Peanut butter is one spread that I absolutely love, but I’ve recently taken a liking towards it’s healthier alternative: almond butter. It’s delicious with toast, bananas, apples, oatmeal, celery sticks, to add to smoothies or in my case by the spoonful. Homemade almond butter tastes so much better than store-bought and is also much easier on your wallet (normally $8 to $10 in grocery stores). You will need a high speed blender or food processor and a little bit of patience from both yourself and your neighbors if you live in an apartment building (you’ll be blending for up to 25 minutes). Processing time is less with a food processor, but I am limited to the amount of kitchen gadgets in this little kitchen so I use the Ninja Professional Blender (available for under $100). The end result is completely worth it and you can store for up to 3 months, although I doubt it will last that long once you have a taste.
_____________________________________________________________________________
HOMEMADE ALMOND BUTTER
Prep time: 25 minutes with high speed blender, or 12 minutes with food processor
Servings: 1-1/4 cups almond butter
Ingredients:
- 2 cups unsalted, roasted almonds
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil, canola oil or coconut oil (only 1 tablespoon if using a food processor)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Optional ingredients (Note: may decrease shelf life): maple syrup, cinnamon, honey, chocolate, cocoa powder, coconut, melted chocolate.
Instructions:
- Add almonds, oil & sea salt to food processor or high-quality blender.
- If using a Ninja, Vitamix or other high-speed blender: Pulse the blender a few times to break down the almonds. Once broken down enough where it is not too loud to blend, start to blend on low speed. You will need to scrape down the sides of the blender often during blending. Continue to blend, scrape the sides and repeat. Note: Do not let your blender overheat while processing. Take a break if this occurs. Around the 10 to 15 minute mark you will notice the contents will begin to form large chunks that are sticking together; your almonds will also “warm up” in temperature. Continue to blend and scrape the sides. Add 1 tablespoons of oil to speed up the process. After another 5 to 10 minutes your almond butter will suddenly become creamy and turn lighter in color. Blend for 2 more minutes for a creamier texture. Make sure not to over-blend or your spread will become stiff.
- If using a food processor: Using the “S” blade, add almonds, oil (1 tablespoon) and salt to the food processor. Process for roughly 5 to 12 minutes (depending on the strength of your processor), scraping the sides as needed. Large chunks or a heavy mass will form at about 5 to 8 minutes. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil and continue to process. A “buttery” almond spread will form around 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure not to over-blend or your spread will become stiff.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Pairs Well With: Toast, English muffins, bananas, apples, dried fruit, oatmeal, raw vegetables, celery sticks, smoothies.
Soundtrack Pairing: Be Here Now (Ray LaMontagne), The Way I Am (Ingrid Michaelson)
Use That Kitchen 