Curry Coconut Roasted Cashews
These roasted cashews are super crunchy with a sweet, spiced curry flavor enhanced with chewy flaked coconut. Learn how to make this easy roasted nut recipe for snacking, perking up salads, munching with cocktails or gifting for the holidays.
If you like recipes you can prepare in advance with minimal effort and maximum reward, this roasted nuts recipe is for you.
I’ve been making variations of spiced nuts for years. These Sweet Spicy Christmas Nuts are my website’s most popular food gift, and these Mexican Hot Chocolate Spiced Nuts are fan favorites, too.
Spiced nuts, like these roasted cashews, are delicious for snacking or pairing with cocktails before dinner. I also use them as hostess gifts, party favors and holiday gifts. Whatever your reason for making these roasted nuts, everyone will love them.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works:
- It makes a big batch of roasted cashews.
- It uses an egg wash instead of butter or oil to get the spice blend to stick to the nuts.
- You can use a sweet, mild or spicy curry powder – whatever your preference is.
- There’s no sticky residue left on your fingers, so you can munch without making a mess.
- The roasted nuts are super crunchy.
- These curry coconut cashews are sweet, salty and spicy all at the same time.
- They pair well with cocktails or mocktails and make a tasty snack.
- This cashew recipe travels well and lasts for weeks in an airtight container.
- Makes a great food gift or hostess gift.
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Ingredients:
- Whole Raw Cashews – I found them at Costco, but you’ll also want to check out the bulk foods department at Whole Foods, Sprouts or other markets.
- Granulated Sugar – do not substitute brown sugar or Stevia.
- Curry Powder – I used a sweet curry powder blend from Penzey’s, but you can also use a medium or spicy curry — or mix up your own.
- Ground Cinnamon – to give the spice mixture a warm, sweet note.
- Ground Cumin – adds a smoky flavor to the roasted nuts.
- Cayenne Pepper – for a bit of heat. The way the recipe is written, the heat isn’t very spicy, so if you like more tingle on your tongue, increase the amount to ½ teaspoon.
- Ground Ginger – rounds out the spice blend and makes the seasoning pop.
- Salt – to temper the sugar and make the roasted cashews a sweet and savory snack.
- Egg White – is the glue that binds the curry blend to the nuts.
- Water – added to the egg white mixture, thins the whites so that it coats the nuts without being sticky or oozy.
- Sweetened Flaked Coconut—Curry and coconut are a naturally delicious pairing, and the coconut adds a chewy note to the crunchy roasted cashews.
Step By Step Directions:
- Combine the sugar, curry powder, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, ground ginger and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Separate one an egg. Reserve the yolk for another purpose.
3. Combine the egg white and water in a large bowl and whisk aggressively for 1-2 minutes until the whites are very foamy and light without a lot of liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
4. Add the raw cashews to the frothy egg whites.
5. Use a large spatula to fold the whites into the nuts until they’re completely coated and tacky, but not soppy wet. If there is excess liquid egg white at the bottom of the bowl add a handful of nuts a little at a time, mixing after each addition until there’s no more liquid on the bottom of the bowl and the cashews are totally glazed with the egg wash.
6. Add the sugar and spice blend and fold it into the cashews until they’re evenly coated and there is no more dry spice blend loose in the bowl.
7. Transfer the curried cashews to two parchment-lined half-sheet pans or rimmed baking sheet. Roast in a 350° F oven for 10 minutes.
8. Divide the flaked coconut between the pans and stir it into the cashews until it’s evenly distributed. Spread the nuts into a single layer and return the pan to the oven to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
9. Let the roasted cashews cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. The nuts will get crisper as they cool.
Pro-Tips:
- Whip the egg whites until they’re foamy, and there is very little excess liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
- The cashews should be coated and glistening but not sopping wet after mixing them with the egg whites.
- If egg white liquid is left in the bottom of the bowl, add another handful of nuts and toss well again. The nuts should be tacky, but the excess liquid will make them too wet and goopy.
- Use all of the spice mix to coat the nuts. Sometimes, even though you’ve tossed them well, pockets of sugar and spice will be caught in the nuts and won’t adhere. Just keep tossing until all the spice mixture is stuck to the cashews.
- Using low heat (350°) to dry and crisp the nuts without burning is important.
Variations:
- Try different curry blends, from sweet (what I use) to moderate heat or spicy. If you choose a hot curry, you can tone down or eliminate the cayenne pepper in the recipe.
- Try it with other nuts, such as pecans, macadamia, almonds or other tree nuts.
- Add dried fruit to make a trail mix. The fruit should be added AFTER the cashews have been roasted and cooled. Golden raisins, chopped dates or figs would be delicious with these spiced nuts.
Storage:
- Roasted cashews can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two (or even three) weeks.
- Do not refrigerate or freeze the nuts, as the humidity can affect their crunchiness.
My tasters loved the curry and coconut flavors on the roasted cashews because they are delightfully different! You’ll love that this recipe makes a big batch, enough to enjoy and share with others.
More nutty snacks you’ll love:
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Curry Coconut Roasted Cashews
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 teaspoons curry powder you can use sweet or hot or a combo of the two
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
- 6 cups whole raw cashews
- ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
DIRECTIONS:
- Arrange the oven racks to the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover two half-sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons curry powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water to a large bowl and whisk vigorously until the egg mixture is light and foamy. Add 6 cups whole raw cashews to the egg and fold them into the egg white until they are well coated. The nuts should be tacky with the egg white, not soaking in them. If there’s noticeable liquid in the bottom of the bowl, add more nuts and continue to fold until they are all well coated.
- Add the spice mixture to the nuts and use a spatula to toss them until the nuts are well coated.
- Divide the nuts between the two baking sheets, arranging in a single layer and place one on the top rack and the other on the bottom rack. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pans from the oven and divide ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut between the two pans of nuts. Use a spatula to stir and flip the nuts and coat them with the coconut. Spread the nuts and coconut into a single layer.
- Put the pans back into the oven, swapping their original position (Pan from the bottom rack moves to the top and vice versa). Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the nuts are crisp, but not too browned.
- Remove nuts from the oven and cool completely to room temperature on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container.
RECIPE VIDEO:
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
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It seems the greatest inventions always happen by accident. And these nuts are no exception. They look absolutely phenomenal . Running out of powdered ginger was clearly a blessing in disguise.
Thanks, Lynn – it was serendipity – they went fast!
I am a lover of curry and coconut. Oh, these are so good!! Thanks Lisa!