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5 from 2 reviews

Sweet & Salty Sesame Honey Roasted Cashews

35 min
GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free
by:
June 6, 2019 (Updated: September 30, 2024)
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This is a vertical image looking at a glass jar from an upper angle. In the jar are cashews with a deep, shiny honey color and coated with sesame seeds. The jar sits on a white surface with more clusters all around.
Honey Roasted Cashews with toasty sesame seeds are an addicting sweet and salty snack! It’s impossible to stop yourself after one handful!

Last week I went to Trader Joes to pick up a few things. Well, honestly I was passing some time and wanted to see what their new items were. I ended up swinging by the nuts section because we eat an insane amount of nuts ha! 🙂

I grabbed a bag of sweet sesame roasted cashews because I’ve been on such a sesame/tahini kick and I couldn’t pass them up. Well let me tell you! We ate them all. Within 24 hours. The went fast.

I immediately started brainstorming how I could recreate these sweet and salty roasted cashew nuts that make the perfect snack.

My recipe combines coconut sugar, butter, a sticky sweetener like honey, agave nectar or maple syrup for a perfect honey roasted coating. My recipe is unique from other honey roasted cashews because it incorporates sesame seeds into the mix which add so much flavor and texture to the snack!

If you love easy snack recipes, try these spiced nuts, or these roasted pumpkin seeds, or even these cinnamon roll bliss balls! I’m all about that snack life and prepping some on Sunday to have during the week. 

This is a closeup of a cluster of cashews coated with sesame seeds and a golden honey coating. The cluster sits on a white square tile surface with more clusters to the top and bottom of the image. A sliver of a small red bowl is coming into the image from the bottom right corner.

Why You’ll Love these Honey Roasted Cashews

Simple Ingredients. I love the simplicity of ingredients used in the recipe for honey roasted cashews! The combination of raw cashews, sesame seeds, coconut sugar, unsalted butter, honey (or alternatives like agave nectar or maple syrup), and salt creates a sweet and salty mix you won’t be able to stop thinking about.

So Addictive! Honey-roasted cashews have a reputation for being irresistibly addictive, rightfully so. The roasting process enhances the natural flavors of the cashews, and the combination of sweet and salty elements creates a satisfying taste that can be difficult to resist. The crunchiness of the sesame seeds and the caramelization of the sugars makes these cashews a go-to snack for everything from casual gatherings to movie nights.

Perfect for Topping Other Recipes. Beyond being a standalone snack, honey-roasted cashews offer versatility as a topping for other recipes. The sweet and savory profile of these cashews can complement a variety of dishes. For example, they make an excellent addition to salads, adding crunch and flavor contrast to fresh greens. Or, sprinkle them on top of yogurt or used as a garnish for desserts like ice cream or puddings.

Ingredients for Honey Roasted Cashews

Raw Cashews

How are we going to have a honey roasted cashew nut recipe without cashews?! Cashews provide a rich and creamy base to showcase the caramelized honey and toasted sesame flavor.

Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds add a nutty flavor and a subtle crunch to the cashews. I love that they add an additional flavor and texture that isn’t typically found in usual honey roasted cashew recipes.

Coconut Sugar

Coconut sugar adds a natural sweetness to the recipe. It’ll create a sweet, glowwy caramel that will coat the cashews to make them extra sweet.

Unsalted Butter

Butter contributes richness and enhances the overall flavor. It’ll help create a glossy honey exterior for the cashew nuts.

Using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe. We’ll add the saltiness back in later!

Honey, Agave Nectar, or Maple Syrup

Chose your favorite! I tend to go for agave nectar but you can use whatever you prefer!

Salt

Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients and balances the sweetness. It adds a savory element that complements the natural sweetness of the honey or alternative sweeteners.

This is a vertical image looking at a glass jar from the side. In the jar are cashews with a deep honey color and coated with sesame seeds. The jar sits on a white surface with more clusters all around.
This is a vertical overhead image looking down at a glass jar. In the jar are cashews with a deep honey color and coated with sesame seeds. The jar sits on a white surface with more clusters all around.

How to Make Sesame Honey Roasted Cashews

Spread the cashews out on a lined baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. 

Transfer the cashews to a large bowl and add the toasted sesame seeds

While the cashews are roasting, place the coconut sugar, butter, agave nectar in a small pot over low heat. Make sure not to set the heat too high because the coconut sugar burns easily (I’ve made this mistake!).

Whisk constantly until the ingredients form a caramel-like consistency.

Pour the melty caramel into the bowl over the cashews and sesame seeds.

Use a rubber spatula to mix until they’re combines and all coated.

Spread the coated cashews out again on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with your favorite flakey salt.

Allow the cashews to cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking them up and transferring to a jar for storage. 

Did you make this? Leave a review below and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

This is a vertical image looking at a glass jar from an upper angle. In the jar are cashews with a deep, shiny honey color and coated with sesame seeds. The jar sits on a white surface with more clusters all around. Recipe
GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free

Sweet & Salty Sesame Honey Roasted Cashews

These Sweet Sesame Roasted Cashews are perfect sweet and salty snack made with only four ingredients! It’s a delicious low sugar treat everyone will love!

Recipe by:
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
Prep: 5 minCook: 30 minTotal: 35 min
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Servings: 10 1x

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. raw cashews
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar or maple syrup works
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300F.
  2. Spread the cashews out on a lined baking sheet and roast for 15 – 20 minutes until fragrant and just starting to get that toasty golden color.
    This is an overhead horizontal image of a gold rimmed baking sheet with raw cashews spread across it. The baking sheet sits on a white square tile surface.
  3. Transfer the cashews to a large bowl and add the toasted sesame seeds.
  4. While the cashews are roasting, place the coconut sugar, butter, agave nectar in a small pot over low heat. Make sure not to set the heat too high because the coconut sugar burns easily (I’ve made this mistake!).
    This is an overhead horizontal image of a small white saucepan with butter, coconut sugar, and honey. The pan sits on a white square tile surface.
  5. Whisk constantly until the ingredients form a caramel-like consistency, about 5 minutes.
    This is an overhead horizontal image of a small white saucepan with a caramel mixture. A silver whisk is in the caramel with the handle leaning against the rim and pointing to the bottom of the image. The pan sits on a white square tile surface.
  6. Pour the melty caramel into the bowl over the cashews and sesame seeds.
    This is an overhead horizontal image of a large white bowl on a white tile surface. In the bowl are cashews, sesame seeds and a caramel sauce. A white rubber spatula is in the bowl with the handle leaning against the side of the bowl pointing to the top right of the image.
  7. Use a rubber spatula to mix until they’re combined and coated.
    This is an overhead horizontal image of a large white bowl on a white square tile surface. In the bowl are cashews coated with sesame seeds and a caramel sauce. A white rubber spatula is in the bowl with the handle leaning against the side of the bowl pointing to the bottom right of the image.
  8. Transfer the coated cashews out again on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with your favorite flakey salt. I like to keep the cashews close together so when I break them up later on, I’ll get some chunky clusters. 
    This is an overhead horizontal image of cashews coated with sesame seeds and a caramel coating. The cashews are all very close together and on a white background.
  9. Allow the cashews to cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking them up and transferring to a jar for storage.

    This is an overhead horizontal image of clusters of cashews coated in sesame seeds on a a piece of white parchment paper on a white square tile surface. Some clusters of cashews are on the tiles. To the top left corner of the image is a small red bowl filled with more clusters of cashews.

Tips

*I like to buy already toasted sesame seeds but if you have raw sesame seeds, toast them in your pan over medium heat, stirring frequently for 5 – 7 minutes until they are golden brown and fragrant.

Nutrition Info:

  • Serving Size: serves 10
  • Calories: 331
  • Sugar: 10.3g
  • Sodium: 140mg
  • Fat: 25.1g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.9g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 23.7g
  • Fiber: 1.8g
  • Protein: 7.6g
  • Cholesterol: 6mg
© The Toasted Pine Nut

Enjoy!! xo

This is a vertical image looking at a glass jar from the side. In the jar are cashews with a deep honey color and coated with sesame seeds. The jar sits on a white surface with more clusters all around. Text overlay reads "sweet sesame honey roasted cashews" at the top and "get the recipe at thetoastedpinenut.com" at the bottom.
overhead image of a gluten free sprinkle cookie with a bite taken out on a white counter

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If you love this recipe it would mean SO MUCH to me if you give it a star rating and leave a comment about it. Not only do I love basking in the glory of your recipe love, but (perhaps more importantly 😋) it helps other readers find my recipes online. Thanks so much for your feedback!!

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  1. Shan says

    This is a wonderful recipe. Easy to follow and it turned out delicious! I made this recipe last night substituting “everything” seasoning for the sunflower seeds and salt. I also added some almonds because, why not, right? Anyway, thank you so much! I was worried the agave sweetness wouldn’t be quite what I wanted. I was wrong! It’s great!! I had never roasted nuts before, thank you again for making this recipe available. 12/10 would make again.



    Reply

    • Lindsay Grimes Freedman says

      Yay! I’m so happy you loved it! Roasted nuts are such a fun snack 🙂

      Reply

  2. AvatarJoanne says

    I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count. Including this morning. I’ll bring small Mason jars of it for everyone I see. Super easy, loved by all, hard to stop eating it’s so delicious! The ideal gift for friends, family, shut-ins.



    Reply