Almond Butter

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DIY Almond Butter


 (Honestly, you can do this with ANY nut, peanut, cashew, pecan...go wild!)

 Just quick and easy, why not do it yourself so that you KNOW what your getting, as opposed to pretending you KNOW what's in that glass jar. 

 Honestly, it only sounds intimidating...its actually one of the simplest things I've done with my blender. 

 And, I never thought that I would EVER be a health freak that would even care what the ingredients were for my peanut butter.  Just go and grab your peanut butter from your cupboard.  It should have 1 ingredient. Peanuts.  If it has MORE than that...well, you don't have a high quality product, IMO.

Example: added ingredients – like less than healthy oils, sugars, salt, and mono and dyglicerides (which are added to foods to bind certain ingredients like oil and water). The truth is, many of these additives are there to: 1) increase shelf-life; 2) decrease cost in production; and 3) make it look a certain way. Notice that none of these are related to helping you feel healthy, energized, or amazing.


HOW ABOUT MAKING IT YOURSELF?
WHY ALMONDS?
I choose RAW ALMONDS over PEANUTS because almonds are slightly higher in fiber and vitamin-E, but there are healthy benefits to all types of nuts.

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE?

Less than 30 minutes. 

 Yields ~ 1 cup
INGREDIENTS
2 cups almonds (plain, raw, no salt)
STEPS FOR A SMOOTH ALMOND BUTTER:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spread 2 cups of almonds on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. (NOTE: Check the almonds at 10 minutes. Some older ovens may be hotter than others.)
  3. Pour 2 cups of roasted almonds in a food processor and let it run for about 5-10 minutes until desired smoothness.
Be patient. It takes a few minutes for the almonds to release the oils for a creamy nut-butter. Within the first few minutes, you’ll notice a dry, meal-like consistency. The fibers will eventually break down. (NOTE: older food processors may require a bit more time.)

 If you buy already roasted Almonds, then you can skip the baking part and go right into the Blending step!
STEPS FOR A CHUNKY ALMOND BUTTER:
  • Roughly chop ¼ cup of roasted almonds (either with knife or a food processor). Set aside.
  • Follow the steps above to make a SMOOTH Almond Butter with the remaining almonds.
  • Once you reach a smooth, creamy texture, add the roughly chopped almonds and pulse for 10 seconds.
Store in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

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