Rosemary Roasted Almonds

I had a sampling of rosemary roasted almonds and loved the flavor, so since my brain always thinks “I could do that!”, it was on to a new adventure of looking at recipes and ideas.

First attempts are not always successful, as proven again with this recipe. First lesson learned is that you don’t want to roast almonds coated in olive oil too long, and just so you know, 20 minutes is too long, they tasted a little burnt. Second lesson was being a little timid about how much rosemary to use as I have made that mistake before with rosemary and it can be an overwhelming flavor. The second result was 10 minutes roasting time is just right, but you gotta have a little more rosemary flavor. So, as it goes with the story of the three bears, too much, then not enough, and then just right!

I tried a couple of different processes also, first was coating the almonds with olive oil then sprinkling with sea salt and minced rosemary, it was okay but that was the attempt that didn’t get enough rosemary flavor. What worked really good was mincing the rosemary and placing it in the olive oil to sit for a while, making a rosemary infused olive oil to coat the almonds with. I would suggest a day or two of letting the olive oil mingle with the rosemary, well, that was my plan anyway. It got set it aside in a jar in the cupboard and I gave it a shake every couple of days, and then kinda forgot about my project 🤪, so it actually infused for about a week by accident. But still yummy!

INGREDIENTS -

2 cups almonds
1/4 cup olive oil in a jar or other sealed container
2 Tbsp minced rosemary

Mince the rosemary and place in a jar with the olive oil, then set aside for a day or two.

When you are ready to roast, toss the almonds in a bowl with a couple tablespoons of the the infused olive oil. If they still look a little bit dry, add more of the olive oil, or save it for the next batch! Or better yet, if your roasting pan is large enough, add more oil and almonds 😁. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and then spread in a roasting pan. Line the roasting pan with parchment paper if you prefer an easier cleanup. Roast at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then give them a stir and roast for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool, they will continue to sizzle for a while.

Store in an airtight container. An optional idea is adding a sprig of rosemary to the jar, I think that made them even better!

These are perfect for sharing, or making a charcuterie board, or just munching on for yourself. Enjoy!