As a lover of all things peanut butter, of course I make my own nut butter. I was looking for a way to make my favorite afternoon snack (an apple and peanut butter) even better, and when I found out that all I needed was a food processor (or blender) and a jar of peanuts, I knew I had to try it. The process was super simple, it tasted delicious, and I could control the consistency of the peanut butter and the things I added to it, so why not make my own nut butter from then on?
From the basic peanut butter I started with, I soon graduated onto adding different flavors such as coconut, honey and vanilla, and then eventually onto making other types of nut butters. In this article you will find the easy process for making peanut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter, along with some fun add-ins to make your nut butters even more delicious!
Basic Ingredients
In this image, you can see that I opted for Stop and Shop's brand of nuts, because they were the cheapest ones I could find. The almonds were $5.29 for a 9 oz. bag, the peanuts were $2.69 for a 16 oz. jar, and the cashews were $8.99 for a 9 oz. tub. While the cashews were on the pricier side, I've found that $8.99 for a tub of cashews that you make your own cashew butter from is still cheaper then most store-bought natural cashew butters.
I also opted to get the unsalted versions of the nuts, but that's just personal preference. If you like salted nut butters, you can use salted nuts instead, or even use honey roasted nuts for a fun flavor :) However, make sure you get roasted nuts, since dry roasting them really brings out the flavor, and by buying them already roasted you can eliminate the process of doing it yourself.
Easy Steps
Now that you have your basic ingredients (literally just nuts), add them to the food processor and blend until smooth! You will see the progression of the mixture as the oils release from the nuts and it goes from a coarsely ground mixture to a sort of ball shape, and then finally until it becomes a creamy mixture. Simply let the food processor run as it goes through these stages, and scrape down the sides as necessary. Let blend until desired consistency, usually 2-3 minutes after the creamy mixture forms. Note that the mixture comes out runny as it was heated by the food processor, but it will thicken as it cools.
If you're looking for a crunchy nut butter, remove a few tablespoons once the nuts are coarsely ground, and mix them in at the very end, careful not to let them blend for too long. Once done, place in a mason jar or air-tight container. You do not need to refrigerate it, but doing so helps it last longer and makes it a thicker consistency.
Refer to the images below to see what each nut butter should look like during the process.
Peanut Butter
Almond Butter
Cashew Butter
Add-Ins
To make your homemade nut butter even more delicious, here are some flavor ideas to give it a fun twist!*
- Coconut
- Honey and vanilla
- Chocolate
- Pumpkin spice
- Maple Cinnamon
- Add any sort of freeze-dried fruit
*Note that some add-ins may cause the nut butter to have a thicker consistency.
Making your own nut butter is not only fun to do, but is also a great way to ensure you're using quality ingredients, and know exactly what's going into your food! These nut butters are great to put on your favorite overnight oats, toast, fruit, sandwiches, or whatever your heart desires. Make sure to play around with different flavors/nut combinations for optimal tastiness :)