How to Roast Hazelnuts
and make Hazelnut Meal

Hazelnuts are used in a variety of dishes.  Most recipes require them to be roasted so we’ll show you how to roast hazelnuts and make hazelnut meal.   

Roasting brings out their flavor and aroma giving them a nuttier taste.  It also removes some of the moisture making them crunchy.

But don’t overdo the roasting or you’ll have burned nuts and a bitter tasting recipe.

When hazelnuts are sold they commonly still have the skin on them.  The skins are not harmful but you don’t really want them in your cakes and cookies.  So they need to be skinned.

Roasting them in the oven enables the skins to be removed easily.

Here's how to roast hazelnuts:

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 160°C / 325°F.  Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Step 2 

Bake them for about 7 - 10 minutes.  They should start to give off an aroma and the skins should start to brown and split.  Check the nuts every few minutes towards the end and stir the nuts so they roast evenly.

Step 3

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Step 4

Once they are cool enough to handle they can be skinned.  Place the hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and gently rub together.  The skins will come off quite easily.    Don’t worry if a small amount of skin remains, this is normal.

Hazelnuts are a delicious addition to a variety of dishes. Roasting them brings out the distinct flavor and aroma, adding depth to what could be a boring meal. It only takes a few minutes and a little supervision to perfectly roast hazelnuts.

What is Hazelnut Meal

If you have a recipe which calls for hazelnut meal you can easily make this yourself.

Hazelnut meal is simply ground hazelnuts and it is made after the roasting process.

Many gluten free recipes use hazelnut meal instead of flour.   Hazelnuts are low in carbohydrates and naturally gluten free and so are a great alternative to flour.  You get all the vitamins and minerals of the hazelnuts without all the carbohydrate of the flour.

How to Make Hazelnut Meal

To make your own hazelnut meal:

1. Grind toasted nuts in a nut mill until it has the consistency of cornmeal.
2. This can also be done in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
3. Adding sugar to the nuts helps absorb the oils and prevents your hazelnut meal turning into nut butter. But use the sugar from the recipe, don't add extra.
   
4. It also helps to freeze the nuts before grinding.
   

Storing

Store your hazelnut meal in the refrigerator or freezer and use as soon as possible.