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The first time I experienced store-bought almond butter it was very gritty. It was then and there that I decided I would stick to my smooth and creamy peanut butter.
That was until I discovered that almond butter is super easy to make yourself! All you need is a little patience.
Okay maybe a lot of patience.
That patience is well worth it. The result is an ultra smooth and creamy, luscious butter that is bursting with sweet and nutty almond flavor.
The first time I made almond butter It seemed like I had been grinding those almonds in the food processor forever and it was still sandy and gritty. I was beginning to think that I had ruined 3 cups of almonds. Those babies aren’t exactly cheap, ya know.
Just when I was about to give up, the magic happened. The almond paste/sand/gloppy stuff turned into a gorgeous smooth butter.
Moral of the story: don’t give up on your almond butter. Keep working on that food processor and you will be rewarded greatly.
One word of caution: take breaks.
Give your food processor frequent breaks. Not just a 30 second break, but a 5 to 10 minute break for every 5 to 10 minutes of processing. Otherwise your food processor will get too tired and burn out. Trust me, mine has come very close.
Unless you need a new food processor. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret.
Besides the smoother taste, my other reason for making my own almond butter is that store-bought almond butter often has unnecessary sugars and added oils. I’m talking about you, Mr. Evil Hydrogenated Oil.
If you do ever come across an almond butter that consists of simply almonds and a little bit of salt then you will find that it will cost a million dollars for a teensy tiny amount.
So not worth it when you can make Two-Ingredient Homemade Almond Butter. You won’t be sorry, I promise.
But my beloved peanut butter! Why should I make almond butter when I have my reliable peanut butter?
I am so glad you asked! Here are some good reasons:
- It is time to mix it up! Peanut butter, although delicious, is overrated. There are so many amazing nut butters out there that you are missing out on. Almond butter is a great starting point.
- The health benefits. Almond butter has some health benefits that peanut butter is lacking. Almond butter contains lots of vitamin E, magnesium, and iron.
Don’t worry, I am not saying that peanut butter is unhealthy in comparison to almond butter. Peanut butter and almond butter have almost the same amounts of protein and fiber. But Almond butter has some essential nutrients that your body is craving and almond butter is an easy way to get them.
My favorite way to enjoy almond butter right now is spread on a piece of whole wheat or gluten-free toast and drizzled with honey.
Don’t take my word for it, go make some almond butter and try it out for yourself.
Two-Ingredient Homemade Almond Butter
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Snack
- Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Description
Two-Ingredient almond butter is surprisingly easy to make. It can be used in place of peanut butter in any recipe. One of my favorite ways to enjoy almond butter is on a piece of toast drizzled with honey.
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw, unsalted almonds (preferably organic)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant and slightly browned. Stir the nuts once in the middle of roasting to prevent burning.*
- Allow the almonds to cool enough to handle. Place the warm (or raw*) almonds into the bowl of the food processor. Begin to process the almonds.
- Frist the almonds will begin to break up in large, rough chunks. Then they will begin to look like the consistency of sand, and next they will begin to stick together like a rough paste. Soon after that, about 10 minutes into the process, the almonds will begin to look like butter. Don’t stop here, keep going.
- Make sure to take breaks from processing your almonds. You will notice that the butter is really warm, and so is the motor of your food processor. It needs to rest. Otherwise the motor will burn up. This is a recipe I like to make while I am doing other things in the kitchen. I will process it for 5 to 10 minutes and then give it a 10 minute break and do something else in the kitchen, then return to the food processor.
- Once the almond butter begins to look like butter, you may think you are done but keep going for about another 10 to 15 minutes. When the almond butter is done, it should be very warm and look almost runny. The best way to test if the almond butter is done is to scoop some out and rub it between your thumb and index finger. If the almond butter is at all gritty then you need to process it longer, until the almond butter is smooth and creamy. The total processing time, not including breaks, should take about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add in the salt (optional) and give the almond butter another whirl to incorporate. Scoop the almond butter into an airtight container, such as a mason jar, and store it at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 weeks.
- If you would like to store it in the refrigerator it will become very hard; make sure to allow the almond butter to come to room temperature before using. It will keep in the refrigerator for several months.
- You can use almond butter in place of peanut butter for any snack or sub it for peanut butter in any recipe. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is on whole wheat toast with a drizzle of honey.
Notes
*You can skip the roasting step altogether and just put the almonds in the food processor raw. I have made almond butter both ways before. Both are delicious. When they are roasted the butter has a stronger, nuttier flavor than when they are raw. Also, roasting the nuts before processing them in the food processor seems to make the grinding portion go a little faster.
Prep time does not include time needed to allow the food processor to rest.
If during the processing time you are tempted to add water to help move things along, DON’T. Water and oil separate. Same goes for any other oil you may be tempted to add; don’t do it. The almonds have a ton of oil in them. It just takes some patience to release the oils from the nuts.
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