Baking with nuts is a great way to add flavor and texture to your baked goods. But like any ingredient, it’s important to know the best way to prepare nuts before using them – and which nut is best to use in the recipe you’re making! Here is my cheat sheet that I reference in my kitchen when I’m baking with nuts!
Walnuts
Walnuts have a mild, buttery flavor that makes them perfect for baking into cookies and cakes. They have a high oil content, so they tend to toast much faster than other varieties. Because of this, it’s best to use raw walnuts to prevent them from burning during the baking process.
To add an even stronger flavor to cookies, try using chopped black walnuts. They have a more savory flavor than regular walnuts, which is perfect for cookies made with sweet ingredients like toffee or white chocolate.
Pecans
This nut is a popular baking ingredient in the south, and for good reason! Pecans develop a rich flavor, and brittle, crunchy texture when baked. Use pecan halves in pies and cookies, or grind them up with butter and sugar to create a decadent gluten-free pie crust!
Hazelnuts
Whole hazelnuts are a delicious addition to dessert, but are one of the most time intensive nuts to prepare. Before using the nuts, you’ll need to remove the skin, which can become bitter and flaky when baked. To do this, toast the hazelnuts for 8 minutes at 250 degrees, then use a clean kitchen towel to rub the skin off. Since hazelnuts have a lower oil content than other nuts, it’s ok to toast them before baking with them.
I love using whole hazelnuts to garnish fancy desserts or cakes because they have such a uniform, round shape. Hazelnuts also pair best with chocolate, which makes them ideal to use for chocolate nut butter, or truffle filling!
Almonds
One of the most versatile nuts for baking, raw almonds can be used for anything from a gluten-free flour substitute to topping shortbread. To make almond flour, also known as almond meal, simply grind the nuts in a food processor for 30 to 40 seconds. Use almond flour with another gluten free flour blend or in conjunction with all-purpose flour to give baked goods a chewy, nutty texture.
To give almonds a milder taste and lighter color, you can remove the skins by boiling the nuts for 1 minute. Rinse the almonds in cool water to loosen the skin, which will then be easy to peel off the nut.
Pistachios
Pistachios are commonly used in Middle Eastern baking for dishes like baklava. They are also used as garnish for many desserts because of their bright green color. Pistachios have a cherry-like flavor that isn’t too sweet and pairs excellently with fruit or other sugary ingredients. Try grinding them up to using as crust for a fruit tart or mix them with honey for a pastry filling. When baking, I always look for shelled pistachios (like Diamond® Nuts!) to cut back on time!
Macadamia Nuts
Since some macadamia nuts are grown in Hawaii, this nut is most commonly used with light, tropical flavors like pineapple or white chocolate. They are high in oil, so they take on a deep buttery flavor and texture when baked. They are my favorite kind of nut to use in chocolate chip cookies or brittle!
Pine Nuts
You may think of pine nuts as a savory recipe addition, but their earthy flavor and soft texture also make them ideal for baking. If you haven’t used them before, try throwing a handful into cookie batter or bake them into a lightly sweet snack cake.
What is your favorite kind of nut to bake with? I’d love to know how you use them! Share in the comment section below!
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FAQs
The simplest way to incorporate nuts in your baking is to finely chop them and simply fold them through your batters.
What are the best nuts to bake with? ›
Walnuts have a mild, buttery flavor that makes them perfect for baking into cookies and cakes. They have a high oil content, so they tend to toast much faster than other varieties. Because of this, it's best to use raw walnuts to prevent them from burning during the baking process.
What temperature should you roast nuts at? ›
How to do it: Spread nuts in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or in a smaller baking pan). Bake in the center of a preheated 325°F oven, stirring to redistribute nuts every 5 minutes or so. Keep your eyes peeled and your nose on alert: Nuts in the oven can quickly go from just right to burned.
How do you activate nuts in the oven? ›
Rinse the nuts under running water and pat dry. Spread over a dehydrator rack, or baking tray. Dry in the dehydrator for around 12-24 hours. If drying in the oven, set the oven at the lowest temperature possible, preferably no more than 65C.
Should you soak nuts before baking? ›
Soaking your nuts beforehand will lead to better absorption of the spices and result in a crunchier, easier to chew texture. You may be tempted to turn the heat up, but don't! If you roast them at too high a temperature you'll have a dark outside and a raw inside, leading to an inconsistent flavor.
How long to roast nuts in oven at 350? ›
Spread them out in an even layer on a sheet pan, and pop them in a 350° oven. Generally speaking, lighter, more tender nuts like pecans, pistachios, and walnuts will take 6-8 minutes to get to a good place. Denser nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and macadamias will take more like 8-10 minutes to finish toasting.
Do you use raw nuts in baking? ›
Raw nuts make quick, convenient, and healthy snacks, but when it comes to desserts like pies and cakes, garnishes for salads, or toppings for pasta bowls, toasted nuts adds extra flavor.
How long to dry nuts in the oven? ›
You Can Dry Nuts/Seeds in the Oven
Set your oven to the lowest temperature possible. Dry nuts for 30 minutes to 1 hour on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Remove a nut/seed, cool it and taste. Is it crunchy?
What is the purpose of nuts in baking? ›
One of the most common uses for nuts in baking is to add flavor and texture to cookies, cakes, and breads. For example, almonds can be ground and used to make marzipan, a sweet paste that is often used as a filling for cakes and pastries.
How do you store nuts for baking? ›
The Best Way to Store Nuts
The refrigerator, yes, but specifically, LaMarita recommends refrigerating nuts in air-tight glass jars. Store any extra nuts in the freezer in the bags they came in, he says.
Most nuts take 8-10 minutes to toast, but often the smell of roasting nuts is a sign that they are done. It's important to check them as soon as you smell them because they can burn before you know it! For maximum crunch, let the nuts cool before using them in your recipe.
Should you toast nuts before baking with them? ›
Answer: Yes, nuts are great as-is, but they can be better. Way better. Toasting nuts draws the natural oils to the surface, intensifying the rich nutty essence, creating a deeper color, and making the nuts crunchier. Toasting your nuts prior to adding them to a recipe can improve the flavor and texture of any dish.
What is the difference between toasting and roasting? ›
In general, roasting is a process where the temperature is lower but the time is higher (may be more than several minutes) while toasting is conducted at a much higher temperature for a short duration (say less than one minute). Until the late nineteenth century, dry heat roasting in an oven was called baking.
How to incorporate nuts into cooking? ›
A breading seasoning for meat recipes: If you pan frying, prepare a breading seasoning and coat vegetables, chicken, meat or fish by grounding and mixing almonds, cashews, walnuts and peanuts and retain moisture and crunchy texture of your food.
How to add nuts to cake batter? ›
If you decide to go this route (which is a bit unexpected and not quite a natural fit), you'll want to cut the nuts or fruit into small pieces, then dust them in a bit of flour before adding them to the batter; this will prevent them from sinking to the bottom and instead will allow the ingredient to be evenly ...
