Raw Recipe: Almond Butter

by Susan on February 6, 2010

Making nut butters can be a little tricky. I used to think that I had to do them in my Vitamix, which would drive me batty with all the scraping down that was required. Other times, I would have a fail, only because I quit too early. I didn’t realize how much time it takes, and the process that the nuts have to go through. But if you have a little patience, you can make nut butters that are fabulous. You will never want to buy them again!

I used my Kitchen Aid 12 cup food processor. It is a strong processor. The bottom warms up a little bit but if you are using an older processor, or a processor with a much weaker motor, common sense needs to prevail.

Almond Butter

2 C Almonds
1 T Raw Honey (optional)
1/2 t Sea Salt (optional)

Place almonds in food processor. Process for 8-12 minutes. You will need to scrape down the sides in the beginning. If you choose to use the honey and salt, stir in by hand after the butter is made as it will seize the mixture if you try to add it before.

After 2 minutes it will look like this.

After 4 minutes it will look like this.

After 6 minutes it will look like this.

Around 8 minutes, the almond mixture will ball up. Just let it keep going.

At 10 minutes it has begun to redistribute, but it is not done yet. You want to wait until the oils get released.

At 12 minutes the almonds have released their oil and the butter is ready! If you want to add honey or salt, stir it in by hand.

*Chef’s Note: If using soaked, dehydrated almonds, you may need to add a little oil.

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Tagged as: gluten free, organic, raw food, raw food diet, raw food recipes

{ 225 comments… read them below or add one }

← Previous Comments

Jessy (squeezetheday) December 14, 2011 at 2:34 pm: I’ve made homemade almond butter before, but my food processor is weak, so I only do it once in a while.

What do you mean with ”If you choose to use the honey and salt, stir in by hand after the butter is made as it will seize the mixture if you try to add it before.”, though?
Susan December 14, 2011 at 10:56 pm: Exactly what it says…it can seize the mixture, meaning change the texture and harden it if you add it while you are actually making the butter. It is best to stir it in by hand when it is done.
Raoul December 15, 2011 at 12:21 am: Hi,

Thanks for this instructive recipe. I will be using soaked and dehydrated nuts. I undertsand the need to add a little oil, but WHEN should this be added please? At the start with the whole nuts or once they are chopped up a bit?

Thank you.
Susan December 15, 2011 at 12:26 am: You can add it at any time.
Raoul December 15, 2011 at 9:18 pm: Hi Susan,
Thanks for that. I have tried it now with soaked, dehydrated almonds (2 cups). I added about 10-15ml of grapeseed oil after about 2 minutes of processing. I continued to process the nuts and the stages as you described them were all accomplished in about 15min. In the end I have produced a beautifully satisfying product. I showed it to my 2 boys and upon tasting it I nearly had to rip it off them lest the empty the bowl. I had no problems with my processor which is belt-driven, but the blades are still sharp, which could be where people may be having problems.
Gail Quillman January 2, 2012 at 7:01 pm: Hi Susan,
I’ve been making almond butter in my VitaMix for quite a while, and you’re right about scraping down, only my big hassle is getting the butter out. Lately the butter has been very stiff, so I soaked the almonds a few hours before trying again today, but the results were the same. So I have determined to buy a larger food processor.
With my current finances, the best I can afford is the Cuisinart 7-cup. Do you know or think that this machine would be up to the task?
Your recipes are heavenly and I’m very, very happy to receive the newsletters.
Thanks so much,
Gail
Gail Quillman January 2, 2012 at 7:02 pm: p.s.
I have been using raw almonds.

gq
goodsammy January 2, 2012 at 10:01 pm: Hi,

Thanks for a well explained tutorial. Can I use soaked and skinned nuts without dehydrating them?
Susan January 2, 2012 at 10:05 pm: I would worry about the extra moisture in the nuts if they are soaked and not dehydrated. Cheers!
Sonia Seeds January 5, 2012 at 9:31 pm: Gail Quillman,

I use my Cuisinart 7-cup food processor to make this recipe. It works great. I also use raw almonds. It takes about 10-15 minutes to make, but the final result is delicious. My co-workers are getting addicted to my new find. Enjoy
Robin January 14, 2012 at 2:03 pm: I’m confused. When you say raw, is this with or without soaking and dehydrating them? You don’t seem to add oil, yet you have told people to add oil? Could you please explain?
Susan January 14, 2012 at 2:18 pm: You can use raw almonds without soaking them. If you do decide to soak your almonds (to release the enzyme inhibitors) you must dehydrate them dry before using. Because you have soaked and dried the almonds, they don’t have quite as much oil in them and you may need to add some oil. That is why it says, “*Chef’s Note: If using soaked, dehydrated almonds, you may need to add a little oil.”
Vivienne January 17, 2012 at 9:05 pm: Hi,
Is the photo shown above almond butter with added oil or without? I am just wondering if the consistency (without adding oil) is similar to those sold in store.
Thank you.
Susan January 17, 2012 at 9:07 pm: I did not add oil to the photo. Cheers!
kelby January 21, 2012 at 5:49 pm: I have been wanting to try to make this for a while now but didnt know if it would work.
After borrowing my mothers 1988 GE food processer I had to try it. I used raw almonds and followed the recipe to a ” T “. I am excited to say it worked perfectly ! Sure beats the heck out of paying 8 to 10 dollars a jar ! Thanks Susan !
RawDad January 28, 2012 at 1:40 am: The every two minute pictures are great. Good presentation and directions.
Rena January 28, 2012 at 12:12 pm: Hello,

Thanks for this; can’t wait to try! One question – how long will the butter stay good for, and does it need to be stored in a specific manner?

Thanks!
Best…
Susan January 28, 2012 at 7:07 pm: I would keep it in the frige in a closed container and it should last for weeks. Nuts will go rancid after a while so you want to stay in line with that. Cheers!
Lindsey January 28, 2012 at 9:08 pm: I just bought a new food processor so I can do this. The top cannot be off while I have it on so I have to stop it if I’m going to scrap the sides down. I need to know though, is it normal for the butter to get so hot that it starts to steam?
Susan January 28, 2012 at 9:17 pm: If you check the temperature, you will find that the “steam” is probably water that is generating from the process. The temperature of the almond butter isn’t that hot. Cheers.
Lindsey January 28, 2012 at 9:20 pm: I was more curious as to what food processor you use. I can’t seem to not have the almonds smoking, even with professional tools
Susan January 28, 2012 at 9:24 pm: I use a KitchenAid 12 cup. If it is getting hot (check the temp) you can rest it for a bit when you are making it. Mine “steams” also but the temp of the butter never gets above 115. It isn’t actually like boiling, hot steam.
Kei Jager January 29, 2012 at 7:47 pm: I have a daughter who is allergic to nuts and soy… could this same process work with sunflower seeds? I’ve heard others talk about sunflower butter, and thought that might be a good option for us. Thanks.
Lisa February 2, 2012 at 9:13 pm: WOW made my first ra hazelnut butter. Way better than the raw bought stuff and cheaper too! Thank you.
Monica February 3, 2012 at 7:57 pm: Yay, thanks for the recipe! I am actually going to try to make gluten free almond butter cookies this weekend. Can’t wait!