Roasted Corn Nuts

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5 from 13 reviews

45 minutes

corn

By:Pamela Reed

Posted:2/28/23

Updated:10/3/23

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Homemade Roasted Corn Kernel Nuts that taste just like Corn Nuts you buy in the store! This healthy snack is easy to make and only uses 4 ingredients! Bake them in the oven for 30 minutes for a crunchy snack!

Crunchy Corn Nuts Recipe

Roasted Corn Kernel Nuts are popular in our house. When we first started buying them months ago a bag would be gobbled away in 2-3 days tops. The thing I didn’t really like about them was the price and some of the additional ingredients on the bag.

A small bag of roasted kernels from the grocery store runs us about 4 bucks and that is easily 1.5 serving (even if the bag says 4 servings, it’s just not happening), that is way too expensive in my opinion. So now I’m going to show you how to make corn nuts!

Here’s why we love making homemade corn nuts.

Easy. Besides soaking the corn overnight, these are quick and easy to make.
Cheap. A 16 oz bag of corn runs about $2.50 in the store, other ingredients like seasonings I always have on hand.
As healthy as possible. Instead of vegetable oil, I use coconut oil. Coconut oil is starting to become a favorite in so many ways I cook and bake.

I actually like these corn nuts better than the packaged kind because they aren’t so hard on my teeth. Also I like the simple seasoning of salt and sugar.

Looking for more crunchy snacks? Try my Kale Chips, Baked Apple Chips, Roasted Soybeans and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds too!

How to Make Corn Nuts

The challenge was to find the right kind of corn for this. Popcorn kernels were way too tiny, but I found Goya brand Giant White Corn which works perfect for this recipe!

Soak the corn overnight, around 12 hours. Rinse and drain and you’re ready to go.

Place in a bowl and add salt and sugar.

Pour in coconut oil. You can use vegetable oil or sunflower oil if you’d like here instead.

Place them on a baking sheet. I like to put down a piece of parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Now bake and keep an eye on them. Stir them around every 10 minutes. I repeat, keep an eye on them. The corn burns quick so when it’s turning brown it will be done soon!

Mine took closer to the 40 minute mark to be done, but I would start to really monitor it at 20 minutes depending on oven and corn variety.

And when it’s done, you will have beautiful roasted corn kernel nuts! Grab a bowl and enjoy your crunchy corn nuts!

Other Seasonings

Feel free to play around with other seasonings. For sweet, you could add cinnamon and make cinnamon sugar corn nuts. Or if you’re looking for savory, try adding cumin or garlic powder. I made a batch with everything bagel seasoning and they were delicious!

How to Store

Store in a mason jar, airtight container or sealed bag.This recipe fills up about 1 and a half mason jars (32 oz size), so it’s a good amount to snack on.

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5 from 13 reviews

Homemade Roasted Corn Kernel Nuts that taste just like Corn Nuts you buy in the store! This healthy snack is easy to make and only uses 4 ingredients! Bake them in the oven for 30 minutes for a crunchy snack!

By: Pamela Reed

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

serves 12

Ingredients

▢ 14 ounce bag Giant White Corn also labeled as Maiz Mote Pelado
▢ 1/4 cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
▢ 1 tablespoon sugar
▢ 1 tablespoon sea salt

Instructions

Soak the giant white corn overnight, for approximately 12-14 hours. Rinse and drain.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss corn with oil, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
Place corn in single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. You can put parchment paper down first if you'd like to make it a easier cleanup.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until slightly browned. Every 10 minutes stir corn on the baking sheet. Keep a eye on them and remove immediately when they are brown as they can burn quickly.
Let cool and enjoy! Store in mason jar or sealed bag.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 155kcal (8%)

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Christy says
October 10, 2021 at 1:25 pm

Thank you this recipe. I can’t wait to make it!
Reply
Tom Kinnerman says
February 25, 2021 at 9:09 am

Decent recipe but your ads on your web page are so annoying that I do not plan to visit you in the future
Reply
- Pamela says
  February 25, 2021 at 9:40 am
  
  Sorry to hear that Tom, I do hope you enjoyed the free recipe though. 🙂
  Reply
  - Alberta Grown says
    August 16, 2022 at 1:19 am
    
    I burst out laughing after reading your reply to Mr. Kinnerman! I picked up what you laid down…. 🤪
    Reply
  - HoundRescuer says
    July 3, 2023 at 12:44 pm
    
    Love this reply! People can be so entitled!
    Thank you for the many (free) recipes. I hope all the time and effort you put into making them so relatable, detailed, yet concise, and visually alluring brings you revenue through the ad support. Also, this is a fantastic recipe, thank you!
    Reply
    - Pamela Reed says
      July 5, 2023 at 9:39 am
      
      Thank you! Happy to hear you liked the corn nuts! 🙂
      Reply
Ranvir says
August 25, 2020 at 10:24 pm

Hi madam I chose yellow dent corn because it is easily available , Cook them with lye and water and after 14 hr dried them for some hours and then fry but the texture was very hard ….. Can you suggest me the good way for yellow corn , corn nut
Reply
Tonya S. Toner says
July 31, 2020 at 11:02 am

How would I make my own dried corn to try this with?
Reply
Cindy says
May 19, 2020 at 5:19 pm

What is the nutrition info for these?
Reply
Cindy says
See Also
The 51 Best Ina Garten Recipes of All Time
May 19, 2020 at 5:13 pm

Do you know how long the shelf life is for these? Thank you.
Reply
zuzi says
June 15, 2019 at 3:03 am

Do Corn Nuts have a long shelf life? Mine have been in a sealed bag for about 3 years….
Reply
Marci says
February 22, 2019 at 10:46 pm

I wonder if the corn kernels are soaked in lye. The flavor reminds me of hominy which is soaked in lye. Hominy comes in white or yellow corn ad in canned in water. The individual kernels are large just like the corn nuts. Hummmm, might have to drain them off and try your recipe with them.
Reply
Brian says
November 19, 2018 at 1:04 pm

When soaking them for 12-14 hrs do you have to put them in the fridge or just at room temperature?
Thank you
Reply
- Pamela says
  November 19, 2018 at 1:11 pm
  
  Great question! I do it at room temperature Enjoy the corn nuts!
  Reply
Delfina says
November 7, 2018 at 1:33 pm

Hi Pamela,
Have you tried this with the actual corn? I mean not the bag of already chopped corn nuts. I’m wondering if it’s possible to do this with the actual vegetable and what the recipe should be.
Best,
Delfina
Reply
- Pamela says
  November 8, 2018 at 3:38 pm
  
  Hey Delfina, I’ve never tried it with fresh corn, but someone in the comments above has tried it and said it works. Good luck!
  Reply
Joyce koenig says
June 13, 2018 at 12:38 pm

In your recipe, are you using the canned Goya brand or the Maiz Mote Pelado? Or is this the same?
Reply
- Pamela says
  June 13, 2018 at 3:58 pm
  
  I’m using a bag of giant white corn (also called Maiz Mote Pelado).
  Reply
Dave says
November 23, 2017 at 1:07 pm

I tried the recipe but most of the kernels are still too hard. Seems the ones that are darker and maybe got a dark stripe in the center of the side during baking are closer to done. Is it just that I didn’t bake long enough or possibly didn’t soak long enough or both?
Most did start to brown some…
Reply
Christine Myers says
October 24, 2017 at 11:02 pm

I use sea salt, paprika & olive oil
Reply
Steve says
October 14, 2017 at 10:52 pm

Thanks for the recipe and the process pictures!
To fellow readers: Hominy/Mote/”Maiz para pozole”/”Maiz pozolero” is the only form of corn/maize that will get the result of this recipe! It comes in white and yellow varieties (buy the cheaper color that’s in the quantity you need; the kernels’ natural color doesn’t matter in this recipe).
Canned hominy will make this recipe even easier than the dried stuff: same nutritional value, almost as cheap, no overnight soaking, and perhaps a shorter roasting time. Just dump the hominy from the can into the colander, gently rinse the salted canning liquid and any broken bits away, and go on to the add-and-toss step. Canned hominy in supermarkets is usually with the canned vegetables or in a so-called “ethnic” section (a term I dislike here in California, where many ethnicities live). Look on a low shelf, too.
Hominy is processed from raw maize/corn by an ancient technique. It is simple but time-consuming, even in a small batch, as I learned the hard way (Don’t do it at home, especially not with raw popcorn!). Correctly-made hominy, no less nutritious than homemade, is cheap at supermarkets.
Reply
- Pamela says
  October 15, 2017 at 9:43 pm
  
  Hey Steve, glad you liked these corn nuts! Thanks for all the extra info, hopefully readers will find it helpful!
  Reply
Belinda says
September 7, 2017 at 7:45 pm

Could your recipe work with fresh corn cut off the cob?
Reply
- Pamela says
  September 8, 2017 at 4:35 pm
  
  Hi Belinda, I’ve never tried it with fresh corn, but someone in the comments above has tried it and said it works. Good luck!
  Reply
Keith Hyman says
April 8, 2017 at 6:07 pm

Sugar? Not so sure about that. Ever try them without adding sugar? Would they still be good?
Reply
- Pamela says
  April 8, 2017 at 6:53 pm
  
  Hey Keith, I have and they’re still good. If you don’t want that pop of sweetness, don’t add the sugar. Enjoy!
  Reply
  - Kristine Charbonneau says
    May 4, 2017 at 3:42 am
    
    Have you tried soaking them in salted water? Did you ever roast pumpkin seeds as a kid? We always soaked them in really salty water first…they seemed to retain the salt. Yum!
    Reply
    - Pamela says
      May 4, 2017 at 2:20 pm
      
      Hey Kristine, I usually soak them in non-salted water but if you want to add salt that could work too. Enjoy!
      Reply
Sara D says
January 12, 2017 at 5:54 pm

The first step is to soak them overnight. are we soaking them in water or the oil of choice?
Reply
- Pamela says
  January 12, 2017 at 5:55 pm
  
  Soak them in water.
  Reply
Laura says
December 23, 2016 at 10:48 am

Are these supposed to be crunchy all the way, or is the center supposed to be a bit chewy?
Reply
- Pamela says
  December 23, 2016 at 10:53 am
  
  They are pretty much crunchy all around.
  Reply
Mason says
September 24, 2016 at 11:08 pm

Hi Pamela,
I’m in Brooklyn too, and was craving corn nuts after finishing off a bag I picked up on a recent road trip. But Giant White Corn from Goya is something I’ve never seen in my usual stores (maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough). What chain did you find your corn in?
Thank you,
Mason L.
@masemans
Reply
- Pamela says
  September 25, 2016 at 4:33 pm
  
  Hey Mason, pretty much any grocery in Brooklyn has it – Associated, Pioneer, Stop & Shop, Ctown, Met, etc. It will be in the aisle with the Goya cans, but since they are dry corn it will be in a plastic bag.
  Reply
Ann Miller says
September 18, 2016 at 7:57 pm

Tried corn nuts yesterday for the first time and was hooked. I knew I found a keeper of a recipe when I found yours. Definitely will be trying this very soon. Thanks for sharing!
Reply
- Pamela says
  September 18, 2016 at 9:55 pm
  
  Enjoy Ann!
  Reply
David says
December 27, 2015 at 12:46 pm

I haven’t found that corn in my area so I tried it with yellow feed corn. After about 20 minutes in the oven the kernels started popping, one every 10-15 seconds. Does that happen with the Goya white corn?
Reply
- Pamela says
  December 27, 2015 at 1:21 pm
  
  Hey David, I’ve never experienced this white corn popping in the oven. I hope you’re able to find a bag nearby!
  Reply

Older Comments

Roasted Corn Nuts - Healthy Snack Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are corn nuts a healthy snack? ›

Healthy Eating

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Are corn nuts deep fried or baked? ›

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Does corn nuts have MSG? ›

From the Package. CORN, SALT, CORN OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF MALTODEXTRIN, SPICE, ONION POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, TOMATO POWDER, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, CITRIC ACID, PAPRIKA EXTRACT (FOR COLOR), NATURAL FLAVOR.

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Are Corn Nuts Keto Friendly? Despite their numerous nutrients, they are not keto-friendly. This is because corn is a grain, and like all grains, it contains high levels of carbohydrates.

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These giant corn nuts contain moderate amounts of vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, and vitamin A, and high levels of antioxidants. Even though they are known as giant corn nuts, they are not actually nuts.

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Almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and pecans also appear to be quite heart healthy. So are peanuts — though they are technically not a nut, but a legume, like beans. It's best to choose unsalted or unsweetened nuts. Adding salt or sugar to nuts may cancel out their heart-healthy benefits.

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Now Corn Nuts aren't really nuts at all. They are actually corn kernels deep-fried in oil. Originally created by Albert Holloway in 1936, these “nu*ts” were originally named “Brown Just Toasted Corn.” However, it's this oil that makes this snack actually more dangerous than it lets on.

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Do corn nuts have a lot of carbs? ›

Per 100g serving, Corn Nuts contain 64.96g net carbs. This is significantly high, considering that a typical ketogenic diet usually restricts daily carbohydrate intake to around 20-50 grams.

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