Roasted Marcona Almonds with Olive Oil and Fresh Herbs Recipe

Marcona almonds, also called the ‘queen of almonds’, are a variety of almonds from Spain. They are delicious fresh, soaked overnight, and peeled, but they also make the most satisfying and healthiest snack when roasted.

This roasted Marcona almonds recipe with olive oil and fresh herbs is easy to make and deliciously addictive. Stay away from most Marcona almonds you find in stores, they are roasted in canola or sunflower oil.

What are Marcona almonds?

Marcona almonds are a special type of almonds coming from Spain. If you want, they are the gourmet version of humble almonds. It’s for a good reason they are called ‘the queen of almonds’.

They are shorter, rounder, softer, and sweeter than the California variety and they have that intense, delicious almond flavor (almost like an almond extract) that you won’t get with regular almonds.

Are Marcona almonds lectin-free?

Like any almonds, Marcona almonds need to be peeled or blanched, as the skins have harmful lectins. You can find almonds that are already blanched, or you can peel them at home. My favorite method is soaking them in cold water overnight. The peels will come off easily.

For more details on how healthy almonds are and how to use them, check out our article:

• Do Almonds Have Lectins? All Things Almonds

Where to buy Marcona almonds

While Marcona almonds are not that easy to find in stores across the US, there are places where you can order them online, like these raw and blanched Marcona almonds on Amazon, or on SuperiorNutCompany, with free delivery from Cambridge, MA.

They are easier to find in Europe.

Shopping list to make roasted Marcona almonds with fresh herbs

You need:

• 1 heaping cup of blanched (peeled) Marcona almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (like Redmond Sea Salt)
• leaves of fresh rosemary, fresh oregano, fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Optional: I prefer them with only herbs and salt, but if you prefer you can also add other spices, like sweet or smoked paprika.

How to make Marcona almonds

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Transfer the almonds to a baking sheet. I use stainless steel, so no parchment paper, but you can also use parchment paper if you prefer.

Add the oils, herbs, and salt and toss well until the almonds get coated with the oil and salt and rubbed with the fresh herbs.

Roast for 10 minutes. Take out and toss them well again, and put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Keep an eye on them in case your oven runs hotter.

Take them out, toss them some more and let them on the sheet pan to cool. At this point, the herbs should be dried out and easily breakable, and the almonds are still a little chewy, but they’ll get crunchy when they cool down. At this point, you can also sprinkle with salt if they are not salty enough.

When they are completely cool (room temperature), transfer them to a serving bowl or an air-tight container, making sure you get as much of the herbs (discarding the sticks) and store them in the fridge.

How to store and serve them

It’s best to store these almonds in the refrigerator, in an air-tight container This way they’ll stay fresh and will get crunchier.

You can enjoy them as a snack (careful, they are addictive!) or you can add them on top of salads or to appetizer boards. I promise you, is the most delicious snack you will ever eat.

I hope you love this roasted Marcona almonds recipe as much as we do.

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