Updated Sep 19, 2023 Homemade almond butter (or any nut butter for that matter) is a staple do-it-yourself recipe. Just like homemade nut milks. But I still remember the first time I made almond butter in a food processor and thinking, “sheesh, this is taking a really long time.” 20-minutes to be exact. Because everything I’d found on the internet said that the best way to make almond butter was in a food processor. So that’s what I did, for several years. Then, I got my first Vitamix and homemade almond butter all of a sudden became so darn easy to make!
How to Make Almond Butter
In order to make the best almond butter possible, it’s important to know a few things about nuts. Namely, some nuts have more natural oils than others, which affects how easy they are to churn into butter. Peanuts, cashews and macadamia nuts have more natural oils (fatty acids) so they turn into nut butter quite easily. Almonds have a bit less oil. Therefore, the easiest way to make almond butter is to: If you roast the almonds, there’s just one important step to not forget – let them cool to room temperature. You do NOT want to put hot nuts in your plastic Vitamix container or it may ruin/melt it. Vitamix containers can definitely take hot liquids and make hot soups (I do it all the time), but hot nuts are concentrated oils which then get even hotter when blended. So remember….roast, cool, then blend. Whether you roast the almonds or not is up to you. I personally like the flavor of roasted almond butter – it’s so darn good! But if you’re in a hurry, just toss raw almonds with 3-4 tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil into your Vitamix. Then, turn your blender on high and use the tamper to push down on the almonds. Pushing the almonds into the blades quickly turns it into almond butter. And one minute later you’re done. Voila, homemade almond butter without a food processor.
More Tips for Your Homemade Almond Butter
Storage: The almond butter will stay good for several weeks in the fridge (if not longer). I always store it in my favorite Le Parfait Jars. Temperature: Keep in mind that all ovens cook at slightly different temperatures and you may need to cook your almonds a minute or two longer, especially if you find them harder to blend without using oil. Tamper: Really use the tamper to push the nuts into the blades when blending and push towards the corners of the container. Don’t be gentle. It’s the friction that’s needed to turn it into nut butter. Nuts: I don’t recommend making this with soaked and dehydrated nuts. But if you do, you definitely need to add oil (and likely more) as you’ve now removed some of the natural oils within the nuts. Roasting soaked nuts alone simply won’t work. Alternatively, you can use almond that are pre-roasted for flavor, but you’ll still need to add additional oil. Only freshly roasted almonds will have their natural oils released and make it easy to blend them on their own. Quantity: Do NOT reduce the quantity of almonds if using a Vitamix. You need a minimum amount of almonds (4 cups) in the blender to ensure the blades work properly. Tips: If you’re making almond butter without oil (just roasting) and it seems dry and flaky and not turning into butter, there’s likely two reasons: 1) the almonds needed to roast just a little bit longer (see temperature note above), 2) the brand of almonds. I’ve found certain brands of almonds just blend better than others. I really have no idea why, but I’ve never had any problems with the brand linked in the recipe card notes. But if you’re in the predicament of your almonds not turning to butter, just add one tablespoon of oil at a time until it turns creamy. It’s totally salvageable!
More Healthy Basics Tutorials
How to Make Almond Milk How to Make Cashew Milk Homemade Mayonnaise How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream How to Poach Eggs
This post was created in partnership with Vitamix (a brand I’ve loved and used for years). All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post was originally posted Jan 2017, but updated to include new tips and information.
