Oven-Roasted Chestnuts

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Yield: 1/2 pound

Roasting is one of the best ways to enjoy chestnuts. Bitter when raw, roasted chestnuts have a delicate and slightly sweet flavor with a soft texture similar to sweet potato. They're especially popular around the holidays and really easy to make at home.

Oven-roasted chestnuts on baking rack with baking sheet underneath

The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

What's the Best Way to Roast Chestnuts?

Beloved in Italy starting in autumn, some would argue that the best way to roast chestnuts is over hot coals, either in a fireplace or an outdoor roasting pit. When that's not practical, Italians roast them over a gas stove burner in a simple iron pan with a perforated bottom that allows the flames to touch the chestnuts. If you don't have a special chestnut-roasting pan or a gas burner, don't despair. No special equipment is necessary to roast them in your own oven.

What Can I Serve with Roasted Chestnuts?

Roasted chestnuts can be enjoyed on their own as a festive winter snack or after-dinner treat. They pair well with young wines like a fruity Italian vino novello or a French Beaujolais Nouveau. From turkey stuffings to cakes and other desserts, you can use them in a variety of chestnut recipes, too. One simple side dish that's perfect for serving with chestnuts is roasted Brussels sprouts. After the Brussels sprouts are roasted, toss them with halved roasted chestnuts, an additional tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, and salt to taste.

Chestnuts in Italy

Italy is Europe's biggest producer of chestnuts, and a particularly prized kind is grown in the Mugello region of Tuscany. Chestnuts are in season roughly from September through January and are particularly popular around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve.

The Italian language has two names for chestnuts: castagne (for the smaller, more common varieties) and marroni (for the larger, more prized heart-shaped varieties). 

As autumn gets into full swing each year, and particularly just before Christmas, roasted chestnut stalls and stands appear in seemingly every piazza and on street corners throughout Italy, selling paper cones full of these roasted delicacies. Sometimes, red wine or grappa is splashed over them while roasting.

Tips for Selecting the Freshest Chestnuts

  • When selecting chestnuts—Look for the largest ones you can find, with shiny, dark shells and a weighty feel in your hand.
  • Keep in mind—Fresh chestnuts should be firm. Chestnuts that rattle when you shake them mean they've lost moisture and have probably been hanging around the grocery store for a while.
  • Resist—Buying chestnuts with discolored or cracked shells.

"Holidays wouldn't be complete without roasted nuts. And being from an Italian household, those nuts will include chestnuts. Because they are bought fresh, roasting is essential. This is a great 'how-to' for getting the job done easily." —Carrie Parente

Oven-roasted chestnuts in a tea towel
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound fresh, unpeeled chestnuts

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425 F.

    Ingredients for oven-roasted chestnuts gathered on a large cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. Using a sharp paring knife or chef's knife, make an X-shaped cut on the round side of 1/2 pound fresh unpeeled chestnuts. This critical step keeps them from exploding from internal pressure when heated and makes peeling easier after roasting.

    Chestnuts and chef's knife on cutting board, with X-shaped cut on top of each chestnut

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Arrange chestnuts on a baking rack or a baking sheet.

    Chestnuts arranged on a baking rack with baking sheet underneath

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. Transfer the chestnuts to the oven and roast them until the skins have pulled back from the cuts and the nutmeats have softened. The actual time required will depend on the chestnuts but will be at least 15 to 20 minutes.

    Roasted chestnuts with the skins split open exposing the yellow nutmeat

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Remove the nuts from the oven and pile them into a mound in an old towel. Wrap them up, squeeze hard—the chestnuts should crackle—and let them sit for a few minutes.

    Hot roasted chestnuts piled into a tea towel, with the split skins up

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. Pull and snap off the dark shells to reveal the yellowish white chestnuts. While peeling, make sure to also remove the papery skin between the shell and the chestnut.

    Empty chestnut skins on a white plate with a bowl of peeled chestnuts next to it

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  7. Serve warm, and enjoy!

    Roast peeled chestnuts in a white bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

How to Store

Store roasted chestnuts refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Are the Worms in Chestnuts Safe?

Harvesting your own chestnuts is a fun autumn activity. Make sure you're not gathering horse chestnuts, because they are poisonous. Pick up chestnuts within three days after they fall to the ground. Chestnut weevil larvae may be found in some chestnuts. If you notice worm exit holes in the chestnuts, discard them. To kill unhatched eggs and larvae still inside the chestnut, The University of Missouri's Center for Agroforestry recommends soaking them for 20 minutes in water, which is exactly 120 F. It's a common practice among commercial growers, after which the chestnuts are then edible.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
139 Calories
1g Fat
30g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 139
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 15mg 74%
Calcium 16mg 1%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 336mg 7%
*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.)
Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. The Center for Agroforestry. University of Missouri School of Natural Resources. Chestnut Weevils. CenterForAgroForestry.org.