This is a really quick and easy snack you can make in your air fryer in less than 10 minutes.
Almonds are a big thing in my house. We usually buy a 5# bag of raw almonds from Costco a couple of times a month. We eat them for snacks, chop them up and add them to salads, add them to granola or oats or cereal, even use them to crust chicken or fish for frying in the air fryer. They’re also a pretty healthy source of fats as long as you don’t go overboard and eat too many of them.
My favorite way to roast almonds is to make the brined almonds from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables – and if you haven’t looked at this cookbook, I highly recommend it. But it’s time consuming, requiring boiling, soaking, drying, and then oven roasting the almonds. They’re delicious and worth the time, but sometimes I just want a quick snack.
Cue the air fryer.
I start with 2 cups of raw almonds and about 1 teaspoon of oil – and a scant teaspoon at that. You could also use one of those oil misters if you have one. Toss the almonds in the oil and then add 1 tbsp of your spice mixture of choice. The ones I fall back on most frequently are Lawrys Seasoned Salt, Penzey’s Cajun Seasoning, or Penzey’s Barbecue of the Americas. Another option is Wasabi powder but I’d recommend starting light with this one. It’s easy to overdo it and make your almonds inedible. And quite frankly I’ve never been able to duplicate the flavor of Blue Diamond’s Wasabi & Soy Sauce almonds at home, so I don’t even try anymore. I just save them for a special snack when I’m travelling.
Preheat your fryer to 400°F and spread the almonds into a single layer in your basket. Depending on the size of your fryer you may need to make 2 batches. Mine holds 2 cups of almonds perfectly.
Then roast for 4-5 mins, stopping about halfway through to shake and rotate the basket to get even cooking. You’ll hear the almonds start to “pop” as they dry and crisp.
Remove them from the fryer and let them cool. You’ll hear more popping and cracking as they cool and settle. At this point, taste test them for seasoning. You may want to add a little more to your personal taste.
I store mine in a Ball jar on the island. I’d tell you how long they’ll keep, but they rarely last more than 2-3 days in this house!