Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts
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Once you start snacking, there’s no stopping! These rosemary bar nuts from one of New York’s most beloved restaurants are seriously delicious.
Many cookbooks feature variations of the renowned Union Square Cafe bar nuts, and as a fan, I couldn’t resist sharing my own version of the recipe here. The nuts are infused with sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, but it’s the addition of fresh rosemary that truly makes them special. Perfect with cocktails, as a casual snack, or even as a thoughtful homemade gift, these nuts are the ultimate nibble—and they’re incredibly easy to whip up, too! Just a friendly heads-up: once you start munching on these, it’s really hard to stop!
“Love this nut recipe! I make these every Christmas and give them as gifts to my family. They are a huge hit”
What You’ll Need To Make Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts
Step-by-Step Instructions
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Place the nuts on the baking sheet and toast in oven until warm, fragrant and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as they can burn quickly.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and butter.
Add the warm, toasted nuts to the spiced butter and toss well. Then add the kosher salt.
Toss to coat thoroughly.
Serve warm or let cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze for longer storage.
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Union Square Café Bar Nuts
Once you start snacking, there’s no stopping! These rosemary bar nuts from one of New York’s most beloved restaurants are seriously delicious.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups unsalted mixed nuts (see note)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Place the nuts on the baking sheet and toast in oven until warm, fragrant and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as nuts can burn quickly.
- In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and butter. Add the warm, toasted nuts to the spiced butter and toss well. Add kosher salt and toss to coat thoroughly. Serve warm or let cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze for longer storage.
- Note: I like this recipe best with cashews and pecans, but you can use any nuts that you like. If you use raw nuts, be sure to toast them a bit longer, about 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The nuts can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost them on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 216
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Cholesterol: 3 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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A delicious snack for family and guests! I make it frequently.
Delicious and easy! I served the nuts along side some popcorn and your Buttered Cider with Rum recipe for my bible study on a night when we had a cold weather alert. Everyone thought it was a nice change from tea and dessert.
I made this, sorta, using just pecans (because I had a lot I needed to use) and thyme in place of rosemary (because I had some fresh thyme). It’s really excellent. I think I’ll try it with just cashews next.
Do you think these could be done with olive oil instead of butter for a non-dairy option? These are a favorite in my house but having some non-dairy guests for the holidays. Thanks!
Sure, Heather – I think that’d work well.
Love this nut recipe! I make these every Christmas and give them as gifts to my family. They are a huge hit!
I just wasn’t crazy about this nut blend—very disappointed as I had hope to make it as this year’s awesome Christmas gift item. I would rather just have some mixed nuts. Maybe it was the rosemary….
Remember eating these for the first time at the café in Union Square…just wonderful. Made them for years, but for some reason they slipped out of my memory bank. Thanks for reminding me of a long time and long ago favorite. They are once again a regular at my wine and cheese gatherings
I made these nuts for my Christmas gift baskets. This was the most asked for recipe from everything in the basket. Easy and truly yummy. I did add a bit more salt.
Before I begin my review I must state that rarely do I mess with making changes to Jenn’s recipes because they are already perfected.
I love to give food gifts to friends and family and have several friends who are gluten free so this is a quick, EASY treat from my kitchen they can enjoy. I made these several times and I loved the taste but not the greasy feel on my palate or fingers.
I slightly changed the recipe by using RAW nuts and toasting them for 8 minutes in the oven then tossing them in the spiced butter mixture and returning them to the oven for 5 minutes more. The greasy taste and feel were gone and the spice mixture adhered to the nuts better.
For vegan friends I just swap out the butter with good olive oil and follow my same changes.
Thanks Jenn for all the wonderful recipes and your work developing them.
I am looking forward to your book.
Thank you for the recipe, I used it last Christmas, and gave them to my friends, they loved it. But I forgot – do I need to soften the butter first? Or mix hard butter with other ingredients? The recipe doesn’t say. Thank you!
Hi Sherry, Glad they were a hit! You melt the butter first. Hope they enjoy them again. 🙂
Spiced nuts
Can they be made a few days in advance and serve at room temperature?
Hi Christine, they’d be fine to make a day or two ahead. While these are best warm, it’s fine to serve them at room temperature. Here’s another option that’s great at room temperature in case you want to take a peek.