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.
Its my first time making my own nut butter andThis recipe is perfect. I followed the recipe exactly and workEd out so weLl. I love that ypu included photos of the process Because otherwise i would havE been worried i Did someth wrong. Thankyou so much
How Is it possible,that a store bought almond buTter lasts for 2 years and doesnt have to be stored in fridge? The ingredients are roasted almonds and salt. Nothing else,so?
Store-bought almond butter does need to be stored in the fridge after you open it. (Unless there is a preservative added.) If you used a canning process, the way you might can homemade jam, you could probably store it at room temperature until you open it again, similar to the way they sell it at the store.
I do not need to remove the almond skin ?
In the upper section you say to roast at 250 degrees
Under tips it says
350 degrees
Which is correct?
250 is correct! Just updated the post. 🙂
simple recipe: just roast then process for 15-20 minutes. This was my first time using a processor and will definitely be making more nut butter. hanks megan!
It is such a simple recipe with a fantastic result. Thanks for the guidance, after 15 minutes I would have thrown in the towel, although thanks to your images the magic happened at the 19 minute mark! So yum!
LOVE!!! This turned out so well in my food processor! It didn’t even take 20 minutes!
will this separate like natural peanut butter does?
Not when you store it in the fridge. I think it would separate like peanut butter if it went through a canning process to be shelf stable.
That’s good!
Also worried about burning out my food processor – any troubles? recommended unit power?
any idea what the nutrition is? (per tablespoon?)
What is the shelf life?
Thanks for posting this!!! I am SO going to make my own almond butter. I jusst bought a big bag of raw almonds and I will roast them first.
Can’t wait to try this!
I roasted my almonds and planned to make the butter while they were still warm, but got distracted and processed them in my Cuisinart after they had cooled….I processed for about 10-15 minutes, (I was following the Cooks Illustrated recipe but omitted the salt) ….anyway, my almond butter seems a little dry – not creamy – and am wondering if I should have processed longer or is this because the almonds had cooled after roasting?
You probably just need to keep processing them longer. The warmer they are, the faster they turn to butter, but I’ve made it with non-roasted almonds before, too!
Can I use Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Almonds with sea salt? These are a snack almond, only has almonds, sea salt and corn maltodextrin for ingredients.
I make my own cashew butter every now and then and I once made almond butter. I like cashew butter best! I started making my own because my son has got a peanut allergy and there doesn’t seem to be any ‘safe’ nut butter for sale around here (in the Netherlands) – but some brands do offer ‘safe’ nuts. I didn’t mind living without nut butter, it’s something one can do without, but since my daughter doesn’t eat meat and I want the major part of our meals & snacks to be nutritious, I thought introducing nut butters to my girl wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
So after an 15 years (or so) of nut-butter-free living the first time I tasted my own batch I was pleasantly surprised. The only thing that concerns me time and time again is the smell of my food processor during the first part of the process.It really is a tough job for this machine and I always make sure to give it a lot of rest between pulses. Didn”t burn the motor so far, but I dread the day that’ll happen…
I just made this recipe and love it. Looking forward to many more such recipes.
Well, I wish I’d read your tips before messing up my perfect, creamy batch of almond butter (made from EXTREMELY expensive raw unpasteurized organic almonds :(. I did warm the almonds for a few minutes and put them in my food processor. After about 20 minutes I had a beautiful batch of almond butter. Then I put a little homemade date butter in there to sweeten it a tad. BIG MISTAKE!!! Now I have a batch of stiff stuff. I tried to salvage it by adding a little oil, which defeats the whole purpose of making it myself. Oh well, live and learn to read the instructions down to the last letter.
This was great! Thanks for the recipe!
My food processor is only 600w is that okayor I need more? anyway I will try
What type of food processor to you use for making your almond butter?
I used an OLD KitchenAid 14-cup processor, which they don’t make anymore, but I just recently replaced it with an 11-cup Cuisinart which has been working great so far: http://amzn.to/2FDKxQj
IS ALMOND BUTTER IS CONSIDERED AS SHORTENING?
WE HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT TO MAKE PRODUCT WITHOUT USING FAT AND THAT PRODUCT MUST
gives FAT PROPERTIES.
I’ve used almond butter as a flour and butter substitute in recipes (you can search for the flourless recipes here on my site), so you’ll have to experiment to see if it could work as shortening, too. I’d love to hear what you come up with!
Hi, I roasted the almonds for 10-15 minutes at the given temperature, but they came out burnt 🙁 No! Maybe 5 minutes in the oven would suffice.
I just made this, and it worked EXACTLY like you said it would, thanks for making this article!
Cheers from Tokyo Japan!
Could you grind your almonds down a bit using a mortar and pestle and then add to your food processor to finish off?
Sure, I don’t see why not!
Delicious. Better than store bought!
Everything happened exactly you explained. Thanks!
Hi, how long does this butter last and what do you recommend is the best way to store it?
Thank you
I use a Cuisinart 14 cup 2.0 Elite food processor. It’s powerful enough for Nutter Butters. However, I seem to have to add a bit of melted coconut oil to get desired consistency . Then, after a day it seems to thick. I also add 2 tbs agave at end . What am I doing wrong ? So frustrated. And I do wait til it turns to butter- it’s just still a bit too thick.
Adding anything to almond butter can make it thicken up, but coconut oil in particular will make it hard if you put it in the fridge. Coconut oil solidifies when chilled. I prefer to add nothing because almond butter already gets slightly thicker when you chill it.
I tried making almond butter once a couple of years ago. It so did not turn out. Your post though has encouraged me to try again! Will be making this within a week
How many almonds.
Megan, these how-to’s are so helpful for a newbie/recovering sugar addict like me. I found your website recently and ordered BOTH of your cookbooks, as well as a couple of your Amazon recommendations this morning. I’m so excited to get started! The way you write and explain why things are good for the body is so helpful and encouraging! It actually makes me excited to eat healthy. I was wondering if you have any how-to’s written on preserving fresh produce? It seems my veggies always end up going bad before my husband and I get to eat them all. Do you blanch and freeze your veggies or do you have any tips on how to wash and store them properly?
I’ll try to work on a post like that! 🙂
I made this 3 times already. The first I didn’t follow the recipe and add honey. Big mistake because it change the texture immediately, from smooth to hard. I used it anyways but the following times I made exactly as Megan says and it’s PERFECT. I never loved almond butter until now. Thanks!!!
Great recipe! Thanks a lot! Although I’m wondering what would happen if I added a little vanilla sugar? Or honey?
Don’t add it until you’re done making the almond butter– additions can make the texture “freeze” or thicken up, and some people don’t love the final results. I think a granulated sugar would work better than a liquid sweetener.
Just tried it and it took about an hour all together! It taste great and worked perfectly!
What can Iuse instead of a food processor? I have a blender, kitchen aide mixer,and a mini chopper plus.
Just made my first almond butter according to your recipe, and it worked great! Thanks very much! Yumm.
Just made the almond butter as you specified. Very happy with results. Followed instructions to the T. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. If not for that, I’d have given up midway.
Thanks to you, I now have delicious almond butter.
The almond butter recipe is perfect…worked great!!
Thanks
Thanks for the recipe! I’m going to make this tonight. The recipe says that it makes 24 servings What do you consider a serving? Thanks!
A serving is 1 tablespoon. Hope you love it!
Read the comments but didn’t see that anyone asked about the speed of the processor or blender. I have a small cuisinart processor (mini) with low and high, and a vitamix with variable speed. Basically, high or low speed?
Previously I thought I could just dump store bought almonds into my processor & let it spin. Glad to find your recipe Megan, as I think heating the nuts helps. I am not a very patient cook so 20min processing sounded unreal. But I’m doing my thing as soon as I say thanks to you
Thank you so much for this blog !
Thank you so much for sharing!!! I was ready to give up until I read your blog about giving the almonds time to release the oils! I’m so excited to make almond butter for a fraction of the cost!
I don’t suppose you would want to share the type of food processor you have……Mine is a Cuisinart Prep 9 and it’s struggling. Thanks in Advance.
I had an 11-cup Cuisinart that I didn’t end up loving (it broke in 10 months, under warranty, and their customer service was very disappointing), and now I’m using a Breville Sous Chef that I absolutely love. Here’s an amazon affiliate link for the one I bought: https://amzn.to/2qnyYWZ
Thanks for the wonderful idea of heating up the almonds before making almond butter. I made a beautiful batch of almond butter. Normally, I have to add oil to make it come out right and then it doesn’t come out half as good as this. So, thanks so much for the wonderful idea. And it’s so much cheaper and healthier as most have so many odd additives, which I cannot eat. Thanks so much again.
You want to make me understand how pinning the “How to make homemade almond butter” infringes on your copyright, whilst you allowed it to be shared on Pinterest. Secondly, if it is not attributing the content, don’t clicking on pins automatically lead readers to your website? I don’t know what kind of attribution is necessary in the Pinterest “universe, and neither you or Pinterest have made that explicitly clear. You have only requested to be tagged on Instagram or Facebook. This comes from a researcher, who takes plagiarism and copyright infringement very seriously.
Sounds like maybe you had an almond butter pin removed from Pinterest? So did I! (And I’m the author!) Someone else (NOT ME– the one who actually owns the copyright) claimed a false copyright on my photo and as a result Pinterest removed all pins using my photos. It’s totally not fair, and I’m fighting it right now. It’s scary that a total stranger can claim copyright and Pinterest takes action when it’s not true.
I just made this today using up an opened bag of sliced almonds. I used my mini chopper with an s blade. After 15-20 minutes I had thick it
Can you freeze almond butter? Like if you make double the amount and can’t use all of it?
I would think so! Since there’s no water content in almond butter, I think it would freeze and thaw just fine.
You continue to inspire me!!!
I thank you & my husband thanks you!
Hi, Megan. I have made your almond butter recipe many, many times over the last few years. As I was making it today, I noticed that in both the descriptive post and the written recipe, you have said to warm the almonds in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, but then in the video your directions state to set the oven to 250 degrees. Just wanted to point that out to you. (I have always followed the 350* for 10 minutes, and have had great success.). Thank you for this recipe, Megan.
Is it possible to use the canning process for the almond butter and store until ready to use?
I’ve never canned anything myself, but I don’t see why this couldn’t be canned if you know what you’re doing!
I was looking at your recipe and process for making almond butter. It mentions using raw almonds. I have a little information that might help folks. Raw, unpasteurized almonds CAN be obtained in the USA, either in the store as foreign grown almonds or directly from a California almond grower. The tricky part is keeping the almonds raw while making them into butter. A food processor or blender will heat them up beyond the point where the live enzymes begin to die, thus the almond butter is no longer raw. Plus the heat can also degrade other health benefits of the raw almond. The solution is to use a stone grinder. The butter will stay at room temperature! As a California almond grower and almond butter maker I hope this information helps.