Homemade Almond Butter has become a staple in my house. I make it about once every week or two, and it’s cheaper and much tastier than buying it at the store! This almond butter tastes perfect with sliced apples, on a sandwich with banana, or even as a sauce on dark chocolate – yum! And I have a couple of secret tips to make sure each batch always comes out delicious!
Ingredients You Will Need:
Just raw almonds, untoasted and unsalted. You can use whatever amount you like. I usually will get about half a pound or maybe a little more from the bulk food section at Sprouts. This will fill about an 11 oz container with almond butter.
What You Do:
- First things first, soak your almonds in water overnight, or for at least 9 hours. This will release the acidic outer layer on the almonds and allow for better absorption of the nutrients inside.
- Drain and rinse the almonds. You want your almonds to dry completely before moving on to the next step. What I do to achieve this is put a dry dishrag across my cutting board and spread out the almonds on top. These will need a few hours to dry, but you can speed up the process by placing the cutting board underneath a ceiling fan or placing a small fan so that that the air is blowing directly on the almonds.
- Once the almonds are completely dry, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer the almonds to the sheet. Bake until the almonds are completely roasted. My tip to you would be to roast the almonds until they look like they are almost too dark and crispy. This gives a darker, richer flavor. But if you prefer a lighter flavor, don’t roast them as much.
- Transfer the almonds back to the dishrag on the cutting board and let them sit (with or without a fan) until completely cool.
- Place the almonds in a blender or food processor and blend until they reach an almond butter consistency, scraping down the sides with a spatula as you go along. It may take several minutes to achieve the right consistency, but keep going! Scoop the finished butter into a glass jar and store in a cool, dry place.
The 3 Tips to Keep in Mind:
- make sure the almonds are completely dry after draining and rinsing
- toast almonds completely, until they are quite dark
- let almonds cool completely before blending into the almond butter
If your almonds are still damp, or not toasted enough, or too hot, it may throw off the texture and flavor of the finished product. It also helps the almonds turn into butter faster when you blend them. And, the more you roast them the richer the flavor, so the less you need to use and each jar lasts longer!
Once you taste this almond butter, you won’t want to go back to store bought, or even peanut butter, which contains a mold called aflatoxin.
- Just raw almonds, untoasted and unsalted. You can use whatever amount you like. I usually will get about half a pound or maybe a little more from the bulk food section at Sprouts. This will fill about an 11 oz container with almond butter.
- First things first, soak your almonds in water overnight, or for at least 9 hours. This will release the acidic outer layer on the almonds and allow for better absorption of the nutrients inside.
- Drain and rinse the almonds. You want your almonds to dry completely before moving on to the next step. What I do to achieve this is put a dry dishrag across my cutting board and spread out the almonds on top. These will need a few hours to dry, but you can speed up the process by placing the cutting board underneath a ceiling fan or placing a small fan so that that the air is blowing directly on the almonds.
- Once the almonds are completely dry, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer the almonds to the sheet. Bake until the almonds are completely roasted. My tip to you would be to roast the almonds until they look like they are almost too dark and crispy. This gives a darker, richer flavor. But if you prefer a lighter flavor, don't roast them as much.
- Transfer the almonds back to the dishrag on the cutting board and let them sit (with or without a fan) until completely cool.
- Place the almonds in a blender or food processor and blend until they reach an almond butter consistency, scraping down the sides with a spatula as you go along. It may take several minutes to achieve the right consistency, but keep going! Scoop the finished butter into a glass jar and store in a cool, dry place.
It takes more effort to do the homemade version, but I think it’s worth it. I just plan ahead and make my almond butter on a day when I will be home to go through each step. If my almonds are drying for a few hours, I can leave the house for a while if I need to. Aside from the taste, I love that I know exactly what is in my almond butter and how it is made. Not to mention, the aroma from roasting the almonds is amazing!
Jillian
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