Oven-Roasted Peanuts Recipe

Prep: 2 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 32 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Yield: 3 1/2 to 4 cups

There's no need to wait for the carnival to come to town or hunt down a street vendor—you can easily make roasted peanuts at home. It's incredibly easy to do, and it's hard to beat the flavor straight out of the oven.

There really are no tricks to roasting nuts. The biggest concern is the timing because you'll need to roast the ones in the shell a little longer than peanuts that have already been shelled. Either way, it takes about 30 minutes, and you'll be crunching in no time.

The only items you need are peanuts and a shallow baking dish. Raw, dried peanuts are the best for roasting. If all you have are green peanuts—those that have not been dried—you'll want to boil them instead.

Your dried peanuts can be shelled or unshelled. When using peanuts in the shell, sort through them before you begin. You only want to roast the ones that have clean, unbroken, and unblemished shells. Also, they shouldn't rattle when you shake them.

A convenient snack, these peanuts are perfect to take with you on road trips, hiking adventures, or days at the beach. Once you learn how to roast peanuts, you may start to see other possibilities: It's a great prep step before making amazing homemade peanut butter. All you need is a food processor and something to sweeten the blend. Use your butter in delicious desserts or simply enjoy the freshest peanut butter and jelly sandwich possible (with homemade jam, of course).

Bowl with oven-roasted shelled peanuts and bowl with unshelled roasted peanuts on the side

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

"This recipe makes packaged roasted peanuts from the store taste stale. Roasting them at home is worth it! Online stores may be the only source for dried, raw peanuts in the shell; supermarkets may have shelled available. It’s simple and the cooking times were perfect. The only mess was dealing with the shells, but it's minimal." —Colleen Graham

Oven-Roasted Peanuts Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 pound shelled peanuts (or 1 1/2 pounds unshelled peanuts)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Raw unshelled and shelled peanuts with red skins in two separate bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Place the raw peanuts (either shell on or shelled) in a single layer inside a shallow baking pan.

    Unshelled peanuts and shelled peanuts with red skins on separate jellyroll pans side by side

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. For shelled peanuts (peanuts removed from the shell), bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, until the skins become loose and the peanuts are lightly golden. For unshelled peanuts (peanuts still inside their shells), bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, until the shells are lightly golden brown. The peanuts will continue to cook when removed from the oven.

    Lightly browned roasted unshelled peanuts and roasted shelled peanuts with red skins on separate jellyroll pans side by side

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. Let cool 10 minutes before eating.

    Roasted shelled peanuts, partially with red skins, in a bowl, and bowl with unshelled roasted peanuts on the side

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Tips

  • If you need to know how many peanuts you need to roast for a recipe, keep in mind that 1 1/2 pounds of unshelled peanuts are equal to about 1 pound shelled. This will produce between 3 1/2 to 4 cups of shelled peanuts.
  • Straight out of the oven, the peanuts are very hot and will finish cooking as they cool (you can hear the skin crackle). If you want to check a shelled peanut for internal doneness, handle it and crack it open with tongs, let the steam escape, and let it cool a bit first.
  • If you prefer to wash the in-shell peanuts first, rinse them in a colander under cold running water. Shake off excess water, then lay them out flat on a towel and pat dry.

Recipe Variations

  • Sprinkle shelled peanuts with salt, spices, or dried herbs for a savory twist before roasting or while they're still warm.
  • To sweeten peanuts like those you can buy from street vendors or at baseball parks, try caramelized peanuts or honey-roasted peanuts.

How to Store Roasted Peanuts

  • Store unshelled roasted peanuts in an airtight container for up to one month on the shelf. In the refrigerator, they will keep for six months. In the freezer, they're good for up to one year.
  • The same storage recommendations apply to raw unshelled peanuts. If you find a great deal, stock up and store them properly so you can enjoy your peanuts whenever you'd like.

Is It Necessary to Remove the Skin From Shelled Peanuts?

Inside the shell, the actual peanut meat is covered by a thin, papery skin. If you want to remove it, you'll save a lot of time and hassle by waiting until after the peanuts are roasted because the skin dries out and loosens up. Once the peanuts are cooled, the peanuts should pop right out of the skin when squeezed between your fingers. Remove the skins from an entire batch at once by shaking the roasted peanuts vigorously in a lidded bowl. The agitation removes most of the skin and you simply have to pick out the peanuts.

Is It Easier to Shell Peanuts Before or After Roasting?

Many people prefer the taste of peanuts roasted in the shell. It does soften the shell and makes them slightly more difficult to crack open. If you intend to use the peanuts in a recipe or as a no-mess snack, consider shelling the peanuts before roasting. For the best of both worlds, roast part of the batch in the shell with the extended cooking time.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
111 Calories
9g Fat
4g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 111
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 77mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 120mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)