How to Use Almond Butter

Reach for almond butter for a tasty recipe ingredient.

Almond nuts have a high oil content, so much so, that when grounded the oil is released turning the dry nuts into an almond paste referred to as almond butter. Almond butter has many uses and is considered a healthy alternative to other nut butters such as peanut butter. Like other nuts, almonds are high in protein, low in saturated fat and contain no cholesterol.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup almond butter
• Bread, biscuits or crackers
• Fruit slices
• Blender
• 1 cup almond vanilla
• 1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute
• 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
• Red pepper flakes
• Yellow cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 stick butter
• 8 ounces whipped cream cheese
• Baking dish
• Oven

Instructions

1. Spread almond butter on bread, biscuits, crackers or fruit slices like apples as you would peanut butter. Do not expect it to taste just like peanut butter though because it is made entirely from almonds. Although the consistency is grainier than peanut butter, almond butter is mildy sweet.

2. Take five minutes to make a healthy, semi-sweet sauce for your vegetables. The protein in the almonds will satiate hunger as if you were eating meat. Blend one cup of almond butter with an equal amount of sweetened or unsweetened almond vanilla milk. You may add a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of sugar or use sugar substitutes like stevia in equal measure.

3. Make almond butter salad dressing. Put 1/4 cup almond butter, one tablespoon lime or lemon juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon of honey or agave nectar in a blender. Blend until smooth. This is a Whole Foods Market recipe that is recommended for carrot salad.

4. Turn plain yellow cake into a decadent almond butter cake. Blend 1 teaspoon almond butter into a batter of yellow cake mix. For a creamy texture, add eight ounces whipped cream cheese, 4 eggs and 1 stick butter. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tips & Warnings

• The high protein content in almond butter makes it a suitable substitute for meat consumption.

• Almond butter nutrients include calcium, soluble fiber, potassium, folic acid, phosphorus, vitamin B2, riboflavin, arginine, linoleic acid, copper, magnesium and vitamin E.

• The unsaturated fat in almond butter makes it a good food fighter against heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

• Magnesium in almond butter assists with calcium and potassium absorption helping with the rebuilding of bone material and energy production.

• Magnesium also protects against cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, insulin de-sensitivity and various dangerous pre-natal conditions.

• Store almond butter in a refrigerator to prevent oil separation.

• The oil may separate from unprocessed almond butter leaving a grainy consistency until it is blended together again.

References

• Futters Nut Butters: Nutritional Information
• Heather Eats Almond Butter: Almond Butter Sauce, aka ABU
• Whole Foods Market: Recipe: Carrot Salad with Almond Butter Dressing
• Cooks: Gooey Almond Butter Cake