Happy New Year, everybody! I don’t know about you, but 2016 is off to a fantastic start for me. I’m on day two of thirty of the Whole30, and I feel great. It’s been interesting trying to break habits I didn’t even know I had- reaching into the bag of tortilla chips for a snack, pouring myself a glass of wine while I’m cooking dinner, putting honey in my tea, etc. But it’s also been a really fun challenge so far- I’ve already cooked so many delicious things, like this sweet potato and caramelized onion hash with baked eggs for New Years Day breakfast. And steak with mashed potatoes for dinner last night! Holy moly. Deliciousness.
I am, however, speaking through the lens of “I am on vacation and have all the time in the world.” I know I have to be very prepared for the upcoming work week if I’m going to be successful.
So I’ve been spending a lot of time making things from scratch, including this homemade almond butter! It’s DELICIOUS, and requires only one ingredient (and a pinch of salt, with a little bit of patience).
A while ago, I posted about how easy it is to make homemade peanut butter. Seriously, if you still buy your peanut butter at the store, you need to stop. All it takes is four minutes and a food processor (and it’s way cheaper than buying the fresh ground stuff!). The basic premise is this: add peanuts to your food processor, press on, and wait for four-ish minutes. Boom. Done. Amazing.
But alas, there are no peanuts allowed on the Whole30 (peanuts are actually a legume). Other nuts, however, are a big part of the Whole30 diet. So, I tried almond butter! With wild success.
Almond butter is made using a very similar method to homemade peanut butter… but it is a wee bit more difficult. There are fewer natural oils in almonds, so it needs a bit of coaxing and more time to effectively release the oils in the nuts to create a smooth, creamy consistency.
Here’s how to make almond butter at home!
First, make sure you have a good food processor. I have this one by Cuisinart
and I love it.
The next step is optional. Warming up the almonds in the oven helps the oils to release a bit faster. I warmed them at 250 degrees for about ten minutes. This step isn’t essential, because the friction of grinding the almonds in the food processor also creates heat, but it does help.
Add the almonds to your food processor and press “on.” They will turn to a coarse grind, then a powder, within the first few minutes. While peanut butter takes only four minutes to make, almond butter takes more like 15 (gasp!).
After the first few minutes, the ground almonds will start to stick to/climb up the sides. Every couple of minutes, stop and scrape the sides down to incorporate it with the rest.
Here’s where the patience comes in. If you can wait for a little while and deal with the noise from the food processor, your almond butter will form! Promise! It will start to get creamy at around 12-13 minutes, and after only a few more, you will have perfect almond butter.
In the last minute or so, add a pinch or two of salt if you want. And in case you are wondering, this process works with all kinds of nuts- cashews, pecans, etc. Or a mix!
One last note: I make my own peanut butter instead of buying the fresh ground because it’s SO much cheaper ($2.99 per pound compared to $9.99 per pound). I bought my almonds for $6.99 per pound without even checking the fresh ground, and after realized that the fresh ground was only a dollar more per pound. Usually it’s about $10-$13 per pound (like Justin’s
), but since it’s so inexpensive at my grocery store (HEB) I may just go ahead and spend the extra buck next time. Make sure you check to make sure it’s worth your while to make it from scratch- if you find a good deal on almonds, or if the only almond butter you are able to buy is expensive or has extra unnecessary ingredients, you should definitely make your own!
You can use almond butter in place of peanut butter in peanut butter dip!
Recipe below! Enjoy :-)
Homemade Almond Butter
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb. raw almonds
- pinch kosher salt optional
Instructions
- If you have time, warm the almonds in the oven on a baking sheet at 250 degrees for about ten minutes.
- Add almonds to food processor.
- Turn on and grind for about 5 minutes. When the almonds start to climb up/stick to the sides, begin pushing them down with a spatula or wooden spoon every couple of minutes.
- Continue this way for an additional 10 minutes, or until almonds turn into a creamy buttery consistency.
- Store in the fridge for up to one month.
Notes
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
ROBBIE LUM
Aloha Elizabeth,
Thank you so much for your quick response and taking the time to answer my questions and providing the link for raw almonds on Amazon; I really appreciate it.
As mentioned, I also haven’t tried the slower cooker on the Instant Pot since I find that the pressure cooker seems to infuse flavor into the foods cooked and is much quicker to use.
Thanks again for your input.
ROBBIE LUM
Aloha Elizabeth,
I just stumbled across your website and love the recipes you’ve created and all the detail information and tips you provide along the way.
I have a question regarding ‘raw’ almonds that you use. My understanding is that almonds sold at Costco does not say it is raw as I understand that not everyone sell ‘raw’ almonds. If you don’t mind me asking, could you tell me where you buy yours from and provide me a link to ensure that I get ‘raw’ . . . does it have to be raw? Or can I use the ones that Costco sells?
Also, I have an Instant Pot and wonder if I can cook a ‘slow-cooker meal’ as a ‘pressure-cooked meal’? If so, how different would it be . . . why would one want to cook in a slow cooker method if they have an Instant Pot?
Thank you in advance for your time; I look forward to your response.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hi! So happy to hear that you find my recipes helpful and easy to follow :-) Regarding “raw” almonds- all this means is not roasted. Some almonds (and all nuts) are sold “roasted and salted.” And actually, I’ve never tried making almond butter with roasted almonds, but I have made peanut butter with roasted peanuts and it worked fine, so it might work with roasted almonds! But I think as long as the label doesn’t say “roasted” then it is probably raw. Here’s a big bag of raw almonds on Amazon for a pretty great price – you may be able to find the same ones at a store, too. As far as the Instant Pot vs. Slow Cooker question, you can usually cook the same things in an IP vs. slow cooker. With an Instant Pot, you get the added bonus of being able to sauté veggies or brown meat directly in the pot. This can mean more flavor and fewer dishes! Also, I like to use my slow cooker when I want to start cooking something in the morning and have it go all day to be ready when I get home at night (like if I know I’m going to be out of the house all day). That said, I believe the Instant Pot actually does have a “slow cook” setting- but I haven’t personally tried it. Hope that helps clarify both questions!
Zainab
Thank you Elizabeth. I am surely going to try making this. I have one question though. Does this store well on its own or did you add anything to keep it from going bad?
Elizabeth
It stores well on its own but keep it refrigerated! I usually keep mine for a couple of weeks in the fridge. It might last longer but I am never able to make it last that long :) hope you like it!