Monday, June 29, 2009

Homemade Almond Butter ~ The Secret Trick

I am sure several of you have made your own almond butter with great success. However, today I want to share with you one trick that makes your almond butter that much better! You only need two ingredients to make a fantastic homemade nut butter and honestly this works with ANY TYPE of nut you use.

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Sea salt is optional ~ it all just depends on how you like your nut butter to taste. Start out by soaking your almonds in water for a couple of minutes while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

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Drain your almonds and sprinkle them on a cookie sheet that is covered in foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle with sea salt if using.

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Now THIS is the SECRET step that makes your almond butter fantastic. Roast your almonds in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Roasting brings out the nuttiness and makes the ALMOND flavor BOLD.

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Allow your almonds to cool for about 15 minutes and add them to your Food Processor. I have never used a blender to make this so I am not sure if it would work with a blender.

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Process until smooth ~ 8-10 minutes.

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Here is SECRET #2 – if you LOVE flavored almond butters, at this point you would add 1-2 Tbsp’s of honey and/or Pure Maple Syrup. I would imagine you could even add 1/4 c melted chocolate chips with a few Tbsp’s of non melted chips when done.

Spoon your almond butter out of the processor and refrigerate ~ You are done!

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Yields 1 lb of Almond Butter ~ 16 oz for only $4.99! ALOT cheaper than any jar you can buy.

For those who LOVE RAW NUT BUTTERS, simply skip the roasted process and add your salt/sweeteners if using as noted above. The RAW flavor version is just as amazing.

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Do you have any favorite uses for Almond Butter?

17 comments:

  1. great tutorial! i need to make my own soon, so this is just what I needed.

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  2. I make mine almost the exact same way only I never tried soaking the almonds first. I'll have to try that - do you think it makes it creamier?

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  3. thanks for sharing your tips girlie.. for some reason i've been scared to make my own almond butter but it sounds like a sinch!

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  4. I love this! I've been thinking about making my own nut butter but now maybe I actually will!

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  5. How long does yours keep? I always make too much :-(

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  6. Thanks for sharing, i am gonna have to add almonds to my next shopping list and give it a go. :)

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  7. this looks great! i have never made my own homemade nut butters but feel inspired. how long will it keep?!?!

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  8. Thanks for sharing!! Next time I go grocery shopping I'll definitely have to pick up some almonds!

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  9. YUM! Thanks, I'll have to try it. I assume it keeps just like regular store bought almond butter?

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  10. Brandi ~ Good luck and do tell if you make it. I can't wait to hear.

    Marisa ~ Hmmm, I am not sure if it makes it creamier or not. I know it definitely helps the salt stick if you are using it and roasting makes it really nutty.

    Jenny ~ I'll help you make the decision - You can make it with PEANUTS to make PEANUT BUTTER too :)

    K ~ This doesn't count as cooking so you definitely need to try it :)

    C.G. ~ I find it keeps as long as regular nut butters. I have to say though that is the beauty of making your own - you can make it up in as big or small a batch as you like.

    EricaH ~ Yeah - can't wait to hear about the results!

    Lynn ~ I am so glad I could inspire you. I store mind in the fridge and find it keeps for a long time ~ around the same amount of time as regular jarred nut butters - a few months.

    Bobbi ~ Thanks, anytime!

    Emily ~ I know you are going to do something fancy with yours - can't wait to read about it.

    Vikcy & Broccoli ~ Thanks - it's fun making your own nut butters.

    Ponykit - Absolutely! Just store it in the fridge in an air tight container and you are good to go.

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  11. Well, I already knew the trick about roasting the almonds...thanks to YOU!! I didn't know about soaking the almonds in water, though. What difference does soaking make?

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  12. Kirwin ~ It is mainly for helping the salt to stick if roasting them with salt. The water soaking replaces the oils that alot of bottled companies use to make the salt stick. It is not a necessary step if you are not using salt.

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  13. I am so going to try this!!! :) Awesome, thanks for the step by step :)

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  14. Lauren ~ Thanks, enjoy and be sure to tell me how you like it - I'd love to know.

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