We all tend to buy ready made nut spread: it is delicious but comes packaged (I have never seen a “bulk” version, had you?) and it is generally quite expensive. Plus, in the store-bought versions, you can easily find addictives, such as emulsifiers, added sugars, salt…
The good news is that it is actually simple (and way cheaper!) to make your own at home, customized to your taste and nutrition necessities. All you will need are nuts of your choice: you can literally go wild in your selection! You can start with a plain and simple almond or peanut butter, or you can mix any kind of nuts, creating a unique flavour, making it work for your budget, as not all nuts are equally expensive!
If you want to find our more about the benefits of eating nuts, have a read on International Agency for Research on Cancer
Materials needed
- A -powerful- blender
- A spatula
- A glass jar for storage
Ingredients
- Nuts (almonds, cashews, macadamia, chestnuts, peanuts, sesame, pumpkin seeds…) in desidered mix. It is better to prepare at least 200/250 gr of spread, as there will be a minimum of critical mass to blend.
- Optional: a sprinkle of salt and a neutral flavour oil (such as sunflower seed oil) if you notice that your blender struggles to get out the nuts’ oils and reach an optimal consistence.
Directions
- Roasting: gently roast the nuts in the oven, in order to bring out their flavours and facilitate the task of the blender to unleash their oils. Don’t overdo the roasting, to avoid spoiling precious nutrients. A few minutes (around 10) at 150/160° Celsius (300/320° F) will be fine. Make sure to be around and check your oven. A great alternative to roasting, is dehidration, in case you own a food dehydrator…
- Blending: depending on your blender strenght, this process will take between 3 to 5 minutes at the highest speed. Don’t get discouraged if you notice that the phase “grainy paste” lasts a bit longer. At the worst, add a dash of oil to help the operations.
- Add a sprinkle of salt (optional); if desidered, you can also add some cinnamon or vanilla powder.
- Pour in a clean glass jar and… enjoy! On your toasts; a little drizzle in your smoothies; as a substitution for eggs or butter in your preparations for more flavour and for binding purposes.
Blends you can try
- Plain almonds or cashews
- Almonds (around 70%) and peanuts (30%)
- Almonds and coconut (use dessicated coconut chips)
The nut butter lasts up to a couple of months in the pantry. Unless you think it will take you more than two months to consume it (which I actually doubt!), avoid storing it in the fridge, as you will likely obtain a rock solid thing!
Let me know if you’ve tried this and if you have suggestions about the possible mixes!
— The Green Frugalista
Find further making posts on The Green Frugalista:
How to Make Homemade Yogurt: The Science Behind Perfect Fermentation