Delicious air fryer roasted cashews coated in sweet, crunchy coconut. These coconut cashews are a tasty snack that is quick and easy to prepare. Made with simple ingredients and just 10 minutes in the air fryer these candied nuts will become a favourite.
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I love roasted, candied nuts and the recipe for these air-fried coconut cashews is one of my favourites.
The coconut gets beautifully toasted and goes perfectly with the sweet roasted nuts.
Using the frothy egg white helps the sugar and coconut stick to the nuts. And the bits of coconut that do not stick to the nuts form crunchy little clusters.
These nuts make a great little snack to add to an appetizer table or munch on while watching TV. They also make a wonderful homemade gift when added to a jar and tied with a pretty ribbon.
If you don’t love cashews this recipe will work well with almonds, pecans, walnuts or any combination you like.
Why We Love This Recipe
Simple Ingredients – These cashews are made with just 5 simple ingredients that you can find in any grocery store.
Easy preparation – The preparation of these candied nuts couldn’t be easier, just mix the ingredients and then dump them in the air fryer basket.
It’s quick – Unlike traditional oven-roasted nuts, these air fryer cashews only need 10 minutes to become toasted and crunchy.
Ingredients
These crunchy coconut cashews come together with just a few ingredients. All you need is:
- Unsalted cashews
- Butter
- Egg white
- Granulated Sugar
- Sweetened fine shredded coconut
If you can’t find fine shredded coconut you can use medium or fancy shredded and just pulse it in a food processor a few times. The finer the coconut is the more will stick to the cashews.
Instructions
Begin by melting the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop then drizzle over the cashews and toss to coat.
In a small bowl, whip the egg white by hand or with a hand mixer until just barely holding soft peaks. Add the egg white to the cashews and gently stir to combine.
Add the sugar and coconut and stir to coat the cashews.
Preheat the air fryer at 350°F for 4 minutes. Then line the basket with a piece of parchment paper and then pour the cashews into the basket.
Pro Tip – NEVER preheat the air fryer with the parchment paper in the basket. The parchment paper can blow into the element and cause smoking and/or fire. Parchment paper must be weighed down with food to be used in the air fryer.
Cook for 10-12 minutes at 350°F gently stirring every couple of minutes.
The cashews are done when there is no more liquid in the basket, and the nuts feel slightly sticky but dry. You should also see that most of the coconut is golden brown.
As the cashews cook you will notice that the sugar will become more liquid before it starts to crystallize. This is normal, just keep cooking and the liquid will eventually disappear leaving you with crunchy candied nuts.
Pour the cashews onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread them out. Let them cool for about 20 minutes. As they cool they will continue to dry and will become crunchier.
Not all of the coconut will stick to the nuts, but that is ok. The coconut that doesn’t stick will form crunchy little coconut clusters that are delicious and can be eaten on their own or along with the nuts.
When they are completely cool you can move them to containers for storage.
Substitutions and Additions
There are plenty of ways you can customize this recipe depending on your preferences.
This recipe will work well with any of your favourite nuts. Try making it with:
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Peanuts
- Any combination of nuts
Other ways to change the flavour:
- Use brown sugar instead of white sugar for a more caramelized flavour.
- Add some cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice when you add the sugar.
- Sprinkle some salt on the nuts when you remove them from the air fryer for a salty/sweet combination
How to store Coconut Cashews
The roasted cashews can be stored in an air-tight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for 4-6 weeks. Glass containers such as mason jars work well.
The nuts can be frozen if you need to keep them longer, but they may become a bit sticky when they thaw. You should be able to refresh them by putting them back in the air fryer for about 5 minutes and letting them cool before enjoying them.
FAQS
If your roasted nuts are soft and sticky they either were not in the air fryer long enough, or they were not allowed to fully cool before storing. It is important to roast them until there is no liquid left in the basket and the nuts feel dry. You want to make sure they are fully cool before storing or they will sweat and cause the sugar coating to become soft and sticky.
Yes. For this recipe, the parchment paper is important as without it too much of the egg will drip into the bottom tray and the sugar and coconut will not stick to the nuts. Also, as the sugar crystallizes it will stick to the basket and become very hard to clean.
More Air Fryer Snacks
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Printable Recipe
Air Fryer Coconut Cashews
Ingredients
- 2 Cups unsalted cashews
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 Large egg whites
- ½ Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Cup sweetened fine shredded coconut
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a large bowl, then melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove and drizzle over the cashews. Toss to coat.
- Whip the egg whites in a small bowl by hand or with a hand mixer until just holding soft peaks. Add the egg white to the cashews and gently stir to combine.
- Add the sugar and shredded coconut to the cashews and stir to combine.
- Preheat the air fryer at 350°F for 4 minutes, then line the basket with parchment paper.
- Pour the nuts into the basket and spread them out.
- Set the air fryer to 350°F and roast the nuts for 10-12 minutes stirring every few minutes. The nuts are done when there is no liquid left in the basket, the nuts feel dry and you can see that most of the coconut is golden and toasted.
- Pour the nuts onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread them out. Let cool for 20-30 minutes. When they are completely cool and dry you can move them to an air tight container for storage.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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