Easy to make, easy on the wallet and easy to eat.
How To Make Nut or Seed Butter
One of the things that I have started making since going grain free is nut and seed butters. Not only are they delicious and simple to make, but I can control what goes into them, and at the rate that we go through it homemade is cheaper than buying from the store.
So what do you need to make nut or seed butter?
- Nuts or seeds
- Oven
- Food Processor and s blade
- Cookie Sheet
- Time (this could be debated, because you can do lots of things in between stirring, like wash the dishes, fold laundry, vacuum, etc)
- Mason jar and lid or other container to store your homemade deliciousness
You don’t have to roast your nuts or seeds before you turn them into butter, but it helps them to release their oils better and lessens the amount of processing time. Also, if you are trying to have a raw butter your processor may heat the butter up to much anyway, so you don’t have a truly raw product.
To roast your nuts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then simply spread them on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Roast between 10-15 minutes watching closely and stirring every couple of minutes. You can wash some dishes or fold some laundry in between stirs.
Once they are roasted and turning slightly brown take them out of the oven, Allow them to cool for just a few minutes and then transfer them to your food processor.
Processing will take between 15-20 minutes. At first you will notice flour like crumbs in the bowl, you could use these to bake with if you wanted, but since we want nut butter we will keep the processor on. You will need to scrap the sides down every couple of minutes. Your nut flour will start to turn into nut dough as the oils are being released. Keep processing and multi-tasking. Changing loads of laundry is a good thing to fit in here. Soon your dough will turn into butter, at first it will be chunky and grainy, but it will soon turn smooth. It will NOT be smooth like store-bought peanut butter or sun butter, that has added fats and sugar.
Once your nut or seed butter has reached a smooth and creamy consistency you can either sit there and eat it all, which I do NOT recommend, it does have health benefits, but also has a higher calorie pricetag, or you can place it into your jar. I store mine in the fridge. It lasts up to two weeks. At our house we go through at least one jar a week.
Warning: do NOT lick the s blade after emptying the bowl. It is extremely hot and WILL burn your tongue. Go ahead,ask me how I know. 🙂
This is a good project for Saturday or Sunday afternoon, it isn’t really that hard and after a half an hour (forty five minutes with clean up) you have incredible homemade nut butter for your whole week.
If you want to see pictures of the whole process here is a great post with step by step pictures. It also has a recipe for Honey Vanilla Almond Butter. 🙂
So far at our house we have made only plain nut and seed butters. We have made sunflower seed butter, cashew (cashews are actually seeds, did you know that?), almond and a cashew/almond butter. Someday soon I would love to experiment with some of the great recipes out there. I have a whole board dedicated to my Nut and Seed Butter Addiction over on Pinterest. Chai Pumpkin Seed Butter or Cinnamon Raisin Sunflower Seed Butter sound simply delicious!
Here is a how to for sunflower seed butter and a cost comparison between store-bought and homemade sunbutter.
We like to spread our homemade nut or seed butter on grain free pancakes, waffles or bread. We also bake with it to make cookies or “peanut butter” cups or simply eat it off the spoon. It adds creaminess to smoothies. It is a great snack, full of protein, fiber and healthy fats.
Have you ever made homemade nut butter?
Have you ever had a flavor besides original, like vanilla, honey, cinnamon, etc? Which is your favorite?
Do you have a yummy seed butter recipe to share? I would love to see it, just put the link in the comments. 🙂
Excellent post. Very informative. Thank you.
🙂 Thanks for coming by Tabitha!
Hahaha, I love how you licked the blade, totally something I would have done! This is a great resource for me, thanks for sharing! I will have to give it a go when my peanut butter runs out.
I was trying to be frugal, you know, gotta save as much as possible. :p
It is so easy!! Let me know what you think, if/when you try. 🙂
I haven’t been brave enough to try this yet, but now it is on my list. Especially flavors added. How fun would that be? I would also lick the blade and regret it.
Haha!! We are alike. 🙂 As I was doing it I could hear my mom in my head, telling me not to lick knives… Well, I didn’t cut myself, just a good burn. 🙂
Yum!! I am getting on the kick of making things for the family. thanks!
No problem! Have fun! 🙂
Wow you are creative and healthy!
I don’t think I’ll be making my own any time soon but I do LOVE store bought almond butter. Yum yum! Way better than peanut butter!!! You are so amazing at all the things you make from scratch!!!!!!! I’m impressed! =)
I love the sweetness of almond butter. I have to limit myself, otherwise I could eat it all day and eat way too much. 🙂
What a fun thing to try! I remember as a young mom I was all into making everything from scratch…but I never tried this. Good job and thanks for sharing.
Thanks Brandi! I love finding recipes for new things to try. 🙂
Love it! I have 2 peanut allergic kids, so I keep meaning to try this with almonds!
Super easy! Let me know how you like it if you end up trying it.:) Thanks for coming by!
How do you know the blade will be hot? I’m very, very curious!
I was trying to save every last bit of my almond butter and figured I better clean the blade off, after processing hot nuts and the amount of time it takes to turn into butter, it is rather hot. Like drinking a cup of tea that was just poured. Nice little tongue burn.
I’ve never made nut butters myself but it’s on my “30 before 30” list. I need to prep myself for homesteady things like this. 🙂
It is so easy Asheritah! I hope you have fun!! Thanks for coming by!
This is something that I want to do now that I have a good processor. I’m pinning this!
🙂 Food processors are awesome tools! We use ours a lot!
I don’t use mine as much as I probably could, but when I do use it, I love it. Thanks for linking up with the Tasty Tuesday’s Link-up. I have pinned your post to the Tasty’s Tuesday’s Pinterest Board!
I’ve never thought to make my own nut butter…interesting idea!
It is so yummy!! Try it!
oh yet another reason to buy a food processor!!!!!!!!!! I have bought fresh ground peanut butter and almond butter at Whole Foods and it is amazing, this would be great to make myself and .. hmmm, for gifts 🙂 Must go on Craigs list to see if I can find an inexpensive processor. Yummmy!!
Adding cinnamon to homemade nut butter is amazing!! Our food processor is knew of the cheaper ones and we have had it for several years, still runs great!
What a wonderful tutorial! I tried making homemade peanut butter about 35 years ago in Brownies, but that was pre-food processor, so it wasn’t the best experience. I’d say it’s about time to try it again!
Haha!! 🙂 I hope you have better luck this time!
That seems so simple when you explain it! I’m gonna have to try it…
It is so easy Kristen! I need to do a price comparison on the nuts I use, I always like to get a good deal! 🙂