How to Toast Nuts in a Toaster Oven

Toasted nuts are crunchy, buttery, and full of delicious flavor. A small handful is absolutely THE BEST way to upgrade any salad or pasta dish. But why wait for your big oven to preheat when you can use your toaster oven instead!

How to Toast Nuts in a Toaster Oven

There are a bunch of different ways that you can toast (or roast) nuts in a toaster oven.

The first method uses the BAKE setting at 325°F for 5 to 15 minutes. It’s slow, reliable, and there’s less chance of accidentally burning the nuts.

The second way uses the TOAST setting. It’s super quick but intense so it requires your full attention.

There’s also a fun third way that’s useful if you’ve just finished baking another recipe. Or if you’re preheating the toaster oven.

Regardless of which method you choose, there’s one important thing to keep in mind: Chopped nuts toast faster than whole nuts.

Whole Nuts Vs. Chopped Nuts

For the best results, toast your nuts whole and then chop them. This way you can easily avoid burning smaller pieces.

If your nuts are already chopped, or are pieces, sliced, or slivered you can still toast them in your toaster oven. You just need to toast them for less time and check on them sooner.

What temperature should I use?

In our traditional ‘Big Oven’ I normally toast nuts at 350°F.

But in a toaster oven or countertop oven, the heating elements are much closer to your food. This makes the heat intense for small items like nuts and toasted coconut.

Lowering the temperature to 325°F or 300°F will help your nuts to toast more evenly and avoid accidentally burning them.

Toasting nuts using the BAKE setting

1. Adjust the cooking rack to the middle position.
2. Select the BAKE setting, and preheat the toaster oven to 325°F (if your oven tends to run hot, reduce the temperature to 300°F).
3. Spread nuts into an even layer on an ungreased baking sheet or pan.
4. Toast nuts, stirring or shaking the pan every 3 to 4 minutes until they become aromatic and turn light golden brown. This can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on the size and type of nuts you’re using.
5. Once toasted, remove the nuts from the toaster oven and transfer to a plate to cool completely.

How do you know when the nuts are toasted?

When you can smell them! Toasting nuts release their natural oils which leads to deeper flavors and a great nutty roasted smell.

Also, the flesh will be a golden color. Resist the urge to toast nuts until they are a deep brown.

By the time your nuts have that much color, they will be burnt and have an awful bitter flavor.

Nut Roasting Times

The total time is going to depend on the type of nuts you’re trying to toast. Below are a few time estimates for toasting raw nuts.

• Pieces, Slivers, or Chopped Nuts: 4 to 7 minutes.
• Whole Pecan, Cashews, Shelled Pistachios, or Walnuts: 5 to 8 minutes.
• Whole Almonds, Macadamia, or Hazelnuts: 7 to 12 minutes.
• Mixed Nuts: Begin checking at the shortest time listed for the different nuts in the mix.

Since all toaster ovens and nuts are different, yours may toast faster or slower. So check on them early and often!

Toasting nuts using the TOAST setting

As I mentioned in this post on 3 Easy Toaster Oven Settings, how the ‘TOAST’ function works can vary greatly from appliance to appliance.

On our large countertop oven, the machine has a mysterious toast setting that adjusts depending on the number of slices and level of darkness selected.

If you have this type of oven, the BAKE setting is better for toasting nuts.

In our smaller (translation: basic) toaster oven, there is just a temperature dial and timer. When you turn the knob to TOAST the elements put out an equal amount of heat.

This type of oven is great for quickly toasting nuts!

1. Start by spreading the nuts in an even layer on an ungreased sheet pan.
2. Adjust the wire cooking rack to the center position and place the pan on the rack.
3. Turn the Functions/Temperature Dial to TOAST
4. Set the timer for a LIGHT to MEDIUM toasting (about 3 to 4 minutes)
5. Shake or stir the pan after 2 minutes of cooking. Continue checking on the nuts every 30 seconds after that until they are fragrant, lightly toasted, and deeper in color, adding more time as needed. (Whole pistachios and whole pecans took us about 4 minutes to toast.)
6. Transfer nuts to a plate or a cool baking sheet to stop the cooking process. If you leave them on the hot pan they will keep toasting and burn.

Have you tried toasting nuts while preheating the oven?

I learned this fun toaster oven hack when I was testing our banana oat muffins recipe.

Instead of waiting for the toaster oven to be fully preheated before toasting the nuts, I tried adding the pan to the oven while it was heating up.

And it worked out fantastically! The walnuts were crisped, golden, and ready for the muffin batter in just a few minutes.

If you give this shortcut a try make sure to set a timer and check on the nuts early since all ovens preheat a little differently.

Alternatively, if you’re already baking something and have nuts that need to be toasted you can just add them to the pan near the end of the cooking time.

Take our Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Kale Salad for example. Once the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, I scooch them to the side, add the sliced almonds and pop the pan back in the toaster oven for 4 or 5 minutes until the nuts are lightly toasted.

More Nut Toasting FAQs

Do You Need Oil to Toast Nuts?

No, you can dry toast/roast the nuts. If you want to add oil you can, just keep it to a light coating and use around 1/4 teaspoon oil for every 1/2 cup of nuts.

Will toasting make my raw nuts crunchy?

Yes. Provided they’re not rancid (trust me you’ll know if they are), toasting nuts removes moisture and dries them out. Once cooled, your toasted nuts will be crunchier.

How Should I Store Toasted Nuts?

Leftover toasted nuts can be stored in a well-sealed container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. After that, you can store them in the fridge or freezer for months.

More Toaster Oven Tips and Guides

• Toaster Oven Frozen Pizza Tips
• How to Air Fry With a Convection Toaster Oven
• How to Toast Oats
• How to Toast a Bagel In A Toaster Oven
• How to Bake Muffins in a Toaster Oven
• How to Reheat Pizza in a Toaster Oven