These rosemary nuts are sweet, smoky, and a little bit spicy. They're perfect around the holidays for snacking, gifting, and decorating your favorite cake. They're easy to make, and they're ready in just 55 minutes!

Tuck these nuts into an epic holiday cheese board or crunch them up and toss them into our christmas salad for even more festive flavor!

Spiced Rosemary Nuts in a serving bowl

Table of contents

Leave it to a bit of rum, butter, and brown sugar to transform simple nuts into an irresistible snack! These mixed nuts are sweet, salty, a little bit spicy, and infused with fresh rosemary flavor.

With a few simple ingredients, they're easy to make and much healthier than any candied nut you can buy at the store. If you like Trader Joe's rosemary nuts, you'll love these homemade ones.

To make them, all you have to do is make a rum sauce by reducing the rum in a pan, then add in the other sauce ingredients. Toss the nuts in the rum sauce and then bake them until they're fragrant. That's it!

There are so many ways to use them. They're the perfect party snack, they're great for gifting, and they're a tasty addition to holiday cheese boards!

a close up of spiced rum rosemary nuts.

Rosemary spiced nuts ingredients

You only need six simple ingredients to make these rosemary mixed nuts. Here's everything you need:

  • Mixed nuts – you can buy pre-mixed nuts, or make your own. We use one cup each of walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pecans but feel free to mix and match your favorites!
  • Dark rum – a little rum gives these nuts sweetness and lots of flavor.
  • Brown sugar – for that sweet candied nut effect.
  • Butter – adds richness and helps unlock the nutty flavor.
  • Fresh rosemary – rosemary is very aromatic with piney and peppery notes. It makes these nuts taste like Christmas!
  • Sea salt and chili flakes – make 'em a little salty and a little spicy (you can omit the chili flakes if you prefer).

How to make rosemary nuts

These roasted nuts with rosemary are perfect for snacking and gifting around the holidays. They're super easy to make, and they'll keep for a couple of weeks on your counter! Here's how we make them in a few simple steps:

  1. While your oven preheats, mix the nuts together in a bowl.
  2. Simmer the rum on the stove to reduce it, then add the brown sugar, butter, rosemary, salt, and chili flakes.
  3. Toss the nuts in the rum syrup, spread them on a baking sheet, and bake them until they're fragrant (stirring halfway through). Allow them to cool completely before storing them in a jar.

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

Spiced Rosemary Nuts in a bowl.

FAQS

How long do they keep on the counter?

These rosemary roasted nuts will keep on the counter in a sealed jar or container for several weeks.

Can I make them without the rum?

You can make them using grape juice, cranberry juice, or pomegranate juice. They will taste different, but still delicious. Reduce the juice on the stove in the same way as the rum.

Can I freeze them?

Yes! Candied nuts freeze beautifully. Store them in an airtight container for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature before eating them.

Ways to use rosemary nuts

These rosemary mixed nuts make a great snack through the winter months, especially around the holidays. We love snacking on them by the handful, but you can also use them in so many different ways! Here are some of our favorite ways to use them:

  • Give them away as a gift
  • Sprinkle them on your salad
  • Use them to decorate a cake or pie
  • Add them to a cheese board
  • Travel with them, or take them on a hike
Rosemary Nuts on a baking sheet

More sweet and savory snacks

Spiced Rosemary Nuts in a bowl.

Spicy Rum and Rosemary Mixed Nuts

Yield: 9 cups
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 55 mins
These rosemary nuts are sweet, smoky, and a little bit spicy. They're perfect around the holidays for snacking, gifting, and decorating your favorite cake. They're easy to make, and they're ready in just 55 minutes!

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

4.93 stars (26 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 4 cups mixed nuts, see notes
  • Ā½ cup dark rum
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons minced dried rosemary, or 4 teaspoons fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Ā½ teaspoon chili flakes

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the nuts in a large bowl.
    4 cups mixed nuts
    image for recipe instruction
  • Add the rum to a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil then continue to boil until it reduces to about 2 tablespoons then remove it from the heat. Add the brown sugar, butter, rosemary, salt, and chili flakes then return the pan to the heat and let it boil for 1 minute more.
    Ā½ cup dark rum, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons minced dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon sea salt, Ā½ teaspoon chili flakes, 1 tablespoon butter
    image for recipe instruction
  • Pour the rum rosemary syrup over the nuts and toss until they are well-coated. Spread them out on the baking sheet in a single layer then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown and very fragrant. Stir the nuts halfway through baking.
    image for recipe instruction

Notes

For the rosemary nuts you see in the picture, we used 1 cup of each walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pecans. But you can mix and match your favorite nuts!
Serving: 1 serving = Ā¼ cup, Calories: 218kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 135mg, Potassium: 180mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 55IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 1mg
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This recipe is part of our Healthy Super Bowl Recipes series.