Growing up, my next-door neighbor used to grow peanuts in his garden. As a kid, I never understood why he planted rows and rows of peanuts every year. To me, it was unnecessary extra work when you could buy cans of roasted peanuts in the snack aisles of the grocery store. As a picky kid, I refused to try his homegrown peanuts. I regret that to this day.

Why Roast Peanuts at home? 

Home roasted peanuts are quite possibly one of the most delicious snacks you can try. Store-bought peanuts don’t compare to in flavor, crunch, or freshness when you roast peanuts in your home. The smell of freshly roasted peanuts will radiate every corner of your kitchen and your family’s mouths will water when they smell peanuts roasting in your oven.

While not the most expensive nut in the snack aisle, roasted peanuts are not cheap either. Did you know its cheaper to buy raw peanuts in bulk and roast them yourself? Just like my post on roasting your coffee beans at home, roasting your favorite snack peanuts at home is going to save you money, and be fun in the process!

Shelled Peanuts Vs. Unshelled Peanuts

Did you know you can eat the entire roasted peanut, shell and all? My brother-in-law eats peanuts this way, and it’s surprisingly tasty. If your gut can’t handle that much fiber, you might be better off shelling your peanuts.

You can buy raw peanuts for roasting in the shell or out of the shell. You can take that a step further and buy blanched raw peanuts with the papery skins removed. Choosing which to buy is entirely dependent on your personal preference.

Shelled and blanched peanuts will be the quickest and easiest to roast, but some people like the papery skins when eating roasted peanuts, and if you’re like my brother in law, you like the shells too!

All three kinds of raw peanuts are widely available online, so order whichever type of peanuts you prefer.

Supplies Needed for Roasting Peanuts at Home

Roasting peanuts at home is not only easy but requires very little equipment and ingredients. Peanuts are full of oils, so you don’t even need to oil your pans.

If you plan on snacking on your home-roasted peanuts, any peanut will be delicious. If you want to try making fresh peanut butter, we suggest using Spanish peanuts as they contain higher amounts of natural oils for smoother peanut butter.

What You’ll Need:

How to Roast Peanuts

The hardest part about roasting peanuts at home is choosing what type of peanuts to buy. Once you’ve made that decision, the roasting part is simple.

Directions: 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • Place your shelled or unshelled peanut in your seasoned cast-iron skillet or on your roasting pan. 
  • Salt your peanuts liberally and stir them. Be sure your peanuts are in one layer when done mixing. 
  • Place your pan in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes or until they are starting to turn brown. Stirring occasionally. *Peanuts in the shell will take 20-25 minutes. 
  • Remove from the oven and cool slightly. 

Make sure you try a few while they are still warm. Roasted peanuts are amazing while still warm.

Once your peanuts are thoroughly cooled, store in an air-tight container. Roasted peanuts will keep for about a month at room temperature and up to six months in the fridge, but we doubt they will last in your home that long.

Ideas for Using Home Roasted Peanuts

Home roasted peanuts are a perfect snack by themselves. Many recipes call for roasted peanuts and using freshly roasted peanuts adds a depth of flavor you cannot get from store-bought peanuts.

Recipes Using Freshly Roasted Peanuts:

  • Pad Thai with Peanut Sauce
  • Salad Toppers
  • Peanut Brittle with Fresh Roasted Peanuts
  • Fresh Peanut Butter with Home Roasted Peanuts
  • Creamy Roasted Peanut Soup
  • Roasted Peanut Hummus
  • Ice Cream Sundays with Candied Roasted Peanuts
  • Black Cod with Roasted Peanuts and Herbs
  • Banana S’ more Bars with Roasted Peanuts
  • Homemade Snicker’s Bars
  • Healthy Trailmix with Fresh Roasted Peanuts

Growing Peanuts in Your Garden

Peanuts are not nuts. Peanuts are the seeds of a legume plant. They are more closely related to peas or beans than any nut.

Have you ever thought about growing peanuts in your garden?

As a kid, I imagined you plucked peanuts in the shell off of the ends of some tree branches as they grew on peanut trees. Peanuts grow on low lying shrubs like plants like green beans. The peanuts in their shells are attached to the roots of the plant. When the plant is mature, you dig up the peanuts like you would potatoes. Peanut plants grow in rows.

Peanuts grow best in warmer climates, but if you plant them directly after the last frost and let them grow until early September, you can successfully grow peanuts in the Northern Hemisphere.

The fresh raw uncooked peanuts in their shells are the seeds of the peanut plant! Peanuts have been grown and eaten by humans for around 3500 years.

Have you ever tried freshly roasted peanuts? 

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