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.
Jen wrote on August 27, 2011
Wow, I don’t even have a regular food processor, I used my mini quisenart chopper with a cup of raw almonds….it worked exactly like you said….a little touchy at the end due to the tiny size of my appliance, but I am so happy that I can do this myself in under 15 minutes! Thank you!!
Sh wrote on August 18, 2011
Do you think putting the nuts through a juicer (blank filter) first could help?
Nevin Cohen wrote on August 13, 2011
Worked exactly as you described. Delicious!
Krystal Lynn wrote on August 6, 2011
Love this. I am using a newer Cuisine Art processor & it does heat the butter up quite a bit in the end – do you think this takes away from the raw effect? I of course didn’t take the temp this time around, it only dawned on me after I stored the butter away, in the refrigerator … I can’t imagine that it heated it up to 115 degrees, though.
Thank you for sharing, I will never buy another jar of nut butter again. I might actually try selling it! ;]
Susan wrote on August 6, 2011
Mine warms up too but never gets anywhere near 115. You can always temp it if you are concerned. 🙂
Jinelle wrote on August 1, 2011
Thanks! Perfect recipe. Worked exactly as stated here, step by step 🙂 Thanks!!! 12 minutes, perfect almond butter.
Joan wrote on July 23, 2011
My almond butter turned out delicious. However, it was hard to determine if the oils actually were released enough. I stopped after about 14 minutes in using an old Sunbeam food processor. The consistency is really guey in that it actually coats my teeth and gums more so than store-bought amond butter (a little embarrassing on break at work!) Does this mean that I didn’t process it long enough?
Susan wrote on July 23, 2011
Joan…that’s a new one! I would look at the pictures and see if it looked the same as the final shot. As far as coating your teeth…ya got me…
Jeannette wrote on July 22, 2011
This was the most helpful, easy, beautifully pictured recipe ever. It only took me 5 minutes to get to the desired almond buttery consistency. I can’t wait to try your other recipes. Thanks very much for sharing!
Leah wrote on July 20, 2011
My almond butter came out great. It is absolutely delicious! The honey and salt are a great additional touch. Thanks for the recipe.
Venita wrote on July 12, 2011
Well, I tried this and gave up after 45 minutes. I’m certain my almonds were pasteurized and I’d also soaked and dehydrated them. They never got past the slightly-oily-but-mostly-crumbly phase. I’ll try again with some truly raw, organic almonds. In the meantime, I’m improvising and making some cookies. 🙂 They taste amazingly like raw chocolate chip cookie dough (sans the chocolate chips)! So thanks for the inspiration, and I’ll be back once I get the right almonds!
Susan wrote on July 12, 2011
It is most likely not your almonds, It is most likely your food processor. How strong is the motor? Also, if you see the note in the recipe, when using soaked and dehydrated almonds, you may need to add a little oil? 🙂