This Homemade Almond Butter Recipe is a staple in my kitchen. It is heart-healthy, packed with protein, and, most importantly, it is absolutely divine. Once you learn how to make almond butter with just 3 ingredients and a few minutes of active time, I can almost guarantee you’ll never go back to buying the jarred kind again!
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About This Recipe
I don’t know about you, but almond butter is a fan favorite at our house. It’s delicious on morning toast, added to almond buttercream, as an accompaniment to fruit, or simply by the spoonful. And, in case you didn’t know it, it is incredibly easy to make at home!
While I’m not knocking store-bought brands, many commercially available brands are overpriced or have ingredients that I don’t want. Imagine my childlike delight when I discovered how truly simple homemade nut butter is to make.
Now, I can make almond butter using the almonds I get at our local farmer’s market (almonds abound here in Southern California). Not only does that mean I get to support local agriculture, but it also means that I get the absolute freshest nut butter that exists!
Making almond butter at home also means I get to make it *just* the way I like it. I can leave it a little chunky or process it until it is as smooth as silk. I can leave it plain with just a pinch of sea salt, or I can go buck wild adding the flavors of my choice. It doesn’t hurt that I can also scale the recipe down for when Calvin is out of town, or up if I have a hankering to bake with it.
In short, this recipe is about to change your snacking life for the better. Come along with me to the kitchen so we can get started!
Ingredients
Homemade almond butter has a very short ingredient list, as you can imagine. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Almonds - I recommend getting raw, unsalted nuts so you can toast them to your own liking. That said, you can also make this almond butter with toasted, unsalted nuts if that’s all you can find.
- Avocado Oil - I love the mild flavor of avocado oil, but any neutral flavored oil that is liquid at room temperature will do. Try swapping in grapeseed, flaxseed, or sunflower oil.
- Sea Salt - A touch of sea salt makes any nut butter sing. If you plan on using a different type of salt (e.g. kosher or pink himalayan), check out this salt conversion chart to make sure you don’t over- (or under-) do it..
Equipment
Making nut butter is easy, but it also doesn’t require much in terms of equipment. BONUS! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Food Processor - Either a food processor or a high-powered blender like a Vitamix will work here. Depending on the size of your model, you’ll likely need to process the nuts in batches.
- Sheet Pan - You’ll need a pan to toast your almonds in the oven. Grab one that has a lip to prevent the nuts from sliding off the tray!
- Parchment - While optional, this will keep cleanup to a minimum. It’s also compostable! Feel free to use a reusable silicone baking mat if you prefer.
- Silicone Spatula - Once you make a batch of this homemade almond butter, you’re going to want to get allllllll the goodness from the food processor. Make sure your spatula is both sturdy and flexible.
- Glass Jar with Lid - A mason jar or Weck canning jar would be perfect.
How To Make Homemade Almond Butter
Prep: Preheat Oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
Roast: Roast almonds in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through to promote even heat distribution
Cool: Allow nuts to cool for 5 minutes before placing almonds in the food processor.
Blend: Blend nuts for a few minutes, stop to scrape down the sides, add salt and oil then continue blending for another 15 minutes.
Store & Enjoy! Once you are satisfied with the creaminess of your almond butter, remove nut butter and store in an air tight container.
Homemade almond butter will last for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. To preserve it for longer, your jar of nut butter can be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Optional Variations
Guess what? This awesome almond butter recipe works well with pretty much any nut or seed that you can dream of. Homemade nut butter FTW! Here are a few different types to consider:
- Cashews
- Macadamia Nuts
- Peanuts
- Brazil Nuts
- Hazelnuts
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
- Sunflower Seeds
- Pepitas
*Please note, I always suggest that you start with raw nuts or seeds and toast them yourself.
And that’s not all! You can also customize any type of homemade nut butter with the add-ins of your choice. Feel free to mix and match to your heart’s delight! Here are some of my favorite ways to flavor this tasty, nutritious spread:
- Cocoa/Cacao
- Maple Syrup
- Honey
- Warming Spices (e.g. cinnamon, ginger, or even cayenne!)
- Espresso powder
- Vanilla Extract, Powder, Paste, or Beans
Did you come up with an amazing new flavor of nut butter? Let me know in the comments below or tag me in your social posts so I can cheer you on!!
Serving Suggestions
Homemade almond butter can be used in the exact same way as any store-bought variety. Use it to:
- Top toast or rice cakes,
- Drizzle over ice cream,
- Make cookies or cakes,
- Dip your apples or bananas
- Snack on with a spoon!
Expert Tips
- Check the bulk bins for a better price. As a baker, I’m sure you’d expect that the baking aisle is my favorite in the store. Turns out, the bulk section is! Not only are you more likely to get a better price on your ingredients (which is very welcome given how expensive nuts can be), but they’re often also fresher than their packaged counterparts. However, if you live somewhere with nut farms, I’d suggest giving your farmer’s market a try; the flavor simply can’t be beaten.
- Start with raw nuts and toast to your liking. In general, it's incredibly important to take the time to roast nuts prior to using them in a recipe. Granted, you can start with pre-toasted nuts, but you’ll still want to warm them up before blending, especially if you prefer creamy almond butter. By taking ten minutes to roast, the oils will have naturally released, imparting an intense taste and aroma. You’ll also get better control on exactly how toasty your nuts get.
- Work in stages. As almonds are quite dense, you'll want to blend them in your food processor in stages. By taking the time to stop the food processor, scrape down the sides and around the blade, you will see more consistent and quicker results. This will also prevent your food processor's motor from working harder than necessary, which will prolong its useful life.
Frequently Asked Questions
First, you may have stopped roasting the nuts before they reach peak oiliness, so next time, consider roasting just a few minutes longer. However, at this stage, you can’t pop them back in the oven. Try drizzling a bit more oil into the processor as it is running; this should help to make your batch nice and creamy. You can also try using some maple syrup or honey to help emulsify it and add some extra flavor!
Yep! If you have some leftovers from making a batch of rose & chocolate macarons and want to use it up before it goes rancid, this almond butter recipe is a great place to start! However, instead of using the oven to roast the nuts, I’d suggest toasting your almond flour in a dry pan so you can stir it and make sure it cooks evenly.
YES! Be sure to transfer your nut butter to a clean glass container with a lid. It should keep well in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
More Essential Recipes to Try
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Almond Butter
Ingredients
- 2 Cups (286 g) Almonds
- ½ Tablespoon Avocado Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 350° Fahrenheit
- Roast almonds in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through to promote even heat distribution2 Cups Almonds
- Allow nuts to cool for 5 minutes before placing almonds in the food processor
- Blend nuts for a few minutes, stop to scrape down the sides, add salt and oil then continue blending for another 15 minutes.½ Tablespoon Avocado Oil, ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- Once you are satisfied with the creaminess of your almond butter, remove nut butter and store in an air tight container
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