Why Almond Butter Is So Expensive and How You Can Make It for Cheaper

In the past few years, almond butter has become very popular. I hadn't even heard of it until I started seeing posts on instagram of almond butter toast or açaí bowls topped with this delicious spread. I obviously had to try it but I realized that buying a small container at the store was crazy expensive so for a long time I decided to stick with peanut butter. After doing some research, I found out how I could make cheap almond butter so I wouldn't miss out on this trend.

Why is it so expensive?

The brand you buy is the key for cheap almond butter. I found out that Kirkland Signature Almond Butter is the cheapest you can find, but you need to have a Costco Membership to get it. There are some organic, sprouted, non-gmo brands with beautiful packaging that look very promising but they are very expensive and the containers are tiny. Some other brands are not as crazy expensive but they're not cheap and this is probably because is almond butter is trendy right now, and trendy food always costs more money.

How can you get it for cheaper?

The secret is making your own cheap almond butter at home. Not only is it healthier because you control whats in it, but it fast and easy to make. Here are a few tricks to make almond butter at home that will save you a lot of money, specially if you consume it regularly. The first one is buying the almonds in bulk. A 3lb bag is $24.98 on Amazon and a 1lb container of almond butter is $17.36. If you do the math, you would be saving $9 per pound of almond butter if you make your own at home. Also, it is always cheaper to buy the almonds off-brand.

The next trick is having a powerful blender or food processor. I've tried to make nut butters with low-quality blenders and it just doesn't work. A good blender is always a great investment, not just for nut butters but for so many other things like açaí bowls. 

Now that you now the basics on how to get cheap almonds it's time to get cooking. I'll show you my favorite almond butter recipe that takes about 15 minutes total to make and it only needs one ingredient plus two optional ones.

Cheap Homemade Almond Butter

• Prep Time:5 mins
• Cook Time:10 mins
• Total Time:15 mins
• Servings:10
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil optional
• pinch salt optional

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 350ºF and spread out the almonds in a large baking sheet.

  

• Step 2

  Toast the almonds for 10 to 15 minutes, moving them around the baking sheet halfway. The almonds should look golden brown when ready.

  

• Step 3

  Place the almonds in a powerful blender or food processor and blend.

  

• Step 4

  After a few minutes of blending, add the optional coconut oil and salt.

  

• Step 5

  Scrape the sides of the blender as needed.

  

• Step 6

  Continue blending until you get your desired consistency. Store in a glass container in the fridge for up to a month.

  

With six grams of protein per tablespoon, now you can enjoy this nutritious spread without worrying about breaking the bank. My favorite way to eat it is by putting a spoonful of it on top of my oatmeal bowls or to spread it on toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Go get your almonds and make it ASAP.