Raw Recipe: Almond Butter
Making nut butters can be a little tricky. I used to think that I had to do them in my Vitamix, which would drive me batty with all the scraping down that was required. Other times, I would have a fail, only because I quit too early. I didn’t realize how much time it takes, and the process that the nuts have to go through. But if you have a little patience, you can make nut butters that are fabulous. You will never want to buy them again! Almond butter is a good one to start with.
I used my Kitchen Aid 12 cup food processor. It is a strong processor. The bottom warms up a little bit but if you are using an older processor, or a processor with a much weaker motor, common sense needs to prevail.
After 2 minutes it will look like this.
After 4 minutes it will look like this.
After 6 minutes it will look like this.
Around 8 minutes, the almond mixture will ball up. Just let it keep going.
At 10 minutes it has begun to redistribute, but it is not done yet. You want to wait until the oils get released.
At 12 minutes the almonds have released their oil and the butter is ready! If you want to add honey or salt, stir it in by hand.
*Chef’s Note: If using soaked, dehydrated (dried) almonds, you may need to add a little oil. This recipe requires the use of completely dry almonds.
Almond Butter
MAKES 1 1/4 CUPS ALMOND BUTTER
- 2 cups Almonds
- 1 tablespoon Raw Honey (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt (optional)
- Place almonds in food processor. Process for 8-12 minutes. You will need to scrape down the sides in the beginning. If you choose to use the honey and salt, stir in by hand after the butter is made as it will seize the mixture if you try to add it before.
*Chef’s Note: If using soaked, dehydrated (dried) almonds, you may need to add a little oil. This recipe requires the use of completely dry almonds.
Greg wrote on May 30, 2011
I haven’t tried this yet but it looks so easy. I presume youbare using unsoaked almonds for this. Doesn’t the blade get hot after processing for this long?
Susan wrote on May 30, 2011
In the picture, they are unsoaked, dry almonds. You can also use soaked almonds if you add a little oil (see note in post) and also make sure they are dehydrated dry before you start.
yair wrote on May 24, 2011
susan, arent you worry about your food processor engine in this recipe?
Susan wrote on May 25, 2011
No…I did not worry about my food processor. It worked beautifully. But it is also a newer food processor with a large engine.
Amber wrote on May 24, 2011
Can I make this in a blender or will that not work?
Susan wrote on May 24, 2011
A normal blender or a high-speed blender. I think you may have trouble in a normal blender.
Claire wrote on May 14, 2011
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made some almond butter this afternoon. It turned out perfectly.
Dave wrote on May 10, 2011
Susan, like Rob, I was told to find an alternative to my much loved, peanut butter. Tried your recipe tonight minus the salt, easy, everything turned out according to your pictures. Mine took about 20 minutes, you do spend a lot of time scraping the side of the f/p. The finished product was a bit grainy, I smoothed it out with a few drops of olive oil. I could get used to the taste over time. With the support from my friends and doctors, I am now in the eat healthy mode. Thanks.
Lynda wrote on May 6, 2011
I’m pretty sure if I ran my food processor for 12 minutes non-stop the motor would burn out. That could get expensive.
Susan wrote on May 6, 2011
I make nut butters with my Kitchenaid all the time. Have not had a problem.
Leo wrote on May 4, 2011
After 30 minutes, I hadn’t even reached the balling up stage: http://i56.tinypic.com/2e22ckx.png
My processor is a Kenwood FP730 – a powerful and competent processor…. I used it on setting 1 mainly but cranked it to about 4 or 5 for a few minutes here and there, didn’t seem to make any difference – just hurt my ears.
So sad.
Any ideas?
Susan wrote on May 4, 2011
Is setting 1 the lowest setting? That might be the issue. Other than that, I am not familiar with that food processor. Did you follow the recipe to the letter?
Alison wrote on May 3, 2011
P.S. @Cara (cont’d): If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can bake it around 250 on a middle rack and watch so it crisps up but doesn’t burn.
Alison wrote on May 3, 2011
Great post. The pictures are really helpful. @Cara: I have a ton of almond pulp left over every time I make almond milk, and I tend to make granola out of it. I mix the pulp with some sort of syrupy sweetener (I use Coconut Secret Coconut Nectar), any dried fruit, nuts, seeds I have around (I always use pumpkin seeds), and some cinnamon and nutmeg. Then, I dehydrate it and break it up into pieces. It’s a little dry and admittedly slightly mealy, but I enjoy it and it is better than throwing away all that pulp!