Trust me when I say that when it comes to food prep, if it’s going to take too long, I don’t want to do it. I’d rather pay for the work to already be done. That’s why my wife and I go out to dinner. We want something that we can’t or don’t want to cook for ourselves.
So how does that tie into almond butter? Well I’ve found that prepared almond butter is RIDICULOUSLY priced. A 1lb jar will run you $9-$15. If you find one for less, double-check the ounces. Betcha it’s 12oz, not 16oz. Meanwhile, raw unsalted almonds will run you $7 per lb.
If you eat 2 Tbsp of almond butter a day, a 1lb jar lasts 2 weeks. That’s $4-$16 per month. Now if you have family and that consumption increases, savings can be significant.
Without dragging this out...
- you can save money
- potentially learn a new skill that’s helpful and may save you more money in other areas
- you know EXACTLY what’s in your tub/jar
—did you know there are certain acceptable levels of insect fragments, rodent hair and feces, maggots, etc. in some processed foods (no joke, google it)
- and other benefits as well
Alright! Let’s get to it.
Here’s what you need:
- blender with a milling blade*
- salt (optional)
- almonds**
* I have a Nutribullet, great investment, highly recommend
** I recommend raw and unsalted, but if you get roasted you can skip the roasting step of the process. If you do get roasted almonds, I suggest dry roasted otherwise it’s likely roasted in cheap and inflammatory oils
Step 1: Roasting
First you’ll want to roast the nuts. Personally, I haven’t tried blending up raw almonds. I assume it would work just the same, however I know I like the taste of roasted almonds more than raw. I would also think that roasted possibly blends a little better because raw almonds are softer, but I could be wrong. try it out and leave a comment! I’d love to hear about it.
Preheat your oven to 350°
Lay out your almonds into a single layer on a baking sheet
—You can lay down parchment paper or tin foil on the sheet to help with clean up
Sprinkle on some crushed salt - I suggest Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt
Roast almonds in the oven for about 9-12 mins, until desired cook
Let them cool 10-15 mins before eating
— Here’s where if you used paper or foil, you can easily pick them up off the hot baking sheet to cool properly spread out on a plate or the counter on the paper/foil
How to tell if they are done you ask? Check them. Take one out **careful they are HOT** cool it off and give it a try. Generally they will be a darker brown, but not burnt and crunchier.
Step 2: Milling/Blending into Butter
Once your almonds have completely cooled to room temp, you’re ready to make butter. **If you blend hot or even warm nuts too much heat may build up in the blending cup and could be dangerous** Making almond butter is super easy:
Put almonds in the blender cup (following the “Max” fill line don’t overfill)
Using the milling blade, grind the almonds into almond flour
Continue milling until almond butter forms*
For smooth “creamy” style almond butter, continue until butter continuously blends without getting stuck to the sides of the cup
*Some notes on this part:
You’ll see the almond flour start to clump, this is the butter forming.
You may need to stop blending, shake the butter/flour mix loose from the sides of the cup
Keeping almond butter/flour clumps off the sides and on the blade is the key
Small pulses will eventually work better than longer ones
Step 3: Enjoy and Storage
That’s it! Now you just need to use a spatula to recover your homeade deliciousness into a airtight container. Personally, I have small, Dollar Store plastic containers that work just fine.
Let it cool before you just seal it up and toss it in the refrigerator. I’m sure there are guidlines to how long it is good for...but I’m not the FDA. Be smart. If you see mold... don’t eat it. If it smells funny...don’t eat it. I know this may sound like common sense, but ”use by” dates are a recommendation to prevent you from eating spoiled food. It doesn’t mean it’s actually spoiled. I’ll tell you from perosnal experience, refrigerated homemade almond butter will keep from plenty past 7 days.
Enjoy your almond butter as is, in a sandwich, mixed in oatmeal, or whatever recipe your heart desires!
As always, thanks for reading!
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