Why one number will not do
Search for a nut roasting temperature and you get a single figure, usually an oven setting, usually around 325–350°F. It is not wrong so much as incomplete, because the four things that decide the answer all vary.
Oil content. Nuts run from roughly a quarter fat to over three-quarters. Oilier nuts conduct heat faster, brown faster and burn sooner. A macadamia and an almond do not behave alike.
Size and density. A cashew is small and curved; a pecan half is thin and flat; an in-shell peanut is bulky with an air gap. They heat at different rates.
Shell or no shell. Shell slows heat to the kernel and changes how the batch tumbles. In-shell times do not transfer to shelled.
What you are making. A nut destined for butter is roasted differently from one going into a gift tin.
The published starting points
Treat these as a region to explore, not an address. They are the commonly published ranges, given as an oven or air setting — the number most sources quote.
| Nut | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Peanuts, shelled | ~325–350°F, 15–25 min | Forgiving relative to tree nuts |
| Peanuts, in shell | ~325–350°F, longer | Shell slows the kernel; expect more time |
| Pecans | ~325–350°F, 8–15 min | Thin and oily — burn quickly, watch closely |
| Almonds | ~325–350°F, 10–20 min | Dense; interior lags the surface |
| Cashews | ~325–350°F, 8–15 min | Very quick to colour, easy to overshoot |
Notice how narrow those windows are. Pecans and cashews can move from pale to over-done inside a couple of minutes, which is why "set a timer and walk away" fails so often with nuts.