Homemade Roasted Almond Butter

My all-time favorite nuts are almonds. I really, truly enjoy them as a snack, in my yogurt, in sweets, or in cookies. There are always almonds in my pantry and it is the first thing that I order when I see that the stock is low. Almonds can also be used as a gluten-free flour option. So it is not a surprise that I also love making my own homemade roasted almond butter and I always have it in my pantry too.

My grandfather owns some almond trees and my entire childhood we had our own almonds at home. Every September we were shaking the trees with wooden sticks so that the nuts would fall from the trees, picking the nuts, cleaning and breaking the shells to get the most amazing almonds and have a supply for the rest of the year.

Why homemade roasted almond butter?

Almond butter is a paste made from grinding almonds into butter. It can be crunchy or smooth, raw or roasted, sweetened or not with or without oil.

I love homemade almond butter because I know what kind/quality of ingredients go in. When making my own almond butter, I have control over the amount of salt, sweetener, or additions. I can change the flavor identity any time I want to and it is also cheaper than the store-bought.

Almond butter is an excellent source of healthy fats (monounsaturated), vitamin E, magnesium, and fiber. It also contains calcium potassium, manganese, iron, phosphorus, and copper. 

It is also a great alternative to peanut butter for all of those who have a peanut allergy or don’t consume legumes (paleo diet).

Ingredients

Almonds: I use raw almonds with the skin to make my almond butter.  Buy the best quality that you can afford. There is a difference between brands and I find it better to buy them in bulk from a nut store. Almonds are packed with antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Be sure that you buy sweet almonds and not bitter ones.

Salt: If you want to boost the almond taste just add a pinch of sea salt. It is always optional to use it.

Flavor: Add ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ginger powder, vanilla extract, rose water, carob, or cacao powder. Choose any of those and mix them to give a unique flavor to your almond butter. The addition is always optional.

Sweetener: If you want extra sweetness in your almond butter, add some honey or maple syrup (if vegan). I personally love my almond butter without the addition of any sweetener.

Oil: I don’t like to add any additional oil to my almond butter but in case your almonds don’t turn into butter you can add a small amount of neutral oil ( one tablespoon at a time) to make the consistency right.

Tips & tricks for the perfect homemade roasted almond butter

Roast/toast the raw almonds which helps them release their natural oils and makes them easier to blend.

Let the roasted almonds cool, to warm or room temperature, because when the nuts are hot, the concentrated oils in them get hotter when blended. This can damage your blender/food processor with the risk of melting/ breaking the plastic or glass parts.

Use fresh raw almonds and not dehydrated or soaked in water because the process removes some of the oils and it is hard to blend them into butter without the addition of a neutral-flavored oil. You can always use pre-roasted or smoked almonds for extra flavor but you will most certainly need to add oil to blend them. 

When maple syrup or honey is added, it hardens the butter. Let the mixture cool and blend for a few minutes to make it creamy again.

If you want a caramelized taste, put the maple/honey on the almonds before baking them. Be careful not to burn them.

I am using a 2.6L capacity powerful food processor. Don’t use a weak blender because it will most likely break. I recommend you use a decent food processor or make a lot of pauses in between so that your food processor can cool. 

If you want to make crunchy almond butter, add 30 grams of extra almonds to the baking tray. Chop them as fine as you want and add them to the mixture right before you place the almond butter into the jar. 

How to serve the homemade roasted almond butter

Almond butter can be served any way you want to. Here are some of my recommendations.

• Spread it on a rice cracker, pancakes, toasted bagel, bread, or koulouri Thessalonikis.
• Top it with some jam or flaky sea salt.
• Dip your favorite fruit in it.
• Add a dollop on top of yogurt, oatmeal, overnight rolled oats, or smoothies.
• Use it as base ingredients in cakes, muffins, energy balls, energy bars, pancakes, or ice cream.
• Use it to make a dressing or a sauce.

How to store

The almond butter will stay good for several weeks/months in a glass container, in the cupboard, or in the fridge.

I always store my almond butter in a sterilized glass jar. This ensures that the butter will stay good for longer. Let it cool completely before storing it.

It is recommended to store homemade almond butter in the fridge to avoid spoilage and oil separation.

Love almond butter?

See also this:

• Almond & Cranberry Energy Bars

Recipe

Nutrition facts

Servings: 2tbsp (17g) | Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 2.2g | Sugar: 0.75g | Vitamin E : 4.44mg | Vitamin B2: 0.20mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 0.64mg | Magnesium: 47mg