Vegan nut butter

Vegan nut butter

oven roasted hazelnuts

When I first learnt that you can make almost any vegan nut butter at home so easily, I was beyond excited (possibly I need to get out more).

The list of ingredients at the back of most commercially available jars is very long and you immediately assume that making a peanut butter, for example, is a complicated affair (requiring industrial strength machines).

Turns out that all you need is nuts, an oven (which is not necessary, but roasting the nuts beforehand gives the spread a rounder flavour) and a food processor. And it doesn’t even need to be a super powerful food processor.

When I went home for Christmas, I dug out my mum’s food processor, which I remember her using when I was only few years old. To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for the 70’s food processor; but I was so wrong. I made a beautiful almond butter in a matter of a few minutes and the machine didn’t even break sweat.

If that clapped out old-school gadget could do it, anything can. Go on, have a go, it’s magic – and so much better for you too. You can also try my hazelnut and chocolate spread if you feel like something even more indulgent.

vegan nut butter step by step

makes
250 ml
PREP
30 min
COOKING
10 min
makes
250 ml
PREPARATION
30 min
COOKING
10 min
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups of nuts of your choice
  • a few pinches of salt (optional)
  • maple syrup or other sweetener (optional)
METHOD
  1. Set the oven to 180° C / 350° F
  2. Place nuts on a baking tray and roast for about 6-10 minutes. Give them a stir every 3 min or so and watch them as they can go from pale to burnt in a matter of seconds. The point is to get them nicely golden and not brown (once they turn brown they taste bitter).
  3. Some nuts like hazelnuts, brazil nuts and peanuts can be peeled after roasting by putting them inside a kitchen towel and rubbing them between your hands. Mind you, not all of the skins will come off which is fine; it only adds to the taste. Others (like almonds) need to be blanched in hot water for the skins to come off, but there is no need as there are lots of nutrients in the skin (and leaving the skins on intensifies the flavour).
  4. Once the nuts are roasted and cooled, place them in a food processor and process until you have smooth, honey/tahini-like consistency paste. It may seem like it will never happen – the nuts go through several stages during this process (see photo 2) –  but it will, trust me. If your food processor isn’t the most powerful, let it rest for a few minutes now and then.
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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
1626
81%
sugars
11 g
12%
fats
145 g
206%
saturates
23 g
117%
proteins
54 g
107%
carbs
56 g
22%
*per serving
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5.0
3 reviews, 13 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Richard:
Made my first batch of almond butter yesterday. Amazed how easy this was and how smooth the finished product became. Going to see if I can use this instead of tahini in some baking recipes
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Richard, glad to hear that it came out well. Yes, it definitely is great in baking, I use it in these simple banana muffins, in this summer sponge and many others. Hope you'll enjoy baking with it. Ania
Allison:
I would like to try this but have just been diagnosed with high cholesterol do you think this would be bad for me or because it’s made purely of nuts and no palm oil it would better for me
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Allison,
    Cholesterol, as far as I know, only exists in animal products. I just looked it up to be sure and nuts do not have any so I think you are good. You may be interested in this website - Forks over Knives - set up by a bunch of plant-based doctors to fight and reverse numerous diseases by means of wholefood plant based nutrition. Hope this helps and sorry about you diagnosis, but sounds like you are on a path to better heath. x Ania
M. T.:
Just made my first batch of hazelnut butter. It was so easy! Literally just took 20 minutes. And it smells absolutely amazing!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear! It is amazing, isn't it - cheaper than shop-bought and satisfying yet easy to make :) Ania
      Nandi:
      Do I need to refrigerate afterwards or just use it after the food processor stage?
        Ania
        Ania:
        You can use it straight away, depending on the nuts it won't really thicken much as, unlike many shop-bought brands, it has no palm oil or other hardening fats added. If you wanted it firmer you could add some melted coconut oil and refrigarate to firm up. It's best stored in a fridge. Hope this helps! x Ania
Carlotta:
Can I use the ninja blend processor instead?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Carlotta,
    I am pretty sure it will work well here, but I don't own one myself I cannot be 100% sure. Ania
Laura Katzensteiner:
Do you keep it in the fridge or out and how long does it keep?
    Ania
    Ania:
    I keep it at room temperature and it keeps for a good few weeks, especially if you don't add any sweetener. Hope that helps! Ania
Basia:
My roasted hazelnut butter is currently at stage 4 overnight but it's almost there, just a few more pulses... Last time I attempted nut butter I stopped at stage 3 because nothing seemed to be changing. Going all the way now!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Yeah! Fingers crossed for stage 4! If my shitty food processor can do it, so can yours! Don't give up ;) Ania
Dawn Ellison:
I now have a jar of delicious roasted almond nut butter! My small blender worked hard but just managed it. I did stop it a few times to redistribute the nut mixture and to give the motor a breather. Loving this! Dawn
    Ania
    Ania:
    Lazy Cat Kitchen team (including two new kitten apprentices - Bubble'n'Squeak) is very pleased!
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