By Erin Covey-Smith
Making your own nut butter is easier than you may think. All you need is a high-powered blender or food processor, your favorite nuts or seeds and optional seasonings, and 5-10 minutes. DIY butters offer not only a more economical route than buying jarred, they’re also a fun way to amp up your next “peanut butter” and jelly sandwich, add a twist to breakfast, or even to create a base for savory sauces (think peanut noodles gone wild!). And, if you have allergies to particular nuts or seeds, here’s a great way to know exactly what you’re getting with each smooth and creamy spoonful.
To make nut butter, start with 4 cups of your favorite nuts and/or seeds, raw (this will make 2 cups of butter). Hot tip: if you buy your nuts in bulk, you’ll save both money and packaging. Spread the nuts on a cookie sheet and toast them in a 300 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, just until they are smelling fragrant. If you prefer to use sprouted or raw nuts, you may need to add 1-2 tbsp of oil in order to get creamy results – toasting the nuts brings out their natural oils. (If going raw, try coconut oil for sweeter butters and olive oil for savory butters.)
Next, throw your nuts in your blender or food processor and blend on high. At first, the nuts will grind, and then they’ll start to stick together in clumps (or one big clump). At this point, you may need to stop blending and scrape down the sides with a spatula. Keep up the blending and periodic scraping until the nuts really start to purée. After a few minutes, the butter will become delightfully creamy. You may need to give your blender periodic breaks if it starts to feel hot.
Once the nut butter has achieved a creamy consistency, taste and decide if you want to add a pinch or two of salt. For crunchy nut butter: add a ½ cup more nuts and pulse until they’re chopped up and incorporated. Store in a well-sealed container for up to 3 weeks out of the fridge, or refrigerate for longer shelf life.
Slather on everything, or dig in with a spoon, and enjoy!
The sky’s the limit when it comes to creating your own combinations. Here are some of our favorite formulas and recipes to get you started. When adding spices (with the exception of salt), mix them in by hand afterwards – adding them to the blender stiffens your butter significantly.
