What are Honey Roasted Peanuts?

Honey roasted peanuts are a type of dry roasted peanut. Dry roasted peanuts are considered a cocktail peanut and are roasted for up to an hour in moderately hot revolving commercial ovens. Since they are roasted and salted, all types of dry roasted peanuts are usually more expensive than other types of peanuts, but they are also more flavorful as well as crunchy. You can also make them at home. Commercially-made honey roasted peanuts vary in their ingredients.

Some honey roasted peanuts sold in stores do contain honey, but many types use mostly sugar and/or corn syrup. There may be very little honey in the roasted peanuts, so it is a good idea to read the ingredients on the package to see what sweeteners are included and in what order they're listed. Honey roasted peanuts can be eaten on their own as a snack or added to other foods.

Sometimes these peanuts are blended into a snack mix with cereal squares and pretzels and a seasoned butter is added before everything is stirred together. This classic snack mix is often served in large bowls during television sports games or during barbecues and parties. Many people prefer just snacking on honey roasted peanuts without any other foods added. If the portion size is controlled, any type of peanuts can be a healthy snack as peanuts contain fiber and protein.

There are a few different methods for making honey roasted peanuts at home. Some people first cook peanuts, sugar, honey and water on the stove before spreading the mixture on a cookie sheet and roasting the peanuts for anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Another way to make honey roasted peanuts is spread a mixture of peanuts and honey on the cookie sheet and roast without cooking anything on the stove first. In either method, the peanuts should be turned over at least once during the roasting and should end up golden brown in color rather than dark brown. After cooling, the home made honey roasted peanuts should be stored in an airtight container.