There is a kind of guilt to publishing recipes like these. They are so incredibly simple. I do remember the very first time Julie told me how to make nut butter. I think I checked on it about 17 times to make sure it was OK. Really folks . . . just walk away for 5–10 minutes and come back to wonderful butter. If you’re making a list of reasons to go get a nice Cuisinart food processor, put these recipes in the top 5.
The sky is the limit on how many different combinations of nuts you can use. Below are our three favorites.
Almond Butter
4–5 cups (600–750 g) almonds
Pecash Butter
3 cups (450 g) raw cashews
2 cups (200 g) pecan halves
Walecan Butter
2 cups (200 g) walnuts
3 cups (300 g) pecans
- Make sure you have the chopping blade in your food processor (as opposed to the dough blade). Pour all the nuts in the bowl of the processor and turn on.
- Allow the processor to run for 8 or 10 minutes or until you have nice creamy butter.
- If you simply can’t stand it, about 5 minutes in stop the motor and scrape all the nut fragments off the walls of the processor bowl. From there, just let it keep working.
Variations—Consider adding ½ teaspoon of your favorite spice or taste. Examples include instant espresso, cinnamon, chipotle powder, nutmeg, vanilla, or citrus zest. You can also use roasted nuts to bring a different flavor to the butter. If you prefer a chunky nut butter, add in some whole nuts for the last minute or two until the desired texture is reached.
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Nut butter is the easiest recipe in the book - pour nuts into a food processor, walk away, and come back eight minutes later to creamy, drippy butter. Almond, pecash, or walecan: the combinations are endless and none of them need oil or sugar. The machine does literally all the work.
Pro Tips
- Use the chopping blade rather than the dough blade - the dough blade smears the nuts against the bowl instead of cutting them.
- Let the processor run a full 8-10 minutes; the nuts travel from sandy to clumpy to glossy before they finally turn to butter.
- If you cannot stand the noise, stop at 5 minutes and scrape the nut fragments off the walls, then let it keep working.
- Want chunky butter? Toss in a handful of whole nuts for the last minute or two until the texture suits you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to add oil?
No - the nuts release their own oil as they process. That is the entire method.
Can I flavor it?
The recipe suggests 1/2 teaspoon of instant espresso, cinnamon, chipotle powder, nutmeg, vanilla, or citrus zest.
Can I use roasted nuts?
Yes - roasted nuts make a toastier, deeper butter. Raw nuts give the cleaner, milder flavor.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Make sure you have the chopping blade in your food processor (as opposed to the dough blade).
- Pour all the nuts in the bowl of the processor and turn on.
