I love nut butters, but I don’t always love the price tag they come with at the grocery store. For awhile, my go to favorite was Trader Joe’s crunchy almond butter with sea salt and flaxseed. At $5/16 oz. jar, this was one of the tastiest and most affordable options around (if you count the Richmond TJ’s as “around”). But, lacking ready access to a TJ’s and getting bored with the same ol’ concoction year after year led me to spice things up recently.
You need the following:
- 1 pound (or more) of your favorite nut(s) (I used almonds with a handful of pecans for excitement)
Note: This is a major $$ saver if you have a Costco or other wholesale membership. Almonds cost ~$3/pound at Costco. - food processor
- sea salt (optional)
- (Optional step) Preheat oven to 350. Spread nuts on a large baking sheet and roast for ~8 minutes, shaking once or twice. You want them to be fragrant and slightly browned.
- Pour the roasted nuts into a food processor, sprinkle with sea salt, and turn the processor on. Let it run for 10-15 minutes, scraping the sides occasionally. Note: sufficient food processing time is the key to creamy nut butter. If it hasn’t started looking “spoonable”, just let it keep running.
Play around with nut blends, roasted vs. raw, and spicing (cinnamon, cocoa powder, etc.) to suit your tastes.
What’s your favorite nut butter?