bought ones.
Nothing makes for a better gift than something thoughtful, useful, and homemade. So a nice box of homemade roasted, salty cashews is a great gift. They are easy to make and contain no preservatives, so everyone will love a nicely-wrapped box of air fryer roasted cashews!
What’s the Best Way to Roast Nuts?
You can roast nuts in the oven, pan, or even on an open fire. However, the easiest and healthiest way to roast nuts, especially cashews, is in an air fryer.
Unlike an oven, you don’t need to spend a long time pre-heating an air fryer. The air fryer cooks the nuts faster and more evenly, and you can easily toss the nuts in the air fryer halfway through cooking.
How to Roast Nuts in an Air Fryer
Roasting nuts in an air fryer are super easy. Here is a simple and easy guide to making roasted cashews in an air fryer.
Ingredients
Add the following ingredients to your shopping list:
- Raw Cashews
- Salt (Optional)
- Seasoning (Optional)
- Oil (Optional)
If you’re health conscious and worried about the fat content, you do not need to oil unless you want to. The air fryer will make the nuts nice and crunchy, so you don’t need oil for crunch and crispiness. However, oil can help ensure that your cashews are not too crunchy and stay a bit moist outside.
Add any kind of oil you like based on your preferences – why not experiment with air fryer roasted nuts with or without oil and see which you like the best? If you want to use oil without saturated fats, opt for polyunsaturated vegetable oils like olive oil – this will be the healthiest option.
The salt and the seasoning will be the game-changer here: these will either make or break the taste of your cashews. You can always add a spicy kick to your air fry nuts by sprinkling some dried chilies or Indian seasoning, or you go with classic salt.
Instructions
Air frying nuts is straightforward. You can easily replace cashews with virtually any other kind of nuts and air fry them following the same method.
Step 1
Preheat your air fryer to 325℉ for approximately three minutes.
Step 2
Put the raw cashews in the air fryer basket.
Step 3
If you want to use oil, drizzle around ¼ teaspoon of oil on top of the cashews. This may not seem like much, but it will be sufficient in the air fryer. You don’t want to soak your cashews in the oil – you need enough to coat them lightly.
Step 4
Toss the cashews until they’re coated evenly.
Step 5
Cook for about six or eight minutes, or a few minutes less if you don’t use oil. Toss the air fryer basket once or twice so that they cook evenly. This will also help to stop the cashews from burning. Check the color of the cashews every couple of minutes.
Step 6
When the cashews are golden brown, remove them from the air fryer and turn them into a bowl. Now it’s time to season your cashews. The trick here is not to go too crazy because you would not want to over-season your cashews.
If you’ve used oil, it will help the seasoning and the salt to stick. Gently sprinkle your favorite seasoning and toss the cashews until they’re well mixed.
Step 7
Let the cashews cool, and they’re ready to serve and enjoy.
It’s completely up to you what you want to add for seasoning. The pretty standard yet fancy seasoning is of garlic powder, lemon pepper, and salt; it is simple yet sophisticated. Of course, you can experiment with different seasonings – try to make your recipes!
Most people prefer to use olive oil not only because it’s healthier but it also helps the seasoning to stick better. However, before adding any oil, ensure it is suitable for use in the air fryer.
Tips for Air Frying Raw Cashew Nuts
It’s important not to add oil and seasoning to your cashews simultaneously. This will cause the seasoning to clump and cook somewhat in the oil. It will also produce an overly strong flavor you probably won’t enjoy.
It’s also important to ensure you don’t overfill your air fryer basket. Shake the basket halfway through cooking to ensure the nuts are roasted evenly.
Also, give your nuts enough time to cool before eating. This is important because they’re still soft when the cashews are hot. So eating them hot will mean you don’t get the pleasure of enjoying that crunch.
Can Roasted Nuts go Bad?
Don’t try to air fry a huge quantity of cashews in one go, and enjoy them for the whole year. However, it’s not possible to store roasted cashews for a long time, as they will go stale. Therefore, it’s best to consume your air fryer-roasted cashews within two weeks of air frying them.
You can easily spot spoiled cashews: they have a dehydrated texture and are slightly brittle. Sometimes, they will start to smell a bit off and may have a bitter taste. If you notice these things, don’t eat the cashews and throw them away instead.
Simple Roasted Cashew Nut Recipes using an Air Fryer
Just because cashews are healthy doesn’t mean they have to be boring. Here are some delicious and super easy recipes with roasted cashews to try today!
Peanut Butter
Everyone loves a PB&J sandwich, and you can make a homemade version with a twist using roasted cashews. Nothing is better than the creamy, rich goodness of homemade cashew butter with fruity jelly: blend your roasted cashews in a food processor, and you’re good to go.
Homemade Trail Mix
Trail mix is the perfect low-GI snack to keep you on a long hike or just as you go about your day. It can give you the energy boost you need in any situation. Make your own fresh homemade trail mix with roasted or unroasted cashews, dried fruits, and other nuts.
Hazelnut Butter
We all are big fans of Nutella, but this spread is expensive and loaded with sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. Instead, roast your hazelnut at home and prepare a delicious hazelnut butter. Keep it plain, or add some chocolate to make the perfect choc hazelnut spread. You can easily make your homemade version of Nutella at home in ten minutes with just some nuts roasted in the air fryer and blended in the food processor.
Almond Butter
Almond butter is well known as one the healthiest types of nut butter, and its creamy taste makes a fantastic addition to any dessert. This luxurious spread is super rich and packed with flavor.
Air Fryer Honey Roasted Nuts
The perfect mix of sweetness with salt, air-fried roasted nuts with a hint of honey is the best. You can make them with endless options cashews, almonds, and hazelnuts! They are a great snack and make the perfect addition to boring old granola bars.
Home-Made Cashew Butter
Creamy cashew butter is bound to become your favorite new snack that is the perfect fix for late-night cravings. Packed with flavor and nutrients, you can spread it on bread, mix it in your protein shakes or add it to your smoothies.
Add Cashews to Your Sauces
Roasted nuts make the perfect addition to sauces served with rice or noodles. If you are a big fan of chicken with cashew nuts or rice served with roasted peanuts, prepare a jar of roasted nuts and keep it handy when cooking.
Final Thoughts
Air fryer roasted cashews are a great ingredient in many dishes, or they make the perfect snack just on their own. You can make your own delicious, crunchy cashews with these easy air fryer recipes by learning how to make roasted nuts in the air fryer. Better still, they’ll have no preservatives, a fraction of the fat, and you’ll enjoy these delicious snacks’ taste and nutritious value by roasting them at home.