Here’s how to make almond butter at home, with step-by-step photos. No added oil required! This process is similar to making your own coconut butter or peanut butter, but when it comes to homemade almond butter you’ll need a little extra patience.
Almond Butter Ingredients
This homemade almond butter is made with just one ingredient— almonds! I use raw almonds, as I prefer their more mild flavor, but you can use roasted ones if you prefer.
There’s no added oil required for this recipe, as the almonds will release their natural oils during the process. Look for organic almonds, if possible, as all “raw” almonds are required to be pasteurized in the United States, and organic almonds are steam pasteurized, rather than using chemicals.
Almond Butter Benefits
Almond butter has been getting a lot of positive attention lately, possibly because it has more vitamins, mineral and fiber when compared to peanut butter. (Because peanuts are a legume, they also aren’t a part of the Paleo or Whole30 diets, which has many people looking to almond butter as an alternative.)
Here are a few other benefits of almond butter:
- It’s a good source of monounsaturated fats, which have been associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
- Almonds are one of the best natural sources of vitamin E, an antioxidant, and may also help lower cholesterol.
- It’s a good source of magnesium, which is thought to promote healthy blood pressure.
- Studies have shown that people who regularly eat nuts & nut butters tend to avoid weight gain, despite the high calorie content in nuts. This may be due to the fact that nuts and nut butters are satiating and help balance blood sugar levels.
Homemade Almond Butter in a Blender
I use a food processor to make my almond butter, but you can use a powerful blender, if you’d prefer. I recommend adding 1/4 cup of oil to the recipe in that case, to help facilitate blending. My old 2-speed Vitamix would produce a burning smell when trying to make almond butter without the oil, but if you have a 10-speed Vitamix, the lower settings will help to avoid that.
How to Make Almond Butter
As I mentioned before, making almond butter really just requires patience, but I’ve included step-by-step photos below to help you gain the confidence you need. I think it helps to have a visual example!
To get started, I recommend warming your almonds in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350ºF. This step is optional, but it can save you and your food processor some time, as the almonds will heat up regardless from this process.
Add the almonds to the bowl of your food processor, fitted with an “S” blade, attach the lid and start processing. I use one pound of almonds at at time, which is roughly 3 cups.
Be prepared, the food processor will be running for a while. You’ll notice that the ground almonds will start to collect around the edges of the bowl, so be sure to stop and scrape down the sides every few minutes, just to keep everything blending evenly.
Depending on the size of your food processor, you’ll notice a change start to happen around the 10 to 15 minute mark. As the oils are released from the almonds, they’ll start to stick together and form a large mass that moves around the bowl. You’ll also notice that the almond butter is getting rather warm
After about 20 minutes of consistent processing– right about the time when you think you’re never going to wind up with almond butter and want to give up– magic will happen. You’ll finally have a grainy-looking almond butter. Don’t worry, you’re almost there!
After a few more minutes of processing, your almond butter will become smooth and creamy.
Let the almond butter cool, then transfer it to a 16-ounce container with a lid. I don’t recommend sealing the almond butter until it’s completely cool, so that it doesn’t create steam inside the jar. (Steam will cause it to spoil faster.)
Homemade almond butter can be stored for at least 2 weeks in the fridge, but mine often lasts longer as long as I am careful not introduce any moisture to the jar.
Is Almond Butter Healthier than Peanut Butter?
I started using almond butter as a replacement for peanut butter in many cases, because peanuts tend to be more susceptible to mold that produces aflatoxin, which has been associated with liver cancer. (source) On the bright side, aflatoxins may be reduced by as much as 89% when you grind peanuts into peanut butter! (source) Hence, why there are still plenty of peanut butter recipes here on my website.
Homemade Almond Butter (1-minute video):
How To Make Almond Butter (No Added Oil!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups almonds (one pound)
Instructions
- To make the process faster, warm the almonds in an oven preheated to 350ºF degrees for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the almonds to a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, and process them until creamy. You may want to stop and scrape down the sides every now and then, but this process will take up to 25 minutes. The almonds will first look like a flour with clumps, then will form a ball that moves around the food processor, then it will turn to a grainy almond butter before it becomes silky-smooth. Be patient! Just when you'll want to give up is usually when the magic happens.
- Once totally smooth and creamy, transfer the almond butter to a glass jar and store it in the fridge. I've found that almond butter with no additives usually lasts at least a month in the fridge, but be sure to check for signs of spoiling (such as mold or a bad smell) each time you use it.
Video
Nutrition
Almond Butter Nutrition per tablespoon: Calories: 102, Fat: 8g, Carbohydrates: 3g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 3g
Almond Butter Recipes
You can use your new almond butter in the following recipes. They are some of my favorites!
- Almond Butter Blondies
- Almond Butter Buckeyes
- Almond Butter & Spinach Smoothie
- Almond Butter Brownies
- Almond Butter Pancakes
- Almond Butter Freezer Fudge
Homemade Almond Butter Tips:
- You may add salt to this recipe to your tastes. I’d recommend starting with 1/4 teaspoon, but keep in mind that many recipes call for unsalted almond butter, so you’ll need to adjust accordingly if using it in recipes.
- Don’t be tempted to add liquids to this recipe, such as vanilla extract or maple syrup. They can reduce the shelf life of the almond butter and may cause the texture to seize. I’ve heard lots of feedback regarding this in the comment section below, so be cautious! If you desire a sweeter almond butter, you might try something granulated like coconut sugar instead.
- I’ve made this recipe using a KitchenAid, Cuisinart, and Breville brand food processors, all with great results. My very favorite food processor is this Breville model.
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried making your own almond butter, or other nut butters? Let me know if you have any other tips in the comments below!
Is there a way to introduce cannabis into the almond butter or almond milk?
I am excited to try this! I have a blentec and I saw a few people tried their blenders and it worked! However, you think it will be too powerful for this recipe? Also, since you put it in the fridge, does it get really stiff? That is the only downside to some of the organic butters for me, trying to spread that on toast is miserable! Thanks for sharing!! =D
If you let it process long enough, the oils from the almonds will release and the butter doesn’t get too stiff in the fridge. Mine is actually really creamy! Regarding the Blendtec, it’s up to you. I tried it in my Vitamix once, and I was too scared to let it continue because I thought the motor sounded like it was working too hard. The food processor takes longer, but it’s been consistently successful for me!
Thanks for posting this recipe. It helps having the photos of important stages in the process. The only bad thing is store bought almond butter no longer tastes as good to me.
If anyone is interested in raw almond butter, I found that by freezing the almonds first, they havent gone over 115° during the butter making process. I’m sure this will differ depending on what type of food processor you use, as well as other variables, but I have found that it works for me.
I order my unpasteurized almonds from a grower in CA and this method keeps my almond butter truly raw.
Do you have a tutorial on how to make Almond butter.
hello! Made this today, 2nd time lucky as I didn’t have enough patience first time around! Its delicious and I’m never buying it again!
I just made my first small batch of almond butter in my Vitamix!!! Thanks for your detailed instructions and tips…it turned out wonderfully delicious!!! I’m from Panama (Central America) and nuts are crazy expensive here. They have organic almond butter at the organic store but it’s $21 for a 14.5-ounce jar!
I also have a Vitamix and want to make almond butter. How much almonds did you use and how long did it take? Thanks!
I have not been blending long enough, now I see I was at the door step, just missed taking the extra step. I am going to make some today using sea salt and walnut oil, may add some pecan as well, along with a little honey to see what I come up with.
Megan, i know that this post is quite old now so you may never get to reading this comment, especially now that you’re busy with your new addition (he’s gorgeous)but I just hadto share this tip. The vitamix will make almond butter but you have to use at least four cups at a time of raw frozen almonds (raw almonds that you freeze yourself). Place in the large jug and pusle on high using the tamper. It only takes about 2 minutes and because the almonds are so cold to begin with they machine doesn’t heat them up too much and they stay raw. I actually think that this almond butter tastes identical to the Artisana brand. Hope this helps anyone with a vitamix that wants to try making almond butter.
How much almond butter did the 4 cups make?
I just made this recipe at home and it totally is awesome especially on some nicely toasted bread mmmmmm yummy
Megan i love u. Hehe you make things so simple! I just tucked in your banana pancakes.
Can this be done in a bullet? That’s all I have. That and a regular blender.
I need some help, I have started making this almond butter and I have gotten past the dry powdery stage and I thought it was at the butter stage but it is now a glue. I need to know what to do to fix. Any suggestions??? HELP!!!!!
Ok, so I went and added cold processed coconut oil to the almond butter and it worked. The taste kind of reminds me of an almond joy. 🙂
I roasted the almonds before doing this and it only took me 5 MINUTES of food processing to get almond butter!! Amazing!
Thanks for all of the amazing recipes!
This was really easy and very delicious. I used my food processor, and it only took about 15 minutes to get to the really creamy butter stage. I’ll definitely be using this in many of the Detoxinista recipes requiring almond butter.
I am trying to make almond butter in my food processor and my Ninja and it is only being broken down into a very fine crumble. What am I doing wrong? Can something be added to assist in the break down or are these a wash?
I am new to almond butter – making and I have no idea how it should taste like,,,,,, two days ago I tried it out and as I was losing patience and hope the miracle happened ….it turned into a paste and I added a little of coconut oil and honey and a pinch of salt. It all seemed fine till I tasted it….it tastes dry …now, I have never tasted almond butter before, so I assumed it should be smooth and silky like real butter..am I right? Or is almond butter different? Mine is dry though a layer of oil is sitting on top of the butter. Is this normal or did I do it wrong smewhere??
Blendtec, 40 seconds with the small container, so worth it!!
I added hazelnuts to my recipe. I also did soak them (makes them softer). Just store in the fridge. Another great butter is made using chestnuts. I cannot find those in my upstate grocer.
Fantastic! We could not eat the almonds because they were too hard. When I stumbled on your almond-butter recipe I said “why not?” It went exactly as you stated; time wise and picture wise. The Cuisinart worked just find. Made a small amount just to make sure. Now to incorporate it in a few recipes. Any suggestions?
I just made this and it is wonderful! I love that I know how fresh it is and the cost sure is a lot better than buying it in the store. Thank you so much for posting it!
Just finished my almond butter and it is AWESOME!!!!!!!! The process was EXACTLY like you said….I loved this tutorial…I would of quit thinking I was doing something wrong…..near the end it was finally beginning to look like almond butter but it was still grainy….I waited another 3-5 minutes then the magic happened!!! smooth and creamy!!!! I used 3 cups of almonds,pinch of sea salt,tad bit of coconut oil and honey! THANK YOU
Just made this with the remaining 2 cups of almonds I had on hand. I dry roasted the almonds first as suggested and it was super easy! Thank you, I will never be buying store bought again! Delicious!!
Thanks so much, I had no idea it was so easy to make yourself!! I must have a good processor as the entire time to make it was only about 7-8 minutes! Yum!!
I DID IT. I DID IT 😀
I used RAW Almonds so it took about an hour! My food processor is only 700W; i am glad it did not break down for this.
THANK YOU 🙂
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. In Mexico we still don’t have the luxury of finding almond butter or too many gluten-free and dairy-free products. The ones I have found are expensive and high in calories.
I put the almonds in the oven at 400°F for 20 minutes, and then placed them still warm in the food processor, and it was done in less than 10 minutes!
Delicious!
I roast raw nuts and make my own trail mix and had a little over three cups of almonds left. So I decided to try to make almond butter. Found this recipe and gave it a try. I set the timer to scrape the sides of the food processor in 10 minutes. The almond butter was ready when the timer went off! My husband has NEVER liked almond butter but I made him try and he actually liked it. Thanks for making a convert out of us!
I just made almond butter starting with store bought almond meal that I slightly roasted in the oven for a couple minutes. Used my ancient Braun food processor and it took about 2 minutes total – completely creamed! Comparing this to the 20 minutes others are talking about I would DEFINITELY recommend starting with almond meal to cut back time (and minimize risk of burning out a food processor). I then proceeded to add almond milk, stevia, cinnamon, nutmeg. and a pinch of natural unprocessed salt to make a creamy dip for apple slices. This is soooo good. I am afraid of high calorie foods and generally stay away from nuts, but couldn’t stop tasting this (I made it for my sister).
2:40 so far and I have nothing that looks like almond butter. A very stiff almond paste, and a food processor that needed to cool off for half an hour before I could try some more, and that’s it! I am using a Kitchen Aid 7 cup basic food processor, with the S blade. I started with about 12 oz of soaked almonds (cold from the fridge)and quickly realized that was probably too much, so removed about 2/3 of the now coarse almond meal. I even switched the whole thing to the original pitcher-like Ninja with three tiers of blades with lots of scapeing, like every 30 seconds. Same amount of scraping in the food processor! What have I done wrong??
Needs to be dry before you start… if you have a dehydrator use that to dry out your meal; otherwise put in the oven to dry. Spredd it out well to minimize the time and thus the potential for spoilage. When completely dry put in the food processor still warm and it should work in a few minutes. Good luck.
Quick question: can you make almond butter with slivered almonds?
Do you think you could make almond butter with the pulp left after making almond milk?
I make this all the time in my vitamix and it takes about 2 minutes! Just don’t worry about the noises the machine makes and make full use of the tamper! If you are going to use the vitamix, however, it works better in bigger batches. 3 or 4 cups of dry roasted almonds is perfect. 🙂
Hi, I made AB tonight on impulse. I had left over almonds from a bark I just made and thought it would be great to try it out. I read quite a few of the responses on here and decided to put my almonds in the microwave for 45 seconds then in my Mini Cuisinart Food Processor. I have only used this once and forgot you have to hold the grind/chop buttons. Yay me! Any-who, I let it go on for about 10 minutes and scraped the sides a couple of times. It got to the clumpy stage fairly quickly considering the smallness of my processor. I gave the processor a little break as it was getting a bit warm. Once I started grinding it again – after 5 minutes it all of a sudden went from clumpy blobs to a really nice smooth cream and it was blending so nicely! After tasting it, I decided to add a little bit of brown sugar, a pinch of Honey Crystals , and a pinch of Sea Salt. Now – when I say I am a huge Peanut Butter fan…I’m a HUGE fan! But I have to say, now that I’ve tasted this Almond Butter – I will be making this from now on. It is DELICIOUS!!
What a great site Megan ~ Thank you!! I can’t wait to check out the rest and see what yummies you have for me to try!
Hi Megan!
I’ve been reading around for tips on food combining and was curious as to what you eat almond butter with. I love having it on apples or English muffins, but I know you’re not supposed to mix fruit with proteins or starches. What do you suggest eating it with?
I typically eat almond butter with ripe bananas– they are the exception to the fruit rule, and can be eaten with nuts, seeds and dried fruits.
Almond butter on toast with goat cheese and jelly is an excellent combination.
For a delicious sandwich try: Kalamata olive bread,almond butter,apple wood smoked bacon, goat cheese, and apricot jam.
How about pairing it with celery sticks?
I LOVE putting almond butter in my oatmeal. It makes it so much better. Also, a lot of healthy desserts require it, like this super yummy & healthy dairy & gluten free rice pudding or these banana oat pnacakes. It tastes amazing to put a spoonful of it in oatmeal- along with a spoonful of coconut oil, cinnamon, vanilla, agave syrup or raw honey and a dash of salt. (:
I spread almond butter on plain rice cakes and slice bananas on top. Yummy.
I tried this in a NutriBullet… was scary at first, but it turned out very good and in less time than I expected.
Tony, did you roast your almonds first and which blade did you use? Have been wanting to attempt in my nutribullet but don;t want to blow it up lol how long approx did it take and did you just pulse it on /off? thanks
It’s really use to make any kind of nut butter in the Nutribullet. Simply throw in any kind of nut, whether it be raw or roasted it won’t matter. I used the milling blade first to break it down but then the regular blade to whip it into butter. It was really fast, like just a few minutes.
You are awesome!
Thank you!
Thank you, Megan! I actually made this today when I thought I had some almond butter for a recipe — and didn’t! It is amazing! I like it so much better than the “all natural” kind with no added sugar or preservatives that I buy –and it certainly Is cheaper! Thank you! 🙂
I just made this tonight and am so thrilled with my results – it’s so good!!
I used a KitchenAid food processor and briefly toasted almonds. I was worried my FP would overheat or die but it totally took it like a champ!! Thank you for posting this, and thank you everyone for the awesome comments & advice! 🙂
I used the Ninja food processor. I don’t know if it was too strong, or if I was doing something wrong. It took over an hour to make. In the end, it did come out, but there was no running it for 10-15 minutes at a time. As soon as I would turn it on, the crushed almonds would stick to the sides immediately and stop moving, shredding or blending. I had to turn it off and on almost every minute and keep stirring. Towards the end, it started smoking. I was excited to make this, and was disappointed. My daughter loved the final product however. If anyone else has tips/tricks with the Ninja, I’d love to hear.
I too used the Ninja professional when I tried making this. I’ve made almond butter with a different processor and never had any trouble. It’s been an hour and the Ninja is so loud and it was smoking so I gave up! My almond stuff is in a bowl in the kitchen. I was trying to look up recipes with my failed attempt. But you said it finally worked?? I will continue to try, but I wasn’t sure if it was okay for the almonds to be in the processor for that long. Is there a point of making almond butter, the almonds won’t go to a creamy texture?
You should try starting with Almond Flour – maybe that would help.
Thanks for this information. I am trying to use a Ninja Professional model to make almond butter and I was not sure if it was working properly. Most of the almond mixture seems to be on the sides and the motor is hot. This is my third time of letting the motor cool off. But since it worked for you, I will keep trying…especially since I need it for a recipe that I have already started!
I just stumbled upon this recipe and it worked great! I toasted my almonds for a few minutes before putting them in my food processor and from there it only took about 10-12 minutes to see the magic happen 🙂 Thanks so much for posting all of the pictures along with the recipe. So often there are only two photos, one showing all of the ingredients and one showing the finished product. I liked being able to have a visual on what almond butter should be looking like throughout the process.
I started making this a while ago and now it’s a stable in my house! Thanks for the recipe!
I attempted to make almond butter with chocolate and carmel(similar to Nutella. Starbucks has a cocoa with carmel packet which can be added to coffee. I made the almond butter then when it was just about ready I added the Starbucks packet. Was hoping for a Snickers taste. I was disappointed. The taste was there, but very faint. I am now thinking of added cocoa powder and carmel sauce at the end. What do you or your followers think? Any helpful suggestions? Not sure if I should add the carmel as a sauce or as nuggets and let the blender do its work on them. I looked at the Nutella list of ingredients and they add skim milk. Should I try adding that as well? Anybody have any experience with what I am attempting that might have some helpful suggestions? Thank you for your site it has been a wonderful experience making the AB.
I absolutely love how this almond butter tastes! Unfortunately though, mine seemed to come out extremely thin and almost runny. Is there a way to keep this from happening?
It’s runny directly out of the food processor, but it typically thickens up for me once it’s chilled in the fridge.
Is it supposed to have a spicy kick aftertaste? I’ve never purchased or made almond butter before this so I wasn’t sure if the taste was a result of burning them or because I didn’t roast them first.. Thanks!
Are they fresh? Maybe they were rancid? I always store my nuts in a deep freeze (not a frost free freezer that is connected to your fridge) I also store all my natural butters in the fridge.
Do you think the almond butter would be good in cakes or cookies? If so, can you think of a recipe?
Do you know how long you can store the almond butter and if it is best to refrigerate it?
Loove homemade almond butter! So yummy! Made in my Vitamix 750 and was done in a couple of minutes!
I have made almond butter before, but not for a while. I Used your site to refresh my memory, thanks again for a great site. Do you have any recipes that almond butter can be used in? Thanks again!
Don’t know if this is considered against homemade almond butter etiquette, but I coated the sides of the processor with coconut oil, which prevented the meal from sticking to the sides, causing it to constantly fall into the center. It made beautiful butter in no time.