How to Roast Brazil Nuts

Making Oven-Roasted Brazil Nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and spread Brazil nuts on a rimmed baking sheet. To make a big batch of toasted nuts, pour 3 cups (400 g) of shelled Brazil nuts onto a rimmed sheet. Feel free to toast a smaller amount. If you'd like to roast even more Brazil nuts, divide the nuts between 2 baking sheets.

Toss the nuts with oil, sweeteners, or spices, if you'd like. Although you can toast the nuts without anything else, drizzle them with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable oil or melted butter for a richer flavor. To give the nuts a slightly sweet flavor, add 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (42 g) of honey or maple syrup. If you'd like a spicy taste, toss in 1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of mixed spice or cayenne pepper.Tip: Use 1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) of your favorite seasonings instead of the cinnamon and mixed spice. Try cajun seasoning, curry powder, or rosemary, for instance. Once you've mixed the nuts with any of the optional seasonings, arrange the nuts so they're in a single layer.

Put the sheet in the oven and toast the nuts for 8 to 10 minutes. Nuts don't take very long to roast, so it's important to stir them every few minutes so they don't burn in spots. Toast the nuts until you can smell them and they turn light brown. If you're not sure whether they're finished toasting, use tongs to remove a nut from the sheet. Carefully cut the nut in half to see if it's pale brown throughout. If it's not, toast the nuts for another minute and check them again.

Transfer the roasted nuts to another sheet and cool them completely. Wear oven mitts to take the Brazil nuts out of the oven and immediately spoon them onto a clean rimmed baking sheet. Leave the nuts to cool before you store them or eat them. If you leave the nuts on the hot baking sheet, they'll continue to cook from the residual heat. They'll also take longer to cool down. To store the Brazil nuts, put them in an airtight container. Keep them at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Making Stovetop-Toasted Nuts

Pour 1 cup (133 g) of Brazil nuts into a dry skillet. Set a large skillet on the stove and spread the nuts into the pan. Arrange them so they're in a single layer to help them cook evenly. Avoid tossing the nuts with oil or melted butter, since the nuts already contain oil and extra oil would cause the nuts to burn.

Turn the burner to medium and begin shaking the skillet. Put on an oven mitt and hold the handle of the skillet. Gently shake the skillet back and forth so it's still coming into contact with the burner. Shaking moves around all of the nuts at once, but if you prefer, you could stir them constantly with a spoon or spatula.

Cook the nuts for 2 to 4 minutes. Since the Brazil nuts toast much faster on the stove than in the oven, don't walk away from the skillet. Keep shaking the pan and turn off the burner once the nuts smell fragrant and turn pale brown. If you don't shake the pan or move the nuts, they'll burn or blister in spots.

Transfer the nuts to a sheet and cool or season them. Carefully spoon the toasted nuts onto a rimmed baking sheet or plate. You can leave them to cool completely or toss the nuts with any of the following flavorings before they finish cooling:Tip: Store the cooled Brazil nuts in an airtight container. Keep the nuts at room temperature and use them within 1 week. 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of melted butter 2 teaspoons (28 g) of honey or maple syrup 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of ground cinnamon 1 pinch of mixed spice or cayenne pepper.

Microwaving Brazil Nuts

Put 1 cup (133 g) of nuts into a microwave-safe dish. Get out a shallow bowl or pie plate and spread the Brazil nuts so they're in a single layer. If you don't want to toast a full cup, it's fine to use less. If you'd like to roast more nuts, microwave them in batches instead of all at once. If you crowd the dish, the nuts steam instead of toast.

Toss the nuts with optional oil, butter, spices, or sweeteners. For a richer taste, mix 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of vegetable oil or melted butter with the nuts along with 2 teaspoons (28 g) of honey or maple syrup, if you'd like them sweet. To make spiced nuts, stir in 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of ground cinnamon and 1 pinch of mixed spice or cayenne pepper.Tip: Adjust the spices based on your preferences. For example, if you want smoky, spiced nuts, substitute smoked paprika for the cinnamon or use ground ginger in place of the mixed spice for a spicy flavor.

Microwave the nuts for 1 minute. Place the dish of Brazil nuts into the microwave and adjust the setting so it's at full power. Microwave the nuts for a full minute without stopping the machine or stirring the nuts.

Stir the nuts and microwave them in 30-second increments until they're pale brown. Carefully stir the hot nuts and spread them back into a single layer. Then, microwave them for another 30 seconds before stirring them again. Keep doing this until the nuts are fragrant and lightly brown. The total amount of time it takes to microwave the nuts depends on your appliance and the amount of nuts you're toasting.

Remove the nuts and cool them in a separate dish. Put on oven mitts to remove the dish from the microwave and slowly pour the toasted nuts into another dish or rimmed baking sheet. Cool the nuts completely before you put them into an airtight container or begin eating them. To store the nuts, keep the airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.