My husband declared these ‘better than my favorite potato chips’! They have that sweet-salty thing going on with just a hint of spicy, and the addictive depth of flavor from the curry spices. That’s why they’ve quickly become our new favorite snack. It’s a bonus that they are really quick and easy to make.
With hiking season starting, I’m needing to have more snack food on hand. We might be a little weird, but we don’t like packing a big heavy lunch to the top of a mountain. Usually we just have a nut bar or two and head back down the trail. But… here’s the thing; I don’t even like those nut bars, so more often than not I don’t eat all day which isn’t real brilliant. Curried Cashews has been an evolving process. I first bought some at a local health food store, and that was enough to get me addicted. However, they weren’t exactly budget friendly, so a homemade version was in order. I made some with whole cashews and cashew pieces and both turned out great. The cashew pieces were significantly cheaper (especially when you buy in bulk). So, budget problem solved and now we have a healthy snack for road trips and hiking.
I used a Malaysian Curry powder that is slightly spicy, but you can use any kind of curry powder from mild to hot. For the next batch, I want to try an Indian Curry powder.
I made my curry mixture on the stove because my honey was crystalized and needed to be melted first. I found it was much easier to mix together with warm honey. If you used maple syrup instead of honey you could mix it together in a bowl.
Add the nuts to the curry mixture and thoroughly mix together. Spread them evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven to roast for 35 to 40 minutes. The nuts need to roast slowly at a low temperature to keep them from burning while curry mixture adheres. I learned this the hard way after trying to roast them at 350F and almost incinerating my first batch.
After they cool, transfer them into an airtight container for storage. I keep a portion out for immediate eating and freeze the rest for later.
Coconut Curry Recipe inspiration
- Easy Chicken Coconut Curry (Indian-inspired)
- Thai Chicken Green Coconut Curry
- Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup
- Thai Pumpkin Coconut Curry
- Ethiopian Berbere Chicken Coconut Curry
- Mango Chicken Coconut Curry
Let the hiking-snacking begin!
Update 1: I had one batch of cashews get soft after a couple of days, but I just put it in the oven at 225F until crunchy again (15 minutes).
Update 2: I started making this recipe with pecans, and it’s really good. I hate to say it, but… pecans may even be better than cashews!
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Curried Cashews
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons curry powder
- 1 Teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon honey, or maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Teaspoon olive oil
- 3 cups cashews, whole or pieces (12 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix together the first five ingredients and toss with the cashews.
- Spread the nuts in an even layer and roast for 35-40 minutes.
- Transfer to an airtight container. I made a bigger batch and put most of it in the freezer.
Notes
I noticed that my batch with the pieces of cashews was better baked at 200F for about 45-50. They seemed to need a little extra drying.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
Agree about the saltiness! Waaaaaaaay too much. Should be halved at the very least. I hope they aren’t ruined…
Hi Lauren, thanks so much for writing in, and I hope your cashews aren’t ruined! I have done some testing with common table salt and have changed the recipe to now reflects that. The recipe called for a specific kind of salt which seems to be problematic, so I’ve adapted the recipe for regular salt as opposed to the granulated Celtic sea salt called for. With the larger crystals of salt, the 1 Tablespoon previously called for isn’t that much. But it seems that most people are using regular salt which ends up being to much. So sorry if this doesn’t turn out, but just wanted to let you know the recipe has been changed to be easier to make with regular ingredients!
Kari
My life always gets kicked up a notch when I find a blog like yours! The curried cashews are in the oven now and I’m looking at the chocolate cream pie next. Thank you for being “out there” in my universe. Following you forever!
Hugs,
Geege
Reno, Nevada
Thank you so much, you just made my day, and I sure hope you enjoy the recipes! Please let me know if you have any questions about the recipes or blog!
Where do you out buy yours? Thanks a lot.
I’m not sure which ingredient you’re asking about, but I buy my cashews locally at Natural Grocers from their bulk section. I hope you enjoy the recipe, and be sure to let me know if you have anymore questions!
These are delicious! My only alteration was to reduce the salt to 3/4 tsp … I made them with the full amount of salt in the recipe the first time & they were way too salty for my preference. With that amendment – perfect. Thank you!
Thanks for adding your adjustment, (I’m sorry the first batch was too salty for you) and I’m glad you enjoyed them! I’ve been working on adding a note to all of my recipe saying ‘salt to taste’ since it varies so much from person to person. 🙂
Kari, you site looks awesome, I just found it and looking forward to trying a lot of the recipes.
For this snack do you use raw or roasted cashews?
Thanks, I hope you find a some new favorites! I use raw cashews for this recipe because the roasted ones will just burn.
Hi Kari, today I’m collecting recipes for snacks and treats. Please drop me a line on ca4ole@gmail.com if you are ok with me linking to your post on Carole’s Chatter. Cheers
They look good, will make it soon.
I definitely plan to give this a try- thanks!
OMG these sound so good! I love curry, and have done a lot of spiced nuts in my time, but never with curry seasonings. What a cool idea! I look forward to trying these.
They’re so good that it’s hard to stop eating them, I finally had to put the rest in the freezer so we had some to take hiking!
YUM YUM YUM! Cashews are so delicious 🙂 I wish they weren’t so dang expensive!
They’re not that bad when you buy Cashew pieces in bulk!