Was there a life before almond butter? Hard to imagine right?
I got introduced to almond butter a few years back when I lived in New York. I knew about peanut butter (but only the highly processed one), but have never heard of almond butter before. One day when browsing my favorite grocery store Wholefoods, I saw that they had a grinder that made fresh almond butter. I was intrigued and had a taste. That’s when my addiction to this creamy deliciousness started.
Since then I haven’t been able to stop eating it. I spread it on banana bread and drizzle it over oatmeal or chia pudding. I dip fresh apple slices for an afternoon snack or eat it straight from the jar.
With me consuming about half a jar per week, I spent quite some money on my almond butter addiction. But then I heard that you could make almond butter at home. I tried it, and it changed my life (yes, I do love almond butter that much!).
Making almond butter is straightforward, and you can even add additional flavors to your liking. I prefer the plain version, but you can add spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger or mix it with other nuts. You could also add some sweetener like honey or maple syrup, but I don’t think you need it. To me, the pure flavor of roasted almonds with a pinch of sea salt is already incredibly satisfying.
There are only two essential things you need to consider when making almond butter:
Blender: You can absolutely do it with a standard blender, but it’s not ideal. Most blenders get hot pretty quickly, so you have to wait several times for it to cool before you can continue blending. That takes quite some time, and you’ll not get a creamy, liquid consistency. Therefore, I recommend a high-performance blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec. I have a Vitamix, and it makes the creamiest almond butter in just a few minutes.
Nuts: Because almonds are the only ingredient, I recommend to use the best quality you can find. You will taste the difference! But even more importantly: Roast them! Only when you roast the almonds in the oven before blending, they release all of their delicious nutty flavors.
So, what are you waiting for? Get started on making almond butter at home, and you’ll never want the store-bought version ever again!
Love,
Marion
Homemade almond butter
A simple recipe to make almond butter at home
Ingredients
- 400g organic almonds, with skin on
- Pinch of sea salt
- Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger (optional)
- Sweetener to taste (optional)
Directions
- Step 1 Pre-heat your oven to 200°C/390°F.
- Step 2 Place almonds on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and roast for about 10 minutes.
- Step 3 Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Step 4 Place almonds in a food processor and blend on highest speed until smooth. This can take up to 10-15 minutes depending on the type of blender you are using. Be patient until the almond butter has a creamy consistency.
- Step 5 Store in an airtight container (mason jar) in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (it won’t last that long, I promise!).
