Honey Sesame Cashews (Printable Version)

Crunchy roasted cashews in a sweet honey-sesame glaze, ready in 25 minutes for snacking or gifting.

# What You'll 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

→ Coating

06 - 3 tablespoons sesame seeds (white or mixed)
07 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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 the vanilla extract.
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 in the oven for 10 minutes.
05 - Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and sugar evenly over the cashews, then stir gently to coat all sides.
06 - Return the cashews to the oven and roast for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Watch closely to prevent burning.
07 - Remove from the oven and let the cashews cool completely on the baking sheet. They will crisp up as they cool. Break apart any stuck clusters once fully cooled.
08 - Transfer the cooled cashews to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The honey glaze caramelizes in the oven and creates this shatteringly crisp shell that makes store bought versions taste like cardboard.
  • These take almost no effort but look like something you would find in a fancy artisan food shop, which makes them perfect for gifting or impressing guests who drop by unexpectedly.
  • Everything cooks on one baking sheet, so cleanup is almost nonexistent.
02 -
  • The cashews will seem sticky and soft when you first pull them from the oven, and panicking and putting them back in is the fastest way to burn them. Trust the cooling process because they crisp up dramatically at room temperature.
  • Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, not foil, because honey glaze bonds to foil in a way that will ruin both the nuts and your pan.
03 -
  • Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet before adding them to the cashews for a deeper, nuttier flavor that makes the whole batch taste more complex.
  • Stir the cashews halfway through the first roast so the glaze coats evenly and no single nut ends up with all the stickiness burned onto one side.

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