recipes: homemade almond butter

I love almond/nut butter. A tiny bottle at the local grocery will set me back $14. I figured that it would be more cost effective in the long-run to DIY almond butter. Further, I prefer the taste and texture of homemade ones. Thinking of making a chia-almond butter variation when my supply runs out.

Be prepared to spend some time by your food processor, well unless you have a Vitamix. I nearly gave up because the almonds refused to turn creamy even after 10 minutes. Still, I persisted and the outcome was worth it. Another thing on my list is almond milk, especially since I’m cutting down on certain dairy products.

I pan-fried it a little to make it more fragrant, but you may also roast it in the oven.

This is how it should look like after 3 – 5 minutes

… and after 10 – 15 minutes.

And finally, there you have it, your very own bottle of almond butter! I’ve made it on two occasions so far and here are the pictures of both attempts. 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups almond
• a food processor
• a glass jar dash of sea salt (optional)
• some patience

Steps

Blitz the almonds in the food processor. It should start to turn grainy and clump together after the first 4 minutes. Continue processing and scraping down the sides every now and then. After 10-12 minutes, it should start to turn creamy. Continue until it reaches the desired spreadable consistency. The whole process should take around 15 minutes. Store in a clean, airtight jar. It can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 weeks. Tip: Heating up the almonds beforehand will help in the release of its natural oils and save you (and your machine) a few minutes. To heat, lightly pan-fry it until fragrant. Be careful not to let it burn.

Almond butter ideas

• Spread it on toasts, fruit slices or swirl it in your breakfast oats
• Add a dollop into your smoothie as a thickener
• Dress up the bottle with some twine for a homemade gift