While grocery shopping last spring, I stopped on the peanut butter aisle to replenish my almost empty jar. As I stared at all of the brands and flavors—honey roasted, white chocolate, dark chocolate, jelly mixed in (what happened to the days where it was simply creamy or crunchy??)—I glanced up at the shelf above and noticed the small selection of almond butter jars. On a whim, I grabbed one, along with my favorite creamy peanut butter, and continued my shopping.
Back at home, I cracked open the jar and slid in a spoon. (I always open a jar like this!) After my first lick, I scrunched my nose a little bit. I expected it to taste a little sweeter, like peanut butter, and not be quite so… Liquidy.
So I scratched the spoon idea and spread the rest on a piece of bread. That tickled my taste buds a little more, and I didn’t notice the thinner texture as much that way. But I only opened the jar about once a week to make a slice of toast, instead of multiple times a day like with peanut butter.
Over time, the flavor began to grow on me. One piece of bread each week grew into two, then three, then… Before I knew it, I had polished off the entire jar of almond butter because I stuck my knife in multiple times a day!
I started sampling different brands of almond butter from the various grocery stores nearby, but after a few shopping trips, I quickly picked a favorite: Trader Joe’s creamy almond butter. With just two ingredients, its simplicity let the almond flavor shine, and I adored the bright bite from the big flakes of sea salt they used. I hoarded that jar and barely shared with anyone!
Since an almond butter addiction can become a costly habit (over $5 for a tiny jar??), I decided to make my own instead based on my favorite from TJ’s. That resulted in this Easy Blender Almond Butter! Two ingredients, 10 minutes, and it’s the best almond butter I’ve ever tasted.
Since the ingredients are fairly straightforward—roasted almonds and coarse sea salt—let’s focus on the process. To start, you’ll need a high-speed blender with really sharp blades. I recommend a Ninja, Blendtec, or Vitamix. The blender must be able to handle staying on for at least 10 minutes while chopping nuts without overheating.
Note: A food processor will also work too!
Every so often, you’ll need to scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula. Some of the almond pieces will cling to the walls, so this ensures that the almond butter is smooth and creamy. I generally scrape down the sides every 2-3 minutes, or whenever the almonds stop moving and things need a gentle push to continue swirling around.
Once the almond butter is smooth and you’ve added enough salt to suit your tastes, it’s time to chill. The almond butter will be really warm and runny from the heat generated by the blender, so chilling helps it thicken, as well as prolongs its shelf life. I like to seal mine inside of little jars, but any airtight containers will work.
Now all that’s left is to grab a spoon and dig in!
Note: To see what the various stages during blending look like, watch the video below!
| Easy Blender Almond Butter | | Print |
- 2 c (286g) roasted unsalted almonds
- 1-2 tsp (6-11g) coarse sea salt
- Add the almonds to a high-speed blender, and blend on low for 7-9 minutes or until creamy, scraping down the sides with a spatula as necessary. Add the salt ½ teaspoon at a time, blending for a few seconds after each addition, until the almond butter flavor reaches your desired taste. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator.
Not all roasted almonds are the same. Some brands are roasted longer than others and may taste slightly burnt, so make sure you like the flavor of the almonds you buy before turning them into almond butter. (The flavor only becomes more concentrated afterwards!)
Regular table salt will work as well. I prefer the bright burst of larger salt crystals, but use whatever you like best.
I recommend a Ninja, Blendtec, or Vitamix blender.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, paleo, low carb, sugar-free}
More almond butter recipes from other food bloggers…
♥ Salted Caramel Almond Butter by Honey & Figs
♥ White Chocolate Cinnamon Almond Butter by The Messy Baker
♥ Almond Joy Butter by The Healthy Maven
♥ Vanilla Bean Almond Butter by Fit Foodie Finds
I am thinking of trying a smoked almond for a savory spread for crackers. Minus the salt though. sounds good to me.
That sounds wonderful Karen!
I love almond butter, but I’ve tried making it twice and it never gets creamy and smooth, never seems to get to that point. Seems to go back to crumbly , it still tastes good but I would like to be able to spread it on toast. Any ideas?
If your almond butter is crumbly, then it hasn’t been blended or puréed long enough. That could be due to your blender or food processor; if your machine isn’t powerful enough, then it won’t fully break down the almonds to make the almond butter smooth. I highly recommend one of the machines I link to in the recipe!
I want to try to make the almond butter but have 2 questions. I have a bag of Whole Almonds, doesn’t say roasted or anything (I buy them from BJ’S and they are their store brand); can these be used or do they have to be/say roasted? Also I have the Ninja food processor what setting would I use for this? I haven’t even used it yet, still sitting in the box 🙂 TIA
If the almond bag says “all natural,” then they’re probably raw and not roasted. I’d recommend toasting them in the oven for a few minutes according to my instructions in the Notes section beneath this recipe because the flavor of your almond butter will be much better and tastier! (It just takes a few minutes!) For your Ninja food processor, start it on the lowest setting until the almonds are completely broken up into small pieces. At this point, you can increase to the next speed to make the process go faster, but it isn’t necessary. Just remember to occasionally scrape down the sides as needed! 🙂 I hope you enjoy the almond butter Sharon!
Hi Amy…I am trying to make this almond butter but it will not get creamy. I am using a 1500 watt ninja. I made almond milk first and then with the pulp I dried it in the oven and then put it in the food processor. I have been running the ninja for over an hour stopping only to scrape the sides. It is still crumbly. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
The almond butter shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes, at most, to make with the Ninja that you have (if the blades are still sharp!). This recipe was designed for regular whole almonds, not almond pulp, so I think that’s what is causing the issue. I’ve heard that the leftover almond milk pulp makes great almond flour, so maybe that would be a better use for it the next time you make your homemade almond milk!
Wondering if my NutriBullet might do for small batches of nut butter? Can’t afford one of the other pricey high-speed brands mentioned. Would it help if the nuts were soaked overnight to soften them?
I don’t have a NutriBullet, but other readers have reported that they’ve been able to use theirs for this recipe. I’d love to hear what you think if you try it Vivian!
So I really want to make this. All I have is sliced almonds though. I know sliced almonds probably don’t have the necessary amount of oil still in them, BUT I remember seeing a peanut butter with coconut oil product at the store once. So I’m attempting to create almond butter using a touch of coconut oil right now, and it actually appears to be working!! I have a Magic Bullet, not a Ninja, which I also don’t think is quite ideal. (Printed on the back of the Bullet is the warning to not operate continuously for more than 1 minute at a time.)
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I’m truly impressed Stephanie — you’re so dedicated! I have my fingers crossed that the sliced almonds and Magic Bullet worked for you. How did it turn out?? 🙂
Yummy! This blender almond butter looks is really awesome & It’s looks delicious. I like it! This recipe gives me an excuse to trying it! Thanks for share…
I’d love to hear what you think if you try this almond butter Evie! 🙂
Dear Amy,
I’m from India , pure vegan person by birth .
I like your almond butter .
Can you give without EGG baking tips ,
Can you visit India ?
In India vegan food recipe is more than 3000 . try .,
Welcome to India .
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the almond butter Roz! You can find my vegan-friendly recipes here. My favorite vegan egg replacer is Ener-G. It’s shelf-stable and keeps for ages, and it works perfectly in nearly all of my recipes that require eggs! For each egg, you’ll need 1½ teaspoons of Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water + an additional ½ tablespoon of coconut oil (to compensate for the missing fat from the egg yolk). For my recipes that just require egg whites, you can skip the additional coconut oil. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
Thanks for the recipe and tips. Here is one for you. Sunflower lecithin will make almond milk not curdle with high temp cooking so it can be used as a healthy heavy cream replacement. 🙂 Also look up chia seed pudding and matcha tea (do matcha is a great brand), the health benefits are fantastic.
I hope you enjoy the almond butter Phil!