Sweet and Savory Air Fryer Walnuts
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These rosemary maple air fryer walnuts add the perfect crunch to your salads and are a delicious snack!
If you want to upgrade your salads this year, try these air fryer delicata squash rings and cranberry honey mustard! I like to thin it out with oil and vinegar for a creamy dressing.
Have you ever noticed how grocery store nuts taste bland? They aren’t crunchy and don’t have much flavor. That’s because most of those have not been toasted. This simple air fryer recipe draws out the natural nutty flavor of walnuts and makes them nice and crunchy!
This air fryer walnut recipe makes the best sweet and savory crunchy snack. It’s a great way to add a perfect crunch to salads or to enjoy as a healthy snack. Made with simple ingredients and full of healthy fats, these walnuts can be used in so many different ways in a variety of recipes!
The toasted walnuts make amazing gifts! Simply store them in a mason jar with a cute label and a pretty ribbon, and your guests will be dying to know your recipe!
Equipment for Air Fryer Candied Walnuts
For this recipe, you will need an air fryer or oven, parchment paper, a silicone spatula, and a mason jar for storage
Ingredients for Air Fryer Walnuts Recipe
Whole walnuts – We usually stock up on raw walnuts at Costco or Azure Standard. Feel free to use pecans or cashews for this recipe, too!
Coconut oil – This is my favorite all-purpose cooking oil. You don’t even need to melt it for this recipe!
Maple syrup – Maple adds the perfect sweetness and depth of flavor to take these air fryer walnuts to the next level.
Chili flakes – Just a little sprinkle of chili flakes balances the sweetness of the maple.
Rosemary powder – This is one of my favorite ingredients for adding rosemary flavor without the mess! If you can’t find it, use a spice grinder to pulverize dried rosemary and sift out any chunks.
Kosher salt – Always add salt when toasting nuts as it draws out the flavor.
How to Air Fry Walnuts
- Preheat your air fryer or oven to 375 degrees F.
- If using an air fryer, line the basket of your air fryer with a piece of parchment paper. If using an oven, add a piece of parchment to your baking sheet.
- Add all of the ingredients to the pan in a single layer.
- Put the air fryer basket or pan in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes to melt the coconut oil.
- Remove the pan and stir the spices, maple, and oil into the nuts. Return the pan to the air fryer.
- Allow the walnuts to roast for 8-10 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. Stir halfway through roasting.
- Remove the basket from the air fryer and allow the nuts to cool before storing them in a glass jar.
How to store air fryer walnuts
Choose an airtight container like a mason jar. I usually keep the walnuts in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. You can also keep them at room temperature, they last up to two months. I prefer to eat them within about a week of air frying.
Tips & Variations
- If your walnuts aren’t crunchy after roasting, they might not be completely done. You should notice a slightly richer color; the nuts will have a nice crack when properly roasted.
- Substitute your favorite nuts for this recipe. I make this same recipe with cashews and pecans all the time!
- Feel free to melt the coconut oil and toss the nuts in a small bowl before adding to the baking dish. I skip this step because it’s less to clean up!
- Use whichever neutral cooking oil you prefer. Avocado oil would be a great choice as it can handle being heated at high temperatures.
- You can also toast walnuts on the stovetop, although it is harder to track the temperature and avoid burning. I like to use my cast iron skillet set to low to medium heat.
- Instead of maple, use brown sugar. It will melt as you heat it and created a crunchy sugar coating.
How to Use Air Fryer Walnuts
I make these walnuts every week or two to add to salads! I love serving them with roasted delicata squash, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, and sliced apple.
They’re also a quick snack for hiking or traveling. I pack little bags of these whenever I fly to avoid spending $$ on those airport snacks. Add them to your favorite trail mix for a sweet and savory bite!
FAQs
Technically, anything can go bad. Roast walnuts can usually last a long time, usually about two months. Always store them in an air-tight container like a mason jar.
For best results, taste your walnuts before roasting. If they have an acrid, sour, or bitter flavor, they are most likely already rancid and shouldn’t be used. I like to store walnuts in the freezer in a freezer bag to keep them fresh longer.
Absolutely! Those air fryers can do almost anything these days. If you have an air fryer with a basket, I recommend lining your basket with parchment to keep the soil and seasoning on the nuts.
I have a Ninja air fryer with shelves. I prefer to use little stainless steel quarter sheet pans for this recipe instead of the regular basket.
The most important thing to know when toasting walnuts is the temperature! Too hot and you’ll scorch them; too low and they’ll never crisp up. The perfect temperature for toasting walnuts is 350 degrees F.
Technically, you do not need oil to toast nuts. Walnuts, especially, are naturally high in fats. However, adding a little oil speeds up the process and draws out the flavor. Plus, it helps adhere salt and other seasonings to the nuts to make them extra flavorful.
Rosemary Maple Air Fryer Walnuts
Equipment
- 1 Sheet of parchment paper
- 1 SIlicone spatula
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 tbs coconut oil
- 2 tbs maple syrup
- 1/16 tsp rosemary powder
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer or oven to 350 degrees F.
- If using an air fryer, line the basket of your air fryer with a piece of parchment paper. If using an oven, add a piece of parchment to your baking sheet.
- Add all of the ingredients to the pan in a single layer.
- Put the air fryer basket or pan in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes to melt the coconut oil.
- Remove the pan and stir the spices, maple, and oil into the nuts. Return the pan to the air fryer.
- Allow the walnuts to roast for 8-10 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. Stir halfway through roasting.
- Remove the basket from the air fryer and allow the nuts to cool before storing them in a glass jar.
Notes
Nutrition
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