Dry-roasting almonds – so yummy that no salt is needed!

Dry roasting almonds in the oven at home is super simple. Dry-roasted almonds are an affordable, nutritious, and healthy alternative to shop-bought snacks and it is so simple that I can’t believe that I didn’t start earlier!

I shared on Instagram, a short video of how I started roasting almonds and nuts at home to control the salt and unhealthy fats in our snacks. And to be honest, homemade roasted almonds look so much better in the pantry than store-bought bags… Read the following tips to start making your homemade almond snacks!

Tips for making dry roasting almonds

• You can use both unbleached and blanched almonds for roasting.
• Roast the almonds on a single layer for best result and even roasting.
• Make a bigger batch at the same go, just divide them into small batches about half a kilo per oven pan to roast them evenly. 
• Toss the almonds in the oven after making an oven-baked dinner to minimize the energy used!

… and why you want to dry roast yourself

• Dry-roasted almonds are simply prepared in the oven without any oil needed (nor salt)!
• The price difference between roasting the nuts at home or buying from the shop is huge!
• You support your natural lifestyle when roasting your own nuts at home instead of buying all the tiny plastic bags of random nut snacks and knowing what you actually eat.
• Good Food (BBC) listed the almonds as number 1 of the top 10 healthiest nuts.

Yummy ideas for using dry-roasted almonds

So here are some ideas for you on how to increase the amount of almonds you eat daily: Eat the roasted almonds as healthy snacks or, turn them into almond milk or almond butter with a food processor. Use them in muffins, or almond cakes, or mix them in your homemade granola. Crush some almonds to roll in the kefir crêpes, on the top of salads and soups, or wrap them in a small piece of carton paper, and tie a bow to give as a natural gift. You can drop some almonds in your glogg or follow the Nordic Christmas tradition and hide one almond in the rice porridge on Christmas morning to let the founder have good luck for the next year.

Ingredients you need

Raw whole almonds. The simplest recipe you can find! I like to use unblanched almonds, but if you have a sensitive stomach, notice that the blanched almonds digest better when you snack whole almonds.

You can find the exact measurements on the recipe card.

Tools you may need

• Oven pan
• Parchment paper
• Glass jar

How to dry roast almonds at home

Try first with one batch to see how your oven toasts the almonds. Every oven works slightly differently so it is safer to test with one batch and follow the roasting before doubling down. I roast regularly (almost once a week!) one kilo of almonds in two oven pans at a time. Once cooled, half I store in a jar for snacks the other half I make into roasted almond butter. Now let’s get into the recipe.

Step one: Heat the oven

Start with setting the oven temperature at 190°C (374°F). Spread the raw almonds on a single layer on an oven pan covered with the baking sheet. 

Step two: Roast the almonds

Set the oven pan with raw almonds on the middle to upper rack into the preheated oven. Roast almonds for 10 minutes.

Step three: Mix the almonds and second roasting

After 10 minutes of roasting mix the almonds a bit and return them to roast an additional 5 minutes. 

| PRO TIP: Use the parchment paper to mix easily: crab from the opposite corners to let the almonds slide in the middle. Repeat with the other opposite corners. Now spread the almonds again to a single layer and continue with the second roasting.

If you are roasting two oven pans at the same time switch the lower pan to a higher shelf at the second roasting to switch places and roast more evenly.

Step four: Check the roast

One good sign of perfectly roasted almonds is the beautiful scent that comes to the kitchen. Let them cool a bit and try one if it has a good nutty flavor and crunchy feeling. If not continue roasting a few minutes at a time watching carefully that they do not burn. I have had so many times burned nuts because I have underestimated these minutes! Burnt nuts do not taste good!

Notice too, that almonds do continue roasting still for a moment when you have taken them off from the oven before they cool down.

How to tweak this recipe

• Add some garlic powder or paprika powder to roast with seasoning.
• Mix with other nuts like cashews and some dried raisins to make your own trail mix.

Almond the nutrition powerhouse 

Almonds are a fantastic source of antioxidants, vitamin E, calcium, manganese, and magnesium, to name a few of the nutrients they contain. These beautiful little tree nuts, which originate from the Middle East, are also a protein—and fiber-rich snack that our family has learned to rely on. Regular consumption of almonds can help reduce high cholesterol levels and the risks of heart problems. 

How much to eat almonds daily

If you are wondering how much almonds you should eat daily, general nutrition advice is to eat about 23 almonds a day for your health benefits. The best of course is to enjoy the unsalted almonds and dry roast them without random oils. Otherwise, there is no remarkable nutritional difference between roasted, raw, or flavored almonds, so you can get the same nutrients in any form. Like any other healthy food, almond has some side effects when overdosing, like digestive issues, vitamin E overdose, or even weight gain, so don’t get carried away.

Of course, If you roast almonds with plenty of oil and add a ton of sea salt, you will get those extra on top of the healthy nutrients of almonds – so that’s why this recipe is so plain and simple to get only the amazing flavor of the almonds by dry roasting them.

Have you roasted almonds?

Have you tried this recipe yet? Tag me on Instagram with @blue.tea.tile or let me know in the comments, I would love to know how beautiful your homemade almond snacks turned out !

You can find the recipe card below!

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