Walnuts aren’t just a crunchy, tasty snack, or a good inclusion for a range of baked goods. According to Keith Seiz, California Walnut Board strategy director, the humble nut offers a long list of health benefits and is versatile enough to be sprinkled on top of pies, blended in brownies, mixed into cookies, and used in several other palate-pleasing ways.

Jenni Spinner: Could you please share an overview of the California Walnut Board—what’s your mission, and what do you do for your members and the food industry in general?

Keith Seiz: The California Walnut Board represents the more than 4,000 walnut growers and 70+ handlers in California, which accounts for about 99% of U.S. production of English walnuts. For the food industry, especially commercial bakers and snack food manufacturers, we’re a resource. We work directly with product developers and marketers to spur innovation using walnuts and to answer any questions they may have about nutrition, formulation, or consumer perceptions.  

JS: Please tell us a bit about the myriad health benefits of walnuts for snack makers, bakers, and other food industry producers to consider.

KS: Walnuts truly are unique when it comes to nutritional benefits. They are the only nut to contain a significant source of plant-based omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) at 2.5 grams per ounce. One ounce of walnuts offers 18 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, and 13 grams of polyunsaturated fat including 2.5 grams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) – the plant-based omega-3. Walnuts also have protein (4 grams per ounce) and fiber (2 grams per ounce).

Most importantly for bakery and snack food manufacturers, walnuts are both nutritious and indulgent. Some of America’s favorite bakery foods, from brownies to cookies to sweet breads, use walnuts to provide an indulgent appearance, texture, and flavor. At the same time, consumers know walnuts also provide omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber. They are the best of both worlds and can be used in a nutritious snack mix and a premium, indulgent brownie. 

JS: Walnuts are a fairly versatile ingredient—could you please talk a bit about some of the typical applications, and then some of the surprising ways the nut can be put to use?

KS: Walnuts are a timeless ingredient that has been used in popular baked goods such as banana breads, chocolate chip and walnut cookies, walnut brownies, and baklava. They have always been popular in these products and continue to grow in popularity as consumers crave comfort foods that deliver flavor and nostalgia. 

In addition to these traditional uses, we’re also seeing innovative bakers and snack food manufacturers capitalize on walnuts’ flavor, texture, and functional benefits in the following products: 

• Walnut breads: Retail bakers have always used walnuts in artisan breads and sweet loaf breads. However, we’re starting to track more commercial bakers using walnuts in sliced sandwich breads to deliver nutrition and texture. In Japan, walnut breads are immensely popular and found everywhere. In the United States, we’re excited to see the growth of this trend. 
• Walnut cream in plant-based bakery foods: When walnuts are mixed with water at a 1:1 ratio, they produce a nutty cream that can replace dairy products in a variety of bakery foods. By using a walnut cream, manufacturers are able to create plant-based products while still maintaining a clean label. 
• Functional snack mixes and cereal: Walnuts can be the star ingredient in a cereal or snack mix formulated to deliver plant-based omega-3 fatty acids.

JS: Specifically, can you tell us some of the ways your members’ walnuts are incorporated in both long-standing and new products? Feel free to share general products, as well as specific branded items consumers can find them in on shelves.

KS: Walnuts exemplify permissible indulgence. They offer product developers the opportunity to formulate products with subtle nuttiness that satisfy with a crunchy and smooth texture. The role of walnuts can vary depending on how they are used and prepared. A few different forms of walnuts are chopped walnuts, toasted walnuts, ground walnuts, and whole or halved walnuts. These forms can be used as inclusions (chopped, toasted), a flour substitute (ground), and toppers (whole or halved walnuts). And there’s more where that came from! Because of this, they’re the perfect pairing in brownies, breads, chocolate chip cookies, pie crusts, chocolate clusters, snack bars, sweet and savory snack mixes, and muffins.

A few recent bakery and snack examples showing their versatility are: 

• Pie Crusts: Ready to Use Walnut Pie Crust (Diamond of California)
• Bakery Mixes: 

1. Dolly Parton’s Caramel Turtle Brownie Mix (Duncan Hines)
2. Dolly Parton’s Banana Nut Muffin & Bread Mix (Duncan Hines)

1. Trader Joes, Raisin Walnut Apple Bars
2. Members Mark, Regular Cranberry And Walnut Artisan Loaf
3. Gabriel’s Bakery, Walnut Bread

1. Power Up, Premium Trail Mix Mega Omega Mix
2. Joolies Date Pops Lemon Bar Date And Nut Energy Bites
3. Monkey Brittle, Strawberry Banana Crunch

1. Kashi Cinnamon Walnut Vitamin D Cereal
2. Wildway Banana Nut Planet Friendly Oats
3. Stoked Oats Stone Age Superfood Oatmeal Blend

1. Jambar, Tropical Trio Organic Artisan Energy Bar (vegan)
2. Freedom Bar, Chocolate Coconut
3. Thunderbird Bar, Peanut Banana Walnut

JS: Our latest product category is pies—and walnuts are certainly an ingredient worthy of including in all sorts of pies. Can you talk about some of the recipes pie producers reading Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery might consider incorporating in their pie offerings?

 JS: There are three different ways pie manufacturers can use walnuts in their formulations:

• Walnut Crusts: The perfect gluten-free, clean-label option that delivers the perfect bite.
• Inclusions: Walnuts are the Goldilocks inclusion, being neither too hard nor too soft. They are crunchy yet soft, making them a dynamic inclusion with an exceptional mouthfeel in pie fillings.
• Toppings: Consumers consider walnuts a premium ingredient that connotes quality and indulgence. Fortunately for food manufacturers, walnuts are favorably priced right now, allowing their inclusion to create a premium product without a premium price point. 

JS: What’s your favorite way to eat walnuts?

KS: I have to pick just one? My favorite way to eat walnuts is on the go! Like most people, I have a lot of demands on my time, and walnuts’ portability helps keep me fueled whether it’s a snack mix, protein bar, or an individually wrapped brownie for when I need a quick treat. I wish I had more options! Food manufacturers should be formulating with walnuts so I can buy more and varied finished products with walnuts already included.

Related: Pies appeal to millennials, families with differentiated portion sizes