Honey Sesame Cashews (Printable)
Sweet honey-glazed roasted cashews with toasted sesame seeds, ready in just 25 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Nuts
01 - 2 cups raw cashews
→ Glaze
02 - 1/4 cup honey
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
05 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
→ Coating
06 - 3 tablespoons sesame seeds (white or mixed)
07 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional, for extra crunch)
# How-To:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the honey and sea salt until well combined. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract if using.
03 - Place the raw cashews in a mixing bowl. Pour the honey-butter glaze over the cashews and toss thoroughly until every nut is evenly coated.
04 - Spread the coated cashews in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.
05 - Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the cashews and stir gently to coat evenly. Add granulated sugar if desired for extra crunch.
06 - Return the cashews to the oven and roast for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Watch closely to prevent burning.
07 - Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet. The cashews will crisp up as they cool. Break apart any clusters as needed.
08 - Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The honey butter glaze caramelizes in the oven and creates a candy shell coating that shatters when you bite into it.
- These taste like something from a specialty shop but require exactly one saucepan and a baking sheet.
- They make genuinely impressive gifts when you put them in a little jar with a ribbon, and people will assume you spent far more time than you did.
02 -
- These cashews will seem soft when they come out of the oven but they crisp up as they cool, so resist the urge to overbake them.
- The second roast goes from perfect to burnt in under a minute, so set a timer and stay near the oven during those last few minutes.
03 -
- Taste your honey before using it because a strongly floral or bitter honey will dominate the entire batch.
- Give the cashews plenty of space on the baking sheet since overcrowding leads to steaming instead of roasting and you lose that essential crunch.