• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
dirndl kitchen
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
    • Main Courses
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Bread & Rolls
    • Pastries
    • Cakes
    • Sides
    • Drinks
    • Christmas
    • Oktoberfest
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • About
  • Meal Guide
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
      • Main Courses
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Bread & Rolls
      • Pastries
      • Cakes
      • Sides
      • Drinks
      • Christmas
      • Oktoberfest
    • Lifestyle
      • Travel
    • About
    • Meal Guide
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Christmas

    Foolproof oven-roasted chestnuts

    Published: Nov 16, 2022 by dirndlkitchen · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    No, you do not need an open fire to roast chestnuts! I grew up on roasted chestnuts at German Christmas markets and roasting them in the oven at home is just as good! I love the baked potato like taste and the soft texture of roasted chestnuts, and hope you find my tips helpful to enjoy these at home too. 

    closeup of roasted chestnuts in shell

    Video

    Maybe the easiest way to understand how to roast chestnuts at home is to watch this 18-second video.

    What's needed

    Chestnuts. I buy local, organic chestnuts at our local grocery store. The store typically starts carrying them in early November, but it may vary slightly each season. You will usually find chestnuts in a refigerated section in the produce area.

    Paring Knife. A sharp paring knife is an essential to have and it will come in handy when cutting open your chestnuts before roasting.

    chestnuts on a plate with a paring knife

    Baking Sheet. Just use whichever size fits your oven. You don't need to prep your baking sheet with any foil or parchment.

    Oven-safe metal dish. Over the years of making roasted chestnuts at home, I have found that adding steam to the baking process helps in keeping the chestnuts moist and soft inside. We're lucky now in that we have a convection steam oven, but filling an oven-safe metal bowl with boiling water just minutes before putting your chestnuts in the oven will create the same effect.

    How to roast chestnuts

    Roasting the perfect soft chestnuts at home is really so easy! It instantly transports me to a Christmas market in Germany, where we would also enjoy the most crave-worthy Dampfnudeln, Làngos and Kartoffelpuffer. We now roast chestnuts every year to decorate for Christmas and throughout the Christmas season.

    fresh chestnut with a cross cut into the shell

    You will first preheat your oven. Then you will cut a cross into each chestnut (on the belly side, so they can lay flat). You will then boil some water and add it to an oven-safe metal dish placed in the bottom of your oven. This will create steam that will help to keep your chestnuts soft as they roast. Add your chestnuts to the oven and allow them to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.

    It's that easy to make roasted chestnuts at home. For details, view my recipe card below.

    Recipe tips

    • To create steam in your oven, make sure to use a metal pan to pour your boiling water into (a larger surface allows for more steam to be created). I don't use glass anymore because I had one shatter on me because of the drastic temperature change in the past. Oops!
    • You will know when your chestnuts are finished roasting when the peel is opens up and turns dark around the edges (such as in the picture below).
    • I find that chestnuts are easiest to peel when they're still hot (and that's when they also taste the best).
    • If you have any leftover chestnuts, you can peel them and use them for other recipes. My favorite is to add chestnuts to creamy, puréed soups (think in replacement of potatoes). So good!
    roasted chestnuts on a plate

    How to Roast Chestnuts In the Oven

    No, you do not need an open fire to roast chestnuts! I grew up on roasted chestnuts at German Christmas markets and roasting them in the oven at home is just as good! I love the baked potato like taste and the soft texture of roasted chestnuts, and hope you find my tips helpful to enjoy these at home too. They're fun as a simple appetizer, to serve while decorating for the holidays like we do, and they can also be used for other recipes like soup or desserts.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Appetizer, Baking, Entertaining, Snack
    Cuisine German
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 222 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Paring Knife make sure you sharpen it before using, dull knives slip more easily
    • 1 Oven-safe metal baking pan the larger surface allows you to create more steam in your oven
    • 1 Baking Sheet no need to cover it with foil or parchment paper

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound chestnuts or of course more if desired

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit (175° Celsius) on the conviction setting. The circulating air will help circulate your steam.
    • Lay your chestnuts onto the flat side, and using a sharp paring knife, cut a cross into each chestnut's 'belly side.' Face them up onto a baking sheet (no need to prep it with parchment paper or foil).
      1 pound chestnuts
    • Boil some water and add it to an oven-safe metal dish placed in the bottom of your oven. This will create steam that will help to keep your chestnuts soft as they roast.
    • Add your chestnuts to the oven and allow them to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are peeled up and start to darken.
    • Allow to cool for a few minutes before peeling and eating right out of the shell.

    Video

    Notes

    Chestnut Roasting Tips:
    • To create steam in your oven, make sure to use a metal pan to pour your boiling water into (a larger surface allows for more steam to be created). I don't use glass anymore because I had one shatter on me because of the drastic temperature change in the past. Oops!
    • You will know when your chestnuts are finished baking when the peel opens up and turns dark around the edges.
    • I find that chestnuts are easiest to peel when they're still hot (and that's when they also taste the best).
    • If you have any leftover chestnuts, you can peel them and use them for other recipes or just warm them up and eat them later. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. My favorite is to add chestnuts to creamy, puréed soups (think in replacement of potatoes). They add such a unique flavor and are so good!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 222kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.5gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 549mgVitamin A: 29IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More German Christmas Recipes

    • Easy Mulled Wine
    • Gingerbread Spice (For Authentic German Lebkuchen)
    • Glühbier (Hot Beer Cocktail)
    • The BEST Swiss Cheese Fondue

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Sophie Sadler dirndl kitchen headshot

    Hallo, I'm Sophie!

    I am so happy that you are here at my German food and recipe blog named dirndl kitchen! Let's cook and bake authentic German recipes to help us feel closer to Germany!

    I moved from Germany to the United States in 2009 and soon started to terribly miss the German food (okay, my family, too)! I still miss a nice weekend brunch with crusty Brötchen (rolls) and Teilchen (pastries), Döner Kebab and German cake and coffee time at 15 o'clock! So I decided to educate my fellow Germany-missing friends by writing about German food and traditions. I do so in a fun way with easy-to-follow recipes! I hope you stay a while and bookmark some recipes, so we can cook and bake together.

    Mit viel Liebe (with much love)

    More about me →

    Trending

    • Authentic, Soft German Pretzels (Brezeln)
    • Döner Kebab Recipe (Chicken Version)
    • German Potato Salad with Würstchen
    • How to make Donuts (German Berliner)
    • Pretzel Beer Bubble Bread
    • Easy German Apple Cake (Apfelkuchen)
    • Rumtopf Tagebuch: German Rumpot Recipe
    • Creamy Pasta Salad Recipe (Nudelsalat)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for new recipes

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 dirndl kitchen