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These sweet and salty almonds are slowly roasted in the oven before being tossed with an addicting blend of sugar and salt. Serve them with drinks as an appetizer, incorporate them in salads, or use them as a topping for ice cream!
I can’t believe I am releasing this recipe just now, even though I have been making these almonds for the past five years!
This recipe was inspired by a brand of roasted almonds I used to love years ago. Those almonds were roasted and tossed with a dreamy combination of honey, sugar, and salt, making them incredibly addicting – I could eat the whole package in one sitting. After switching to a vegan diet, I stopped eating them, as they contained honey powder.
After a few tests in the kitchen, I could finally recreate my beloved snack! My almonds are slowly roasted for an even crunch and tossed with an addicting blend of salt and sugar. They are simply the best almonds I have ever had.
⭐️ Why You Should Try It
Dangerously addictive.
If you are like us, you will get addicted to these almonds in NO TIME. The blend of nuttiness, sweetness, and a hint of saltiness makes your hand so uncontrollable that you will literally see yourself digging into the jar again and again.
I usually prepare these almonds when I have guests coming, to serve them alongside some drinks as an appetizer. A couple of times, guests even asked me to fill them a small jar so they could bring some home (true story!). That shows how addictive these almonds are!
Sweet, salty, crunchy & nutty.
Instead of roasting the almonds for 15-20 minutes, I slowly roast them for about 2 hours at a lower heat. This allows the almonds to absorb the syrup, get evenly crunchy, perfectly golden brown, and not overly toasty. They also don’t taste bitter or are too hard. Don’t get me wrong, they are crunchy but not rock-hard crunchy.
After roasting, the almonds are tossed with more sugar and salt, which sticks to them, giving them extra texture and flavor.
Made with only 4 simple ingredients.
This recipe is so simple that it only requires almonds, sugar, salt, oil, and water. The process is very simple as it consists of coating the almonds with homemade syrup, roasting them, and finally tossing them with sugar and salt.
🌰 Ingredient Notes
Almonds
For this recipe, you want to use blanched almonds – they have an off-white color as they have been stripped of their skin. You can typically find them in the supermarket or get them online.
My favorite almonds: Marcona almonds are basically the queen of all almonds. These round almonds are grown in Spain and are rounder, sweeter, and softer than California almonds (you can learn more about Marcona almonds in this article by The Spruce Eats). Note that I didn’t use them in the photos of this recipe as I didn’t have any left. Sigh!
How to blanch almonds: Blanched almonds are quite costly, and, most of the time, more expensive than unblanched almonds. If you want to save money, you can use regular almonds and blanch them yourself – it’s super simple! To do so:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the almonds and boil them for one minute.
- Drain them and transfer them to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Use your hands to squeeze each almond, they will pop out of their skin.
- Allow the almonds to dry on a plate lined with kitchen paper towels before using.
Sugar
Granulated sugar works best here as it doesn’t impart any flavor. I wish I could tell you that you can use healthier types of sugar, such as coconut sugar, but unfortunately, I didn’t get any good results when I tried it.
Salt
To balance with the sweetness.
Oil
Since the almonds are coated with sugar syrup, I add a tablespoon of oil to prevent them from sticking to each other.
🥣 How to Make It
- Make the syrup. Add the sugar, water, oil, and salt to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat.
- Toss the almonds. Transfer the almonds to a large mixing bowl and pour in the syrup. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, toss to coat the almonds with the syrup.
- Spread the almonds. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, spread the almonds into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Note: if there is leftover syrup, simply discard it, do not add it to the baking sheet.
- Roast. Next, roast the almonds for 1 hour and 50 minutes, stirring every 30-45 minutes. The almonds are done when they are evenly golden brown and just slightly sticky.
- Toss with sugar. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle the remaining sugar and salt. Toss to coat the almonds evenly and allow them to cool for about 1 hour.
The almonds will be soft while still warm but will harden as they cool. Don’t worry if they are still very slightly sticky, they won’t be anymore after cooling down.
📔 Tips
- Keep an eye on the almonds. I have tried this recipe with regular-size almonds as well as Marcona almonds and figured that 1 hour and 50 minutes was the perfect roasting duration. However, depending on your oven and the size of your almonds, you might have to adjust that, so check the almonds from time to time to ensure they are not too brown.
- Toss them while still warm. Toss the almonds with the granulated sugar when they are still hot and just slightly sticky. This will help the sugar coating stick to the almonds better.
- Allow them to cool completely. It’s essential to let the almonds cool for at least 1 hour before transferring them to a jar or container. Allowing the almonds to cool on the baking sheet helps them get a crunchy texture and prevents them from sticking to each other.
🥃 What to Serve It With
My favorite way to serve these almonds is with some drinks as an appetizer. They go particularly well with apricot liquor! You can also use them in:
- Trail mix: Combine the almonds with raisins, cranberries, banana chips, chocolate chips, roasted cashews, or peanuts for a super delicious trail mix!
- In salads: Incorporate these almonds in green salads for extra crunch and nuttiness.
- As a topping: Slightly crush the almonds and use them as a topping for vanilla ice cream!
❄️ Storing
- To store: To keep the almonds crunchy, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay crunchy for up to 2 weeks.
💬 FAQ
You can use unblanched almonds but to be honest, blanched almonds yield a much superior taste and texture.
You can test the doneness of your almonds by removing one from the oven and letting it cool for 5-7 minutes. Then, try to break it between your hands. It should snap and be golden brown on the inside.
I have made these roasted almonds over and over, and they’ve been a hit with every guest. My dad loves them so much that he has even asked me to teach him how to make them! I hope you will love it as much as we do!
⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
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Sweet and Salty Almonds
Ingredients
- 2 cup raw blanched almonds
Syrup
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
For Dusting
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to
240 °F (115°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. - Make the syrup. Add the sugar, water, oil, and salt to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat.
- Toss the almonds. Transfer the almonds to a large mixing bowl and pour in the syrup. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, toss to coat the almonds with the syrup.
- Spread the almonds. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, spread the almonds into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Note: if there is leftover syrup, simply discard it, do not add it to the baking sheet.
- Roast. Next, roast the almonds for 1 hour and 50 minutes, stirring every 30-45 minutes. The almonds are done when they are evenly golden brown and just slightly sticky.
- Toss with sugar. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle the remaining sugar and salt. Toss to coat the almonds evenly and allow them to cool for about 1 hour.
- To store: To keep the almonds crunchy, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay crunchy for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Keep an eye on the almonds. I have tried this recipe with regular-size almonds as well as Marcona almonds and figured that 1 hour and 50 minutes was the perfect roasting duration. However, depending on your oven and the size of your almonds, you might have to adjust that, so check the almonds from time to time to ensure they are not too brown.
- Toss them while still warm. Toss the almonds with the granulated sugar when they are still hot and just slightly sticky. This will help the sugar coating stick to the almonds better.
- Allow them to cool completely. It’s essential to let the almonds cool for at least 1 hour before transferring them to a jar or container. Allowing the almonds to cool on the baking sheet helps them get a crunchy texture and prevents them from sticking to each other.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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This appetizer is addictive. I couldn’t stop myself from eating it. We made a trail mix with roasted cashews, peanuts, pecans, and raisins. This became one of my favorite snacks in front of a movie. Highly recommend!