This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
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.
When you have almond butter on hand, making almond milk is easier, too!
Making 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.
Detoxinista Tip
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.
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.
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.
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!!!
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 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.
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!
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!
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!
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
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.
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 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.