Salted, Unsalted or Seasoned Cashews: Which Should You Buy?

There is no single best cashew. Plain cashews are the most flexible, and they are what you want for cooking. Lightly salted cashews are the easiest to snack on. Seasoned cashews, such as garlic or devilled ones, are made to be eaten as they are. Choosing between them is about how you plan to use them, and who is eating them.

Plain cashews have no added salt or seasoning, so they taste mild, buttery and slightly sweet. They are the right choice for cooking, as they take on the flavour of whatever you put them in. Our Cooking Cashew is plain, and is made for curries, rice, sweets, cashew milk, cream and butter. Plain cashews also suit anyone watching their salt, or who wants to season things themselves.

Oven Roasted Cashew is roasted until golden, with no added oil and no seasoning. It has a richer, toastier flavour than a plain cashew and a crisp crunch, and it is a good all-round snack. If you want a snack that is close to the cashew itself, this is the one. See raw vs roasted cashews for the difference.

Our Classic Roasted Salt & Pepper Cashews are slow-roasted in small batches and finished with a little sea salt and pepper. They are the easy snack to put in a bowl for guests, because the salt brings out the flavour without taking over. They are also a good choice for a first order, and for gifts.

Garlic Cashew is dusted with a savoury garlic seasoning, creamy and tangy, with no heat. Deviled Cashew is tossed in a seasoning of chilli, curry leaves and aromatic spices, in the Sri Lankan style, and is hot and addictive. These are best eaten as they are, as a snack, and they are not the best for cooking, because the seasoning will change the flavour of a dish. Read how seasoning clings to a nut in how flavour gets into cashews.

Burnt Cashew Nut is roasted past the golden stage until the surface darkens and chars in places, with no seasoning added. The flavour is smoky and bold, with a little bitterness. It is an acquired taste for some, and a favourite for others, particularly with coffee or tea. See what are burnt cashews?.

Whatever you buy, read the label. Check the ingredients, because plain cashews should list only cashews, and roasted ones should say whether oil, salt, sugar or flavourings were added. Check for added sugar, because honey-roasted and candied cashews carry sugar. Check the salt, because heavily salted cashews add sodium, which matters to people watching their blood pressure, as we mention in cashews and heart health. And check how fresh they are, because stale cashews taste sour or waxy whatever the seasoning.

For cooking, choose plain, such as Cooking Cashew. For everyday snacking, choose Oven Roasted or Salt & Pepper. For people who like flavour, choose Garlic or Deviled. For something smoky with a hot drink, choose Burnt. For children, choose plain or lightly roasted, and always as a ground or chopped form for the very young, as in cashews for kids and toddlers. If you cannot decide, the Cashew Taster Gift Box gives you seven options in small packs.

If you have high blood pressure, kidney problems or any health condition that affects what you should eat, ask your doctor or a dietitian before you choose, because even a healthy snack can contain a lot of salt. Plain cashews give you the nut without the added salt, and you can season them yourself, for example with a pinch of spice. This post is general information, not medical advice.

Are roasted cashews less healthy than raw ones? Roasting changes the flavour and texture much more than it changes the nutrition. What matters more is what is added: oil, salt, sugar or heavy seasoning. See raw vs roasted cashews and cashew nutrition facts.

Do seasoned cashews stay fresh as long as plain ones? Seasoned cashews lose their crunch and punch if they sit open, so keep them in an airtight container away from heat and damp. Our storage guide explains how.

Can I season plain cashews at home? Yes, and it is easy. Toss plain cashews with a little oil and your own spices and roast them briefly, as in our guide to spiced roasted cashews at home, or buy the ready-made Deviled Cashew.