How to Make Nut Butters
You can easily make your own nut butters—from a variety of raw and roasted nuts—for a fraction of the cost of store-bought. While they pair naturally with toast—exquisite served warm right out of the Vitamix—try a dollop on Whole Wheat Waffles and Pancakes, too. Stir into hot cereals and mix into fruit salads. Pecan butter drizzles beautifully over ice cream and other desserts, as well as sweet potatoes or green vegetables.
Once you’ve tried the basic Peanut Butter recipe, your own creativity becomes a main ingredient. Combinations of various nuts and added natural flavorings will produce a range of delicious spreads.
Try these tips and ideas for creating your own, customized nut butters at home:
- Experiment with various combinations of nuts, including almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, macadamia, or Brazil nuts. Try our Peanut Cashew Butter to start.
- Add seeds and fruits, like pumpkin or sunflower seeds, raisins, and other dried fruits to the recipe. Raisin Almond Breakfast Spread makes the perfect foundation for a tasty, energy-packed morning meal.
- Add sweetness with honey, maple syrup, vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon, or cardamom. Start small: A teaspoon of honey, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, for example.
- Creamier consistencies can be created with a teaspoon of coconut oil for a subtle tropical flavor, or flaxseed oil for an omega 3 boost.
- Roasting nuts on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes will give nut butters a deeper flavor and creamier texture, and release oils more easily in processing. Walnuts will mellow from roasting if a less sharp flavor is desired.
Watch a video to learn more about how to make nut butters in your Vitamix blender.