Walnuts are also a rich source of a good kind of fat. These crunchy and salty nuts are full of heart-healthy proteins and also high in antioxidants, besides so many other benefits.
We love to use air fryers for various recipes and have a lot of food techniques to try, including these air-fried walnuts. They make a great appetizer or a snack for your whole family or just for a game day. Walnuts have got you covered.
You can enjoy roasted walnuts with so many things, like ice cream, any dessert, or even pair them with a salad. You can even gift candied walnuts as a goodie snack and can also store them in a jar with your countertop munchies.
Air-fried walnuts will be your new favorite snack, having a balanced sweet and salty taste to satisfy your buds. So, without further ado, let’s look right into it.
How do you air fry walnuts?
Preheat your air fryer to 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, spread out whole or the halves of walnuts in an air fryer basket with or without parchment paper.
Drizzle a generous amount of oil onto the walnuts to get the crunchy texture and let them cook for 10 minutes. Stir them halfway through cooking so that the walnuts are roasted evenly. Also, working in batches will make the crunchiest walnuts you’ve ever tasted.
How do you make the crunchiest walnuts in an air fryer?
Apart from being a munchy nut, it can be used as a delicious snack at any time of the day. Whether you are craving a sweet touch after dinner or just the spicy coated walnuts for your tea time, you will have both flavors in right under 20 minutes.
There are so many ways to make this quick snack, but nothing can beat the power of an air fryer here.
Here is the one-for-all unique recipe to make the crunchiest, sweetest, yet light-salted walnuts to make your day better.
Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter (melted)
- Walnuts (halves or whole)
- Brown sugar
- Sugar
- Cinnamon powder
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
Directions:
- Prepare the walnuts by covering them first with a mixture of butter and vanilla extract, this will help other ingredients to stick onto the grain firmly.
- Once the walnuts are covered fully with it, nurture them with brown sugar, cinnamon, sugar, and a pinch of salt to taste. Stir and toss the walnuts until they are visually packed with all of the ingredients so they are cooked evenly.
- Preheat your air fryer to 200 Fahrenheit degrees for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the covered nuts into an air fryer basket for 10 minutes with or without the parchment lining.
- Shake or stir halfway through cooking until they are golden brown and caramelized to a perfect crunch.
Shaking or tossing the candied walnuts from time to time will help the walnuts not to stick to each other.
How long does it take to toast walnuts?
8–10 minutes is the maximum time required for toasting walnuts to perfection.
Air frying is the easiest and quickest method to toast walnuts. Spread them evenly in a single layer on a basket, before coating them with oil and salt to taste.
Cook them in an air fryer while checking and stirring frequently for good color and texture. When the skin on the walnuts starts to get light brown and the strong nutty aroma has started to take over, they are ready to be taken out.
Afterward, cool them down for 5 minutes so they can crisp up and not get soggy.
Are toasted walnuts better?
Yes, toasted walnuts are better than raw or dried ones.
Doing so will bring out more flavor. While raw and toasted walnuts have the same amount of calories, proteins, fibers, and carbs, the difference is a slight increase in fat in them while toasting.
But, the difference held is minimal and hardly harmful. Eating raw walnuts might expose you to some harmful bacteria, leading to illness.
On the other hand, toasting walnuts has a healthy amount of fat, but if you overcook them, this fat will be damaged and could convert into acrylamide, which is not okay to eat in higher amounts.
Do you chop walnuts before roasting?
No, you shouldn’t chop walnuts before roasting them.
There is some math behind that. When you roast whole kernels, your walnuts are most likely to cook perfectly, or else they will get burnt.
The preferred formula is to roast the whole walnuts and then chop them into smaller pieces right after they come out of the fryer so that they are cooked evenly with good taste and a crunchy texture.
Placing walnuts in a boiling water for five minutes will remove the bitter taste.
How do you know when walnuts are toasted?
Looking at the color and smelling the walnuts will be your biggest companion while toasting in an air fryer. You will know they are done when you can smell the intense but delicious, toasty, and nutty scent building up when you open up the basket.
The second way is to watch out for color and texture. The toasted nuts will turn from pale to light brown. The perfectly toasted kernels will look somewhat waxy and golden-colored. Remember not to go beyond this color or you’ll be left with burnt and smokey walnuts.
Are toasted walnuts healthy?
Yes, toasted or raw walnuts are healthy for you.
Either way, they are packed with essential nutrients such as fats, omega 3, vitamin E, and manganese for the betterment of your heart and brain health. They are also believed to reduce the risks of heart attack and cancer.
However, there is an advantage to making it in an air fryer because it uses little to no oil for cooking your food scrumptiously.
Should nuts be refrigerated after opening?
Nuts should be refrigerated because the unsaturated fats in the nuts can go bad very quickly. They might not be harmful to your health at the time, but they will surely spread bitterness throughout the walnut on the full turn.
Once walnuts are cooked, cool them down a bit, and then you can either put them in a refrigerator or just store them in a cool, dark place.
Store them by placing them in an airtight container or a glass jar that has no chance to seep the air in. Refrigerator-stored nuts will last four to six months while the dark, cool-place nuts will be good for 2 weeks.
Storing walnuts in a freezer in a sealed bag can increase the shelf-life by up to one year.
How can I make my nuts crunchy again?
Air-frying the stale nuts will make them crunchy again.
You must lightly spray them with oil and spread them in the basket with a parchment paper lining. Let it roast in an air fryer for at least 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
This method will be more than enough to revive them, but if you don’t have a fryer, then microwave them on high for 1 or 1 1/2 minutes in a microwave-safe bowl. These nuts can be then used as a nibble or a crunchy garnishing for soups, salads, or just gravy.
Do you need to soak walnuts before consuming them?
Though walnuts can be eaten raw, directly from the shell, as per health advisors, it is best to soak walnuts before consuming.
Why is that? It is believed that soaking walnuts overnight will reduce cholesterol levels, boost hormones, give energy, and also keep diabetes balanced throughout the day in a good mood.
You should soak walnuts for at least 8–10 hours to get the best use of them. This process will reduce the anti-nutrients in them while making it easy for the body to have simple access to the beneficial nutrients directly from the walnuts.
Should we remove walnut skin?
It all depends on your preference, whether you want to remove the skin or not. Walnut skin has some healthy compounds that will protect you from foreign particles or pesticides. It is best to keep it unless you are not ready to taste bitterness in every bite.
If you like to take off the skin, then soak the walnuts overnight, dehydrate them, or simply submerge them in a bowl of hot water, then scrape off the skin with a sharp knife or tweezers.
Doing one of the aforementioned practices will lift the unwanted skin or tennis from the walnuts without a hassle, leaving leathery, earthy, and buttery textured nuts.
Nutritional Value in caramelized walnuts:
Walnuts are a good source of essential nutrients, packed tightly but giving easy access to the body. When cooked carefully and consumed frequently, they will be the most significant health supporters.
Let’s look at the nutrition served by walnuts:
| Nutrition | per serving (10 pieces) |
| Calories | 64 |
| Total fat | 5g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 41mg |
| Potassium | 35mg |
| Total carbohydrates | 4.5g |
| Proteins | 1.2g |
Raw or toasted walnuts might hook you up onto themselves but it is essential to have control over them because the more you eat them the more it gets overwhelming.
TABLE FOR GENERAL INFO ON WALNUT RECIPE:
| Cuisine | American |
| Course | Snack, Appetizer |
| Prep time | 3 minutes |
| Cook time | 10 minutes |
| Total time | 10-13 minutes |
| Calories | 64 |
| Last up to | 1 or 2 weeks |
How Do You Prevent Walnuts From Sticking?
If you don’t use a lot of sugar or corn syrup, they shouldn’t stay together too much once they cool. Shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time also helps.
Stir in the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and salt once the walnuts have been coated in the butter and vanilla coating. I like to use McCormick’s cinnamon and feel free to add a bit extra if you prefer a stronger cinnamon flavor, especially during the holidays.
Do candied walnuts spoil?
Walnuts can certainly spoil.
All nuts go bad after a given amount of time, so make sure to check the expiration date on the package. Store them in an airtight container for no more than two months to keep them fresh.
SUMMARY:
- Walnuts are filled with healthy beneficial benefits like proteins, omega 3, and unsaturated fats.
- Walnuts can make a great snack, an appetizer, or a garnishing.
- Walnuts with a caramelized coating will satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping you energized.
- Covering walnuts in different spices such as ground cinnamon, cloves, sugar, and salt will make walnuts non-forgettable nibbles.
- A little prep but fulfilling walnuts in an air fryer is easy to make without any hassle.
- The air fryer uses hot air to roast the nuts unlike other methods requiring a lot of oil.
- Roasting walnuts in an air fryer is a win-win situation for our bodies.