Buttered Nuts with Rosemary
These irresistibly salty-sweet-spicy toasted nuts are tossed in a light, herbed butter sauce. You can't go wrong with this simple party nuts recipe!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on December 22, 2025
I should warn you: these nuts are absolutely irresistible. A little bit salty, spicy and sweet, these herbed nuts are proof that sometimes a little bit of butter and sugar go a long way.
Finely snipped rosemary adds an unexpected element, taking this nut mix to the next level. I don’t always love rosemary, but it’s perfect here. Your guests will ask for the recipe!
To make the recipe as shown, you’ll need almonds, cashews, walnuts or pecans, and pepitas. While the nuts roast in the oven, stir together a mix of rosemary, brown sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper (if you’d like some spice). Then stir the nuts and spice blend together with melted butter. This recipe smells fantastic, and it’s so easy to make.
Serving Suggestions
These buttered nuts are a delightful appetizer or snack, especially with a glass of wine (or mulled wine during the holidays). Add any of the following for a larger party spread:
- Baked Goat Cheese
- Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Easy Tapenade
- How to Make a Cheese Board
- Kalamata White Bean Dip
- Pomegranate Salsa
More Nutty Recipes to Try
If you enjoy these nuts, don’t miss these recipes on Cookie and Kate:
- Easy Chocolate Bark
- Naturally Sweetened Candied Pecans
- No-Bake Granola Bars
- Sweet & Spicy Roasted Party Nuts
- The Very Best Granola
Please let me know how your recipe turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Buttered Nuts with Rosemary
These party nuts are a little spicy, sweet and herbed. You can’t go wrong with these! Recipe yields 5 ½ cups.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole unblanched almonds
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- 1 ½ cups walnuts and/or pecans
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped or snipped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for spice)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. On a rimmed baking sheet (if you’d like, line it with parchment paper for easier cleanup), mix together all of the nuts. Bake about 12 minutes or until fragrant and toasted, stirring halfway.
- In a small bowl, combine the chopped rosemary, brown sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir the melted butter into the bowl. Pour the mixture over the roasted nuts, tossing gently to coat. Season with salt, to taste. Serve warm or cooled to room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
This recipe was formerly titled Rosemary Roasted Nuts.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Substitute extra-virgin olive oil for the butter.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I’m allergic to nuts, but am guessing these would also be great with just seeds. So wonderful to see you at Alt, and I hope our paths cross again very soon!
Hi Elizabeth! Running into you at Alt was such a treat. Hope to see you again soon, too. The pepitas in this mix just might have been my favorite, so I bet you would love this spice mixture on roasted seeds!
Yes! Rosemary nuts are my favorite! So glad you had a worthwhile trip. Jealous! Looking forward to both the quick bread and granola (love granola!) so I can pig out until my jeans are too tight and then I’ll just binge on your soups and salads. Win win :)
Sounds like a plan! :)
I’m so glad we got to meet up, but totally bummed we didn’t get to visit more. Keep in touch!
Likewise, Carrian! It was lovely to meet you. Talk soon!
Hey lady! So glad we were able to hangout for a few days! Wish we lived closer! Come back to Utah soon! xoxo
Thanks, Maria! It was so, so nice to meet you in person. Hope to see you again soon! Say hello to Caleb and Josh for me, please.
Those nuts, those nuts, look deevine. Why didn’t we make some of those to snack on along with all that dang cheese? Had such a great time with you this week, with the late night chats and early am wake up calls and sharing your tricks and tips. You’re so glad you left when you did, the airport shut down and we had 10 inches of snow!
Oh my, I’m glad I got out in time! They did have to de-ice the plane before we left, but it was kind of fun to watch them spray down the wings in neon colors. Thanks again for hosting me. I owe you big time.
Sounds like you had a fantastic time at Alt! And those nuts — my WORD they look yummy.
Oh, those nuts. I’m guessing they would be gobbled up at any party. It was such a pleasure to meet you this past weekend!
Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs, these would make such a great appetizer!
Those nuts look great Kate! I love the first photo. I’d never heard of the Alt Summit before (maybe I live under a rock and didn’t realize it) but it sounds like a fantastic conference! I’ve wanted to go to a blogger conference ever since I started my blog but haven’t had a chance yet. Maybe that will be my first!
Thanks, Angela! Alt Summit is geared more towards design/fashion bloggers, so that’s probably why you haven’t heard it in food blog land. :) I might go to BlogHer Food this summer. If I do, I hope to see you there!
Oh my seriousness, ohhhh my gosh. Yes.
Hey there Kathryne,
Sounds like a fun and fruitful trip with so many great people! Good for you for letting the peer pressure get to you and buying a ticket.
You are one busy woman!
xxoo to you,
E
I am busy, aren’t I? But so are you! Can’t wait to see your beautiful, finished cookbook, Erin.
Sounds like a seriously awesome time with some of my favorite bloggers! Now off to go check out those nuts. (And yes…I’m aware of how wrong that sounds.)
Ha! :D
Fabulous flavors! Now, take half the batch and spin it into nut butter then put it on everrrything. You won’t be sorry. :) Sounds like you had a great time at Alt!
Ooh, good idea, Ashley! I just got a fancy new blender. Spiced nut butter, here I come!
I’m a new food blogger and wanted to ask what food blogger conferences you could recommend. The one in Utah sounded interesting.
Good question, Kurt. Alt was my first blogger conference and it was more geared towards lifestyle/fashion/design blogs than food. If I go to another one, I might go to BlogHer Food in Austin this summer (that seems to be a popular one).
So awesome that you got to meet Jessica Alba! That is so cool. And, these roasted nuts sound truly delicious!
Thanks for the roasted nuts recipe! I buy the mixed nuts at Costco – unsalted – and this looks like a great way to jazz them up!
Sounds like you had an amazing time and those rosemary nuts are just my kind of snack.
I made these for my husband as a Christmas gift and he says it is the best nutmix he has ever had. Thanks for another great recipe!
That’s so nice to hear. Thank you, R.A., and happy New Year to you both!
Can you do a “how to” roast nuts (just plain/salted)? You recommend roasting your nuts yourself but mine never turn out tasting as good as the store bought roasted nuts. Thank you!
Hi Ashley, If you buy raw nuts without any seasoning the toasting should be delicious. Other seasoning can impact the results and if the are older nuts, they won’t quite toast up as nicely.
I went to a party where this was served and I couldn’t stop eating it!! Got the recipe and just made a double batch. This is now my new party fave. So many good tastes all in one. DELICIOUS!!!!
I made a few tweaks. My stove oven is broken, so I toasted nuts in batches in the toaster oven. Then I added a 1/2 teaspoon more brown sugar, 1 scant tbs maple syrup, and for the spicy factor, I used Shishimi Togarashi (Japanese 7 spice hot powder). Followed the process, sprinkled with a bit more salt. Super delicious. It gets 4 stars because for me, it needs a bit more flavor.