Is Toasting Nuts at Home Worth It? (2024)

FAQs

Is Toasting Nuts at Home Worth It? ›

Toasting nuts at home is worth it.

Summary: Both raw and roasted nuts are healthy. It's best to roast them yourself at a low-to-medium temperature of about 284°F (140°C) for roughly 15 minutes.

So, although certain antioxidants are lost, a small amount of antioxidants may also be formed during a prolonged roasting process. Some vitamins inherent in the nuts may also be affected by the roasting process, specifically vitamin E, thiamine (vitamin B1) and the carotenoids.

Raw and roasted nuts have a similar nutritional profile. However, roasted nuts are higher in fat and calories because they lose moisture during heating. While the difference is not that significant, you might want to keep it in mind if you're watching your weight and wondering what the healthiest nuts to eat are.

If this occurs in too many minerals, a mineral deficiency can occur. Soaking raw cashews prior to roasting them breaks down this phytic acid, allowing it to be absorbed properly and giving your body the minerals it needs.

Pour 1 cup of whichever nuts or seeds you want to toast onto an unlined, rimmed sheet pan—but not a combination of several kinds; again, they won't all toast at the same speed. Drizzle the nuts with 1 tablespoon oil (I often use olive oil, but grapeseed or avocado oil will also do the trick).

Place rinsed nuts in a bowl and toss well with sea salt. Spread tossed nuts on parchment paper and place in oven for 8 minutes, then stir them to ensure all sides get evenly dried, and roast for another 7 minutes.

Using the oven to toast your nuts is ideal because an oven provides uniform, even heat, which means that the nuts are going to be toasted from the inside out. Nothing burnt on the outsides and nothing raw on the inside.

The primary difference between raw and roasted nuts is that roasted nuts are dry-heated through a process of oven-roasting or frying. Both methods aim to improve the taste and texture of the nuts. The method of dry-heating is important when considering the fat content of different nuts.

Why avoid roasted nuts? ›

When polyunsaturated fats are exposed to heat, as is the case with roasting, they're more likely to become damaged or oxidized. This can lead to the formation of harmful free radicals, which can damage your cells. Oxidized fat, or rancid fat, is responsible for the “off” taste and smell in some nuts.

1. Almonds. Relatively low in calories, almonds are an excellent food for health due to their protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Almonds might be delicious, but bitter almonds can be deadly. The kind we eat by the handful are sweet almonds, but bitter almonds are actually apricot kernels. Even though they're what gives that almond flavor to things like marzipan, eating them raw is dangerous.

Roasting is defined as a slow-cooking method, wherein indirect heat is used to evenly cook the food on all sides. There are two types of roasting: dry roasting and oil roasting. Dry roasting is a type of roasting in which no oil is used, whereas oil roasting is just that - when oil is used in the cooking process.

Roasting nuts can actually enhance digestibility, making them easier on your stomach, especially if you have digestive sensitivities. Researchers have found that roasted almonds, for example, are easier to digest than their raw counterparts.

Though the difference in nutritional value is minimal, the nutrients in roasted vs. raw pumpkin seeds differ slightly. For example, cooking pumpkin seeds can decrease the potency of water-soluble vitamins like B vitamins, riboflavin and thiamine.