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.
Jamel wrote on January 4, 2015
Just tried this with cinnamon spiced almonds from Nature Box and it came out perfect. I used the mini Ninja scraped the sides a few times, no oil needed & it took 12-15 minutes. It also warmed up a bit while making it, but nothing to worry about. My three year old son loves it too
Susan wrote on December 12, 2014
Used my 12 cup Cusinart and it only took 8 minutes for 2 C of raw whole almonds…AWESOME!!
Susan wrote on December 12, 2014
Wonderful!
Steve wrote on October 23, 2014
Just finished my first batch with 1 pound of Trader Joes raw almonds and a Cusiniare food processor. Took 32 minutes and came out good.
Daryl wrote on August 29, 2014
I have just done this. Raw almond butter is very expensive in NZ and I’ve been wanting to do it for ages. It turned out perfect. Next time I will be more organised and soak and dehydrate my nuts first but this is good enough. I like the idea of adding some chopped nuts to it as I also was always a chunky peanut butter person before I went raw and I do have enough ready to do that. Love your website and I also have one of your books.
Susan wrote on August 30, 2014
Daryl, So happy to hear! Cheers!
Maria wrote on August 21, 2014
I just used your recipe to make a batch of almond butter. I like mine chunky so I used the food processor bowl of my Ninja to roughly chop 1/4 cup of almonds first. I put them aside, then processed 2 cups of almonds (again, using the Ninja food processor bowl), per your instructions and it came together perfectly! When the almond butter looked like your final picture, I mixed in the chopped almonds using a spoon. It is DELICIOUS. It’s got a nice flavor…even better than my beloved Trader Joe’s, which I was forced to leave due to a recall. I’m so happy I found your recipe…you’ve got a new follower! Thanks!
Susan wrote on August 21, 2014
So glad you like the recipe! Cheers!
sofia wrote on August 15, 2014
Can i make this out of any type of nuts? Would it be a good way to make peanut butter? Thanks for this great website- i can’t wait to check it out further and find more goodness! x
Susan wrote on August 21, 2014
Hi, Sofia, Yes, you can use different nuts. Each nut will process a little differently. Personally, I don’t like making raw peanut butter…but you could do it with roasted peanuts. But it won’t be raw… Cheers!
Nicola wrote on June 9, 2014
Hi, do you need to peel the almonds skin off, or can you leave it on?
Thanks
Susan wrote on June 9, 2014
No…you do not need to peel the almonds. Cheers!
Mellisha wrote on May 28, 2014
Thank you for sharing this simple to follow recipe. I made it just as you said and it’s beautiful!
Namaste
Jodi wrote on May 28, 2014
Stir in some cocoa powder for a tasty treat. If too thick add some coconut or almond milk. It’s my paleo chocolate fix.