How to Make the Best Homemade Nut Butter

Nut butter is definitely a most beloved condiment in our home. Though my very strange husband doesn’t like any nut butter {gasp!}, both of my boys and I love it. We use them atop sourdough bread for sandwiches, in smoothies, in baked goods, as fruit dip, and so on. And since we aim to eat as healthfully as possible, many store bought nut butters are not a good choice for us because they are typically chock full of processed sweeteners {such as sugar, artificial sweeteners, corn syrup, or the dreaded corn syrup}, unhealthful oils, processed salt, or even preservatives.

Which is what motivated me to make my own nut butters. And, behold! They are SO easy to make! A basic nut butter like peanut butter takes only about 5 minutes to make and uses equipment that most people already have in their kitchen! So let’s get to nut butter making!

Equipment

• a food processor or blender {I prefer my Blendtec Twister Jar}
• airtight glass jars or food containers {mason jars work really well}
• miscellaneous basic kitchen utensils as you deem necessary or logical {such as a spatula, measuring cups/spoons, etc.}

Soaking

Soaking is a completely optional step, but it is good to amp up the nutritive value of the nuts. Nuts contain an anti-nutrient called phytates. Nuts are technically seeds so the phytates are there to help retain the nut’s nutrients until it is ready to grow. Unfortunately, phytates also prevent our bodies from being able to digest all of the nutrients in the nuts.

Soaking solves this problem. After the nuts have soaked in water for a while, the phytates break up, exposing the nutrients for human digestion.

Here’s how to soak the nuts:

1. Put the RAW nuts {don’t use already roasted nuts} in a large bowl and cover with twice as much water as there are nuts. Remove and discard any “skins.”
2. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt {I prefer Real Salt} per cup of nuts {I usually do 2 cups of nuts, so I add 2 teaspoons salt}.
3. Soak the nuts for the following amount of time {based on type of nut; don’t oversoak or the nuts may start to sprout}:
   •  almonds or cashews: 6 hours
   •  brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, or pistachios: DO NOT SOAK
   •  all other nuts: anywhere from 8 to 12 hours
4. Allow the nuts to dry, sandwiched between two towels, for several hours to several days or until the familiar nut-like dryness is reclaimed. If you’re planning on roasting them {as detailed in the next step}, then just roast them for longer until they achieve their original dry consistency {keep a close eye so they don’t burn}.

You can learn more about soaking and print off a chart with soaking times HERE.

Roasting

This is another optional step. If you prefer the flavor of raw nut butter, definitely go with that. I personally lean towards the added flavor boost that comes from roasting. Here’s how to roast the nuts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the dry, raw nuts on a sheet pan {no need to grease or add any oil}.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, stir the nuts, then bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes.

The nuts should have a lovely roasted nut aroma emitting from them and the outside of most of them should be lightly browned. Do note that ovens vary, so keep a close eye as they roast.

Making It

1. Place some nuts in your blending machine. I usually work with about 2 cups per batch.
   .
2. Blend. At first they’ll just get chopped up {to the consistency you’d like them to be for certain baking goods}.
   .
3. Keep blending. Next, as the natural oils in the nuts heat up, they’ll start to mush together and look kinda like nutty play dough.
   .
4. Just keep blending. After a couple of minutes, when the oils really get to melting, the nuts will get smoother and smoother until they reach that nut buttery consistency we’re all {or almost all} familiar with.
   .

Add-ins

Nut butter is yummy just by itself. But if you’d like to change its consistency or add variety to the flavor, here are some add-ins that you can throw in as it is blending.

• Oil. Coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil can be added to make the nut butter thinner.
• Salt. I prefer Real Salt because it is MUCH more healthful than store-bought processed salt. Add to taste.
• Raw honey. Local is best. Melt and drizzle in as it is blending. Add to taste.
• Maple syrup. Use the real stuff and drizzle in to taste.
• Molasses. Use unsulphered blackstrap molasses and drizzle in to taste.
• Dates. Add a couple of dates to the nut butter for a bit different flavor and to add sweetness.
• Powdered sugar. I make my own powdered sugar {tutorial here}. Add to taste and/or to help thicken the consistency.
• Stevia. A great way to add some sweetness to the nut butter while keeping it sugar free. Add to taste.
• Cocoa powder. This is yummy for adding chocolate flavor to peanut butter or for making homemade chocolate hazelnut butter {er, you know, Nutella}. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup cocoa powder per 1 cup nuts {you will probably also need to add a couple teaspoons of oil, milk, or cream since the cocoa powder will make the butter thicker and dryer}.
• Chocolate. Melt some chocolate and pour in to taste.
• Vanilla. Add some vanilla beans or a splash of vanilla extract.
• Milk or cream. Drizzle in a bit for a milky flavor {great with added cocoa powder} and/or to thin the consistency. You could try almond milk for a dairy-free version.
• Cream cheese. Increases the richness. Add until desired consistency and flavor is reached.
• Coconut. Add unsweetened coconut flakes until desired flavor is attained.

Storage

Store the nut butter in an airtight glass jar or container {I use this one, but any mason jar will work} and keep in the refrigerator. Try to eat it all up within about 2 or 3 weeks {if you used dairy or other perishable add-ins, eat it up before that perishable item, well, perishes}.