Homemade almond butter tastes amazing and is easier to make than you might think! Once you try it, you may never go back to the store-bought version again.
Almond butter has gained popularity over the years as an alternative to peanut butter, and for good reason. It’s loaded with minerals and tastes delicious! It’s the perfect addition to healthy snacks, like Apple Nachos and Homemade Granola Bars.
Creamy almond butter can even be used as a flour alternative in gluten-free baking. Try it in Almond Butter Cookies or Almond Butter Blondies.
You can also use it for dairy-free creaminess! My favorite way to use it is in my Vegan Latte or Almond Milk Ice Cream for a mind-blowing treat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Homemade almond butter is made with just one ingredient: almonds! Look for unroasted almonds when shopping, as you’ll be quickly roasting them during the first step of this recipe.
You can also add salt or ground cinnamon for extra flavor, but I don’t recommend adding a wet ingredient, such as maple syrup, vanilla extract, or honey. Wet ingredients can cause the almond butter to seize (the texture will be ruined), and will make the nut butter spoil much faster.
How to Make Almond Butter
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spread one pound (3 cups) of almonds out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the almonds for 10 minutes or until they smell lightly fragrant. This process helps release the natural oil found in almonds and will make the next steps move much faster.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the almonds cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Adding the almonds directly from the oven to a food processor or blender could melt the machine if you don’t let them cool down first, so be patient!
Once the almonds have cooled for at least 10 minutes (it’s okay if they feel warm to the touch) add them to the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade.
Secure the lid and start processing.
The almonds will creep up the sides of the machine as you blend them, so you can stop and scrape down the sides with a spatula if you’d like to. However, I’ve noticed around the 4-minute mark that the almonds will naturally fall down on their own without any scraping.
Let the food processor continue to run. After 8 minutes of processing, you may start to hear a “sloshing” sound, as the almond butter has suddenly become runnier. This is a great sign!
Now you can stop and scrape down the sides of the machine, and add any seasoning you like, such as a 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt or ground cinnamon. (Remember, no liquids can be added or it will ruin the texture.)
Process for another minute or two, and you should have a creamy almond butter that drips off the spoon. The whole blending process should take 10 minutes or less when you start with warm almonds.
Note: If you need to skip the roasting process, it may take nearly double the time for raw almonds to break down in a food processor. It can be done, but it’s definitely harder on your machine and requires more patience. This process can take a full 20 minutes!
Transfer the homemade almond butter to a 16-ounce mason jar and let it cool completely before securing the lid. Otherwise, steam will collect in the jar and cause the almond butter to spoil faster.
Almond butter can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and may last even longer as long as you don’t introduce any moisture to the jar. Nut butter will thicken when chilled, so that can make it slightly harder to spread on toast, but it will thin out when you bring it to room temperature again.
Can You Make Almond Butter in a Blender?
If you don’t have a 12-cup food processor, but you do have a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix), that can be used to make homemade almond butter, too.
The difference is you’ll need to use more almonds and a tamper.
To make almond butter in a blender, roast and cool the almonds as directed above, but start with 4 cups of almonds. This is the minimum quantity required to use a blender.
Secure the lid and blend the almonds on a medium-low speed. You’ll need to use a tamper often to keep the almonds moving. (If your blender doesn’t have a tamper, I don’t recommend this method. It’s too frustrating to have to stop and scrape constantly!)
While you might think using a high-speed blender would be faster than using a food processor, it still took my blender 6 to 7 minutes to achieve a creamy result. This is only 1 minute faster than the food processor method, and it’s not nearly as hands-off.
So, if you have a food processor, that is my preferred machine for this recipe.
Note: If for some reason your blender is having a hard time breaking down the roasted almonds, you can add a tablespoon of neutral-flavored oil to the blender to help the process along. You may need to use up to 4 tablespoons total when blending a difficult batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almonds have more iron and calcium when compared to peanuts, but both are considered good sources of monounsaturated fats. Research suggests that regularly eating almonds may help to lower LDL cholesterol (a risk factor for heart disease). Almond skins are also a good source of antioxidants.
Surprisingly, homemade almond butter is not always cheaper than the store-bought version. If you compare them on a cost-per-ounce basis, 1 ounce of whole almonds costs more than 1 ounce of almond butter. In this case, homemade is better because of the flavor, not necessarily because of the cost.
Almond butter can be spread on toast, pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, and muffins. You can also add it to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, and more!
Looking for more easy ways to use almond butter? Try it in my Banana Snack Cake, Freezer Fudge, Vegan Banana Bread, or Almond Butter Brownies.
How To Make Almond Butter (No Added Oil!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole almonds (3 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spread the almonds out in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Place them in the oven to roast for 10 minutes, then remove the pan and let them cool for at least 10 minutes before moving on. (Placing very hot almonds in your machine could melt it, so be patient!)
- Transfer the cooled almonds (it's okay if they are slightly warm) to a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade. Secure the lid and start processing. The almonds will start to look like flour and stick to the sides of your machine, but after 4 to 5 minutes of processing, it will change into a thicker consistency and release from the sides of the machine.
- You can stop and scrape the sides of your food processor at this point if you'd like to, but the whole process can be relatively hands-off with almost no scraping required. In fact, you can let the machine run for 8 to 10 minutes without scraping, and the nut butter will form on its own! This is the advantage of using a food processor, rather than a blender. (See tips in this post if you prefer to use a blender, though.)
- Once the almonds have been processed for 8 to 10 minutes, they should reach a runny, drippy consistency. At this point, you can add in a 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt or ground cinnamon, if you'd like added flavor. Do NOT add any wet ingredients, or it could affect the final texture.
- Store homemade almond butter in a 16-ounce mason jar. It will need to cool completely before you add the lid, so it won't collect steam inside the jar. Adding moisture to the jar could affect the shelf life. Almond butter can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 1 month when no moisture is introduced, so always be sure to use a clean spoon or knife when using it.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this homemade almond butter recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
Yes! Just what i was looking for! Although not sure if our processor can handle 20 minutes of abuse.
how many calories would you say are in about 1 cup of your homemade almond butter?
Please see my FAQ page regarding nutrition information: https://detoxinista.com/frequently-asked-questions/
Yippee! I really didn’t think this was possible but I wanted to try it so I did. I roasted 3 cups of whole almonds in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. I have a small Handy Prep Cuisinart food processor and, at first, I put all 3 cups in it which filled it to the brim. After the almonds got to a fine chop, I decided I had too much in the processor so I took out about 1/3. Then I kept pulsing and alternately scraping down the sides. It finally got to a point where I had to break up the mass in order to keep in spinning. And, then, low and behold, it started to behave as the “detoxinista” said it would – and I had almond butter! I emptied the processor, added the remaining almonds and finished up with those. When I do this again, and I will do it again, I will probably put 1 1/2 cups of roasted almonds into my little processor and make two batches. I almost filled a 2 cup container with my AB. This is amazing. I seemed to happen in a relatively short period of time. I did find out it needed some salt but I think I will just add salt to my cookie recipe and that should be fine. Also, I had purchased some almond butter to make a new cookie and with the leftover butter, I decided to make almond butter cookies. I added a tsp of almond extract to the recipe and I think I could have added more. I used an old Betty Crocker recipe for peanut butter cookies and this is what I discovered. When I put the fork marks in, they disappeared as the cookie spread and turned out to be thin and crisp. I had also added some chopped almonds (I love nuts!) and I absolutely loved these cookies. I tried not to cook them too long because I didn’t want them to be too hard. They were mouth-watering and I am going to make them again since I made this AB. This is the most fun I’ve had in the kitchen for quite some time! Try it, you’ll like it.
I used your recipe tonight with three cups of raw almonds, purchased today at Costco, for 20 minutes in our Kitchenaid food processor, and it worked exactly as you described, not only creamier than the Trader Joe’s brand, but noticeably better tasting. I took the temperature of the almond butter with a meat thermometer while it was still in the processor at its warmest, and it was about 150 degrees. From what I’ve read, cancer-causing substances are not formed unless the almonds are roasted at 170 degrees or above. I don’t imagine I’ll be buying almond butter again. Thanks for the recipe.
If cancer causing substances are formed above 170 degrees, does this mean when cooking/baking with almond flour, milk or almond butter at 350 degrees, I should be concerned? Sorry if a stupid question. I’m new to grain-free baking!
Definitely not a stupid question, and I think that one is still out for debate! I think they key with almond flour baked goods, just like any other baked goods, is that they should be considered a “treat” and not a daily indulgence.
Hi there! About how long will the almond butter last? When should you consider throwing it away? Thanks for the recipe!
I have no idea how long it will officially last, but mine seems to be perfectly fine even after spending a month in the fridge! Just make sure it’s always kept chilled.
I’m confused. I bought a bag of raw almonds from Sam’s Club & made the almond butter. It turned out pretty good. But then a friend said I was suppose to soak them first? So do I need to throw what I made out???
Soaking almonds is best for digestion, but you should NOT processed wet nuts into almond butter. If you want to soak them first, you’ll have to dry them completely before grinding them into almond butter. I rarely have the patience to do that myself, so I don’t always soak and dry the almond first, but it is technically better to do so.
Could you clarify why must the nuts be dehydrated if they are soaked? Why couldn’t you soak, rinse, pat them dry and use them for nut butter?
I actually made almond butter in the Vitamix last night and it turned out perfect… on high for about 30-45 seconds, scraped down the sides and pulsed a couple times and it turned out fabulous!!! The problem is, keeping my little spoon out of there every 5 minutes!!! 🙂
Awesome and delicious. However, I did make my almond butter in the Vitamix. It took a bit of work of stopping and starting quite a few times, but it was amazing and worth it. I put a little bit of cinnamon, a pinch of salt and just a tad bit of stevia. I ate it on Granny Smith apples. YUM!
I made this tonight and it is AWESOME! Thanks for the great explanations and steps. It was easy and I will make more once this is gone!
Thank you. It worked.
Do you need to soak almonds (for digestion) if you are using blanched (with no skin). Or is this only for raw with skin on?
I would assume that blanched almonds have already been soaked sufficiently to remove their skins in the first place.
Megan, What brand of food processor are you using?
I’ve owned mine for a while, so they don’t make the exact same model anymore, but this is a similar model: http://amzn.to/XTULjE
Hi Megan,
Thanks for the recipe, it is awesome!
I was just wondering if you soaked the almonds beforehand?
Thank you
How long does the almond butter last for? Should it be refrigerated? Thanks!
Yes, it definitely needs to be refrigerated. Mine lasts for at least a month, if not longer.
I couldnt get mine to cream, could it be because I did not use enough almonds?
In my 12-cup processor, I need to use 2-3 cups of almonds to get it to work. Also, it does take a LOT of patience! You may just need to process the batch longer than you think.
I have a 14 speed Oster Blender, will that work ? It has settings for grinding nuts and coffee.
I just made homemade almond butter with my vitamix! I added lite salt and honey to give it a little more flavor. Thanks for sharing! It only took me 3 min. with the vitamix on the variable low speed.
A Champion juicer also works well for making raw almond butter. I process the raw almonds through the juicer using the blank screen and then blend the almonds (with sea salt) to a smoother consistency in the VitaMix. This step draws out more oil from the almonds, otherwise the almond butter is too dry. I have only used raw almonds so results may vary with roasted.
I just found your blog the other day and have enjoyed a few recipes. Thank you. I have also been teying to make my own almond butter and have loved the crumb mixture i have been getting, but frustrated it was not a butter, now i know i just need to proccess it a lot longer.
Hi, Megan,
Thanks for this. I am sure going to try it.
Thank you for the recipe. I only have a 2-cup Cuisinart food processor so wasn’t sure it would work. But it did! I had to pulse it a lot and keep wiping down the sides. But it worked. I blanched my almonds first to remove the skins as there is a tiny bit of cyanide in the skins. But even though air dried they were very moist. To dry out I tried both just drying the almonds at 190 degrees for 45 minutes and then a batch that was truly roasted. The first batch that wasn’t roasted took forever!! Still too much moisture. I think I will try sprouted and dehydrating the next time. The second batch which was roasted was so fast, even in the little processor. So drying out thoroughly really is important. Thank again again.
Just made almond butter in my magic bullet! Wow. I’m never going back to the store bought stuff EVER AGAIN. Thanks for the tutorial!
I made almond butter in my cheap food processor. It took a long time and I was afraid that the motor would burn up but just when I was ready to give up, guess what, almond butter! I just bought a Vitamix and it did not do a good job on the almonds. I see what Megan was talking about. I am using the almond butter because I would never throw food away but it’s not as good as the previous batch I made in the food processor. Thanks for the recipe and tips Megan!
Oh my goodness…how awesome I found this. I just started gluten-dairy free living and use a lot of almond butter. I thought…geez I have to drop another 11 bucks for a jar of almond butter…so I thought…look it up on line and found your site. It turned out perfectly. Thanks for the detailed instructions. I am going to spenD a lot of time looking through all your stuff. thanks aGAIN! i’M SO EXCITED!
Just made what I think is almond butter. It is smooth warm and I see a little oil separation. I was reading how- to on your site and decided after it had become crumbly and sticking on the bottom and sides to remove some and stick it in the microwave for about 30 seconds (my microwave is weak)njust to warm it a little since I saw the heat first advice after they were in my processor. Voila! about a minute later it was getting smooth and silky. Five minutes more and I think it is almond butter. Thanks everyone for the information and especially to you Megan.
Sincerely
This is fantastic, thank you so much!!
Oh my god.I finally found the perfect recipe for the almond butter.
I love how you started off by saying one needs patience which I sometimes lack. I appreciate the pictures too. Very simplifying. I mean it. I see a few blogs but they don’t inspire me to try it out. On the other hand, we make something similar to this in India by soaking the almonds over night, processing them and adding it to sugar syrup. It is a sweet/dessert and if kept in the fridge, it will stay. But it cannot be used as a butter like yours. Thanks a ton for this recipe. Do try out our Indian dessert called “Badam halwa” when you have time. It is to die for, if you allow yourself to indulge once in a while.
Thanks again !!
Can I use my Nutribullet to make my almond butter?
I have! Worked great. I just shook it every now and then to get the stuff that went up the sides to come down. I roasted as suggested and got almond butter identical to the stuff in the fridge.
Which blade did you use with the Nutribullet??
I made almond butter after soaking the almonds overnight and didn’t know about drying the nuts before starting the process. Now the almond butter has a strange taste after about 4 or 5 days in the fridge. Do you think it has gone bad?
If it tastes strange, I would not eat it.
Great write-up on how to make almond butter. Yes, you DO need patience, but it is so worth the effort!
One note, we try to buy our almonds from the farmers markets. Raw, organic almonds sold at the store are still pasteurized due to a California regulation put in place in 2007.
We even contacted Whole Foods. Whole Foods confirmed that their raw almonds have been treated with steam heat.
I made the butter this evening. Yes, it did take a long time since I did not roast before starting. Well worth the wait. I only added a bit of sea salt before putting in the frig. I did have a wonderful mix of my fresh almond butter, organic raw honey, a bit of nutmeg and vanilla. I spread it on Granny Smith apple slices. It tasted like caramel
apples. Fabulous!! I will definitely try toasting them before starting this project, but I now have some great almond flour for breading my baked fish. YUMMY.
Does this work with hazelnuts too? cause one time i put some hazelnuts in the food processor, but it became powder and it went all to the sides.. then i quit cause i thought it wansn’t going to happen.
I haven’t tried it myself, but I don’t see why not! Sounds delicious.
I just made my first batch of almond butter in my food processor and it turned out great. My batch took less than 10 minutes to process after heating up the almonds in the oven. So I am new to this website. I went to the store looking for almond butter and they didn’t have it. I needed to get almond butter for a 3 day cleanse that I’ll be starting soon. I’m so glad that I found this site and am definitely looking at all the recipies. Thank you so much. Your directions and pictures were easy to follow.
WOW!!! I used an old magic bullet that I was going to throw out last year, but I worked great. I used the short cup with the grinding blade which is that flat blade. You can’t make a very big batch but it is faster than I thought. Pulsing and scraping is the key. I can’t wait to try all your recipes. I found your site by accident and have been reading all afternoon. I want to make ice cream with avocado tonight. Thanks
This recipe was great!!! I used soaked and dehydrated almonds and it turned out really good!! I have already used it to make almond butter fudge which is an amazing dessert recipe!! I can’t wait to try other recipes of yours!
Sorry if this was addressed in an earlier comment. I’ve been making almond butter for a few months now and it never seems to get as “fluid” as yours (or the Trader Joe’s kind). Is it because I’m not running it in my food processor long enough (20 min or so)? I do get a little nervous when it’s been running so long and hasn’t gotten to that point yet. I’m worried that the almonds will break? Do they do that? Like if you mix whipping cream too long, its whipped cream and then curdled/butter. What I come out with is fine, just a little more stiff.
Thanks!
Thought I would let everyone know that back in 2009 they passed a law that even “organic” almonds have to be pasteurized. There are a few almond farms that can get away with this and still sell truly raw organic almonds. I buy mine online!
I absolutely love your recipes! I had a few almond questions since I now have made your almond butter and vanilla almond milk.
I used organic for both butter and milk…but not raw. When should I buy the raw almonds and does it matter whether I use organic or raw organic? And if I am just eating the almonds should does it matter?
Thank you!
Ali
I always look for organic almonds, but they don’t necessarily need to be labeled as “raw,” since they aren’t technically raw in the USA anyway. I do prefer to avoid roasted almonds though, because the natural oils found in almonds can be damaged with high-heat, and that would make them a less healthful snack, however you are using them.
After going to Trader Joe’s once, twice and not having Almond Butter, I thought of doing my own Almond Butter, what a concept!!! I never thought of doing my own before, now I think I will never buy it at the store again!!! Thanks, I’m sure I can follow your directions.
I am so excited to have found your site. We moved 6 weeks ago to a villa in Spain. At first, we were disappointed that we could not get almond butter out here, without sugar. Then my husband had the idea to make our own. We have about 35 almond trees on our property. Well, I think I have been lacking the one ingredient that you mentioned…patience! I have a very powerful Bamix, but after 5 minutes I have given up every time. I had no idea that we had to keep at it for almost 20 minutes. My husband will be so happy! Right now he is eating “almond powder” on toast for breakfast, every morning. Thank you so much for your help!!!
I’ve been making my own almond butter for a while now, since I got sticker shock at my local natural grocery. That stuff was incredibly expensive and didn’t even look appetizing. I’m guessing that the amount of time it takes depends on your food processor. Mine takes only 10-15 minutes (I can only put 2 cups of nuts in mine, which has an 11-cup bowl. My almond butter looks appetizing and tastes wonderful. It’s definitely worth the effort to make your own.
wow amazing. The first time I didn’t warm the almonds in the oven and they still turned out fab. The second time I did heat the almonds in the oven and they were done like in 10 min. How fun this is!
Thanks to your beautifully illustrated guide, I was able to successfully make my very own almond butter for the first time today. I am super excited and just want to say thank you!
Thanks for posting this recipe! I bought a bag of organic almonds from Whole Foods & used up the rest of an old bag I had… so in all I had probably 3 1/2 cups of almonds. It only took 15 minutes give or take with some scraping of the processor, and those 3 1/2 cups of almonds turned into almost 16 oz of almond butter. I spent half of what it would cost for a full pound of organic almond butter on the almonds so I’m happy. My husband loves almond butter and I’m glad to have found a way to make it much more cheaply than the store bought version.
I absolutely hate peanut butter, but love almonds. Never tried almond butter, but I did today. And it was…fantastic! I have no seasoning and it tastes so good! Thank you, for I am not a patient person and without knowing to wait, wait, wait, I would have thrown up my hands and tossed the batch!
I needed almond butter for your pumpkin bar, so ifinally made my own almond butter. I didn’t have any food processor but I had an “s” blade for making powders, it worked!! I am so excited. Thanks for your detailed recipe instructions.
Do you think this would work in a regular blender?
Love this so much! Almond butter is so expensive around here. I made my first batch with roasted almonds (my house smelled amazing!). It kept in the fridge for about a month. I just made another batch this week, only I used 2 cups hazelnuts and 1 cup almond (roasted the raw ones again). Our family loves Nutella, but I don’t like all the sugar and other junk that’s in it. So I added cocoa powder and raw sugar to the batch until I got the desired flavor I was looking for. My 14yo even loved it.
We bought a Vitamix earlier this year, but I haven’t attempted to make nut butter in it yet. Using my food processor worked just fine for this. I’ll definitely be making more of my own nut butters from here on out. Thank you for posting this!
How about 40 seconds instead? I was positively AMAZED the first time I made this:
http://myblendtec.blogspot.com/2013/07/almond-butter.html
Thank you so much for this post. I have wanted to know how to do this for so long, but never felt I had enough information to tackle it. Now I feel like I could do so with success. And I won’t have to depend on a questionable grocery store product. Wooty, woot woot!! (I’m sounding like my grandkids, now…) Off to the processor! Thanks, again. 🙂