How to Make Almond Nut Butter

Almonds taste good by themselves or combined with other ingredients.

Almonds, or Prunus dulcis, are a food source rich in vitamin E, magnesium, copper, manganese, selenium, zinc and phosphorous. Grown around the world, the top producer of almonds is California, which grows approximately 75 percent of the world's almonds, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Making almonds into almond butter gives a tasty alternative to peanut butter in sandwiches and as a baking ingredient. As an alternative to peanut butter, almond butter contains more iron, manganese, potassium and calcium.

Things You'll Need

• 2 3/4 cups almonds
• Cookie sheet
• Mortar and pestle
• Blender
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Bowl
• Spoon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. honey

Instructions

1. Decide whether or not you want toasted almond butter. Skip to step 2 to make un-toasted almond butter. For toasted almond butter set the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, spread the almonds evenly across the cookie sheet and bake them around 10 or 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the almonds time to cool enough to be handled.

2. Grind up the 2 cups of almonds using either a mortar and pestle or a heavy-duty blender, until they become powdered. You can also use a combination of methods, pounding up the almonds until they're in pieces and then processing them further in the blender. Once the almonds are powdered, blend or mash in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil gradually, and stop adding it when the mixture looks creamy and smooth. Scoop out the almond butter from the mortar and pestle or blender into the bowl.

3. Decide whether or not you want to make "chunky" or "smooth" almond butter. If you want smooth almond butter, go to step 4. To make chunky almond butter, briefly pulse the 3/4 cup of almonds in the blender for several seconds or use the mortar and pestle to break them up, until they are in 1/4-inch pieces. Mix the almond pieces into the almond butter in the bowl.

4. Decide whether or not you want salty, sweet or plain almond butter. If leaving the almond butter plain, go to step 5. To add salt, mix in the salt. To sweeten the almond butter, mix in the honey or brown sugar.

5. Place the almond butter in the airtight container to store it in the refrigerator until you want to use it.

Tips & Warnings

• To remove the almond skins, blanch the almonds by cooking them in boiling water for several minutes and immediately placing them in cold water to loosen the almond skins, enabling you to pop the almonds out of their skins.

• Instead of a mortar and pestle, try placing the almonds in a plastic bag or plastic wrap, which you then wrap in a towel, and use a hammer to pound them up.

References

• India Curry: How to make Almond Butter (Recipe)?
• Everyday vegetarian Recipes: Easy Almond Butter Recipe
• USDA: Sunflower Seed Butter and Almond Butter as Nutrient-Rich Alternatives to Peanut Butter
• "Foods & Nutrition Encyclopedia"; Volume 1; Audrey H. Ensminger; 1994
• From Karen's Kitchen: How to Roast Almonds
• World of Crepes: How to Toast Almonds

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Nutfarm: Almond History
• "Ani's Raw Food Asia"; Ani Phyo; 2011
• "Grilling & Barbecuing"; Rick Rodgers; 2006
• USDA: The U.S. Almond Industry Situation