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!
You can actually make almond butter in your Vita-Mix & it’s much quicker. The trick is to add a little coconut oil to the almonds because they don’t have as much natural oil in them as peanuts or other nuts have.
I am a patient person, but couldn’t wait those last 5-10 minutes, so I threw a little less than a tablespoon of unrefined coconut oil in to the almonds and 3 minutes later I had almond butter. Next time I’ll try to be a little more patient; just didn’t have time for patience today. 😉 It’s DELICOUS!
I do not have a food processor. Will this work in a blender, or would it burn out the motor?
Just used 1 1b raw almonds from Trader Joes $6.00. Put it in my Cuisine Art food processor. In the beginning I had to knock down the crumbs on the sides about 5 times in 10 minutes, then I just let it run for another 10. It clumped like when making a dough, then as it got hot and started steaming it melted into a nice smooth cream. 🙂 I added 3/4 tsp real salt and it filled a pint mason jar perfectly. Instead of Justin’s $9.00/lb butter, I am going to check out Dekalb Farmer’s Market in Atlanta to see how much organic almonds are per pound to see if i can save even more. 🙂
I have a Breville food processor and although I had to stop it about 8 times to quickly scrape down the sides (coconut oil tip duly noted!), the butter was done in 15 minutes. And it tastes great! Thanks for the recipe.
I make almond butter the same way, but I always sprout the almonds first. This provides so much more nutrition and is much more digestible. All you do is soak the almonds for 12 hours in salted water. You will notice a teeny white bud appear on the pointy end. Rince, then dry on low heat in a dehydrator or oven for 12 hours.
So organic ensures that yucky chemicals aren’t used in the pasteurization process? Are you an idiot? Or do you not know what pasteurization means? maybe I’m the idiot, but last time I checked, pasteurization is just heating the food up to 145 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 seconds or so. I don’t know what chemicals are needed to achieve a higher temperature, except gas or nat. gas… Maybe you don’t know what organic means. I don’t know. Anyway, I hope your shit works, because if I gotta go on another page to find out how to make almond butter, it would just take too much time out of my day.
When this law was passed in 2007, two methods of pasteurization were suggested: steam heat or exposure to propylene oxide gas. If the almonds are exposed to the gas, they can’t be labeled as “certified organic.”
Ignorant. You must be a very unhappy person with a miserable life. Otherwise you would’ve given your ‘knowledge’ without using words like “idiot” and “shit”. If you know everything, why look at these sites for information?
I love crunchy almond butter. I haven’t tried it homemade yet, but look forward to making it. I like almond butter on brown rice cakes for breakfast.
Just made this; absolutely divine! Took me about an hour ‘tho, as my poor little processor threatened to give up the ghost on more than one occassion!
But well worth the effort.
That being said, it didn’t work out any cheaper than buying it in the healthfood shop; organic almonds are very here in Ireland. If anyone knows where I can buy them in bulk I’d appreciate it hugely!!
Ooops! That was meant to read ‘organic almonds are very EXPENSIVE here in Ireland’
Just made this this morning, and just as you say, after seemingly thinking nothing was going to happen, voila! Almond butter! Good thing, too, because I think I burnt out my food processor’s attachment motor. Right after it turned to cream the blade stopped working, which was fortunate.
I’ve been making my own almond milk and have developed quite a store of almond flour. I figured this would be a good way to use some of that up. I probably had it running at too high of a speed though. Next time, after getting a replacement part, I’ll run it at a lower speed. I do have a Ninja system with a number of attachments. Maybe I’ll try it in one of them. Great stuff though!
Rich
I finally made AB and it was awesome. Thank you! Question…how long do you think this will keep? I’d love to make extra as a gift to a friend
I have been making my own almond/walnut butter for a couple months now. Needless to say my husband and I will never go back to eating that over processed stuff in the grocery store ever again. Not only is it all around better for us you save money and you know what you’re eating at the same time. Next time going to throw some cashews in as well hey why not. yummy
I love this link – thanks for all the tips – but please can you advise me what food processor I should be using. I dont have a huge budget and live in the UK. Thanks
I make almond milk. Can I use the almond meal to make butter? Maybe add cococonut oil?
I don’t think the almond meal would make a very tasty butter. Most of the fat and flavor go into the almond milk, which is why almond pulp is so difficult to work with in recipes. Please let us know if you have any success, though!
Please help! I’m using the Ninja Professional processor and I’ve been in the kitchen for an hour!!! I finally gave up because nothing was happening and it started smoking. I stopped it more than 10 times to scrap the sides down. I still have my almond stuff sitting in a bowl. I added coconut oil, but not to the sides of the processor. Any suggestions?!?!?!
Just did this Amazing!!
Thanks for the encouragement to make almond butter. One note: the reason it takes so long in a food processor is that this tool isn’t the best at releasing the oil from the almonds, which is what makes the “butter” finally happen. What worked for me was to use an old-fashioned, hand-cranked (inexpensive!) meat grinder first. One pass, and then into the food processor, which took less than two minutes to produce creamy almond butter.
I tried making AB from almonds I had soaked in water. Using my vitamix . I got a fluffy mix after much effort, stopping, scraping, adding oil, hearing lots of terrible noise. I finally stopped out of frustration. Do you think I did not process long enough ( probably 5 to 10 minutes) or was it the soaking part? Can anyone give. Me advice?
Yes, soaking the almonds will create a fluffy texture. Next time, make sure you dry your almonds completely before grinding them, as any extra moisture will affect the results.
I made almond butter in the Majic Bullet. Small amount, maybe 3/4 – 1cup of roasted almonds I had on hand. It only took about 5 minutes. Just pulse it a bit or maybe pre-chop them so it’s not so hard on the motor. It works well because it’s small. I just needed 1/2 cup for a cookie recipe and that is what I ended up with. 🙂
Just made this in a Cuisinart 9-cup food processor. I didn’t time it, unfortunately. Maybe 15-20 minutes? I paused a lot in between scrapings because I didn’t want to overheat my processor. It did get hot, but not super-hot. I used the tip to grease the bowl with coconut oil first and didn’t have much of a problem with sticking. Best of all, it turned out absolutely delicious. I just added a pinch of salt, no sweetener. I used non-organic raw almonds from Costco, which I got for $17.99 for a 1.36 kg bag (3 lb). Three cups of almonds weighed out to 451 grams (a smidge under 1 lb.) and cost $2.65.
When I saw a jar of organic almond butter in my local supermarket today for $23.99 I couldn’t believe it. Determined to do better, I bought raw organic almonds at the food coop, roasted them and followed your recipe. I used my food processor to turn them into butter and did the coconut oil trick. Added a little celtic sea salt too and voila, a delicious almond butter for less than $4 per jar! Thank you Megan!
So grateful for all the information you provide, about how almonds are called raw, when in fact they aren’t, the instructions on how to make almond butter, can’t wait to start saving $$, and I am thinking you probably have an almond milk recipe which I will look for after this thank you!
Appreciate the recipe, & the feedback on how raw doesn’t mean safe to eat.
Should I b soaking almonds same as when making almond milk before making butter?
Hi, I just made my first 2 batches of almond butter today and they turned out fabulous. I get my almonds at Costco 3 lbs for about $9 which is way cheaper than buying it already made. Thank you sooo much! I absolutely LOVE your website! Blessings!
What is the shelf life of almond butter
I keep mine in the fridge for about one month. The time may vary, but as long as it smells and tastes good, I keep using it. 🙂
Thank you so much for specifically calling out just how long this takes. I attempted it once before and quit way too early because I just knew I must have done something wrong because it wasn’t becoming nut butter-just a big lump of nuts. I do believe it’s time to give it another try.
This was perfect. added some pink salt and it was really delicious. then I added carob chips and 4 dates…it was unbelievable! Thx for this recipe. ill be making this as opposed to buying it from now on!
Hi! Looks pretty simple except for the fact that I don’t have a food processor. Can I use a blender instead? (I apologize if that is a stupid question)
There are no stupid questions! A blender might work, too, but you might try adding a touch of oil if your motor starts to sound like it’s working too hard.
Great! Thank you!!! I’ll try this next week!
Heya hi
Love ur recipe
Please guide
Since i cant really find organic and m a little allergic to eating almonds with cover – at times they give me stomache
So is it alright if i used almonds without their cover ?
And please tell the shelf life ..
How long will it last in refrigator ??
Wud u recommend same way for peanut butter ?
Any tips on where to get a good deal on almonds other than Costco? Justade it and it’s awesome! Also what is a good deal per pound for almonds? Thanks!
I tried this last night, but didn’t get the same result like you did.
After over 20 minutes the almonds still looked very lumpy, I added oil and finally it was buttery smooth!
About using the Vitamix, the smell. The Vitamix is so powerful, that prolonged use would require the use of ice cubes to cool down the mixture
otherwise you are cooking the ingredients. The Vitamix will make a hot soup or a smoothie, depending on your desired results. I will try your recipe with the Vitamix and homemade ice cubes ( filtered bottle water)
I love your Website, Thank you!!
I wouldn’t recommend adding ice cubes when making pure almond butter– any added moisture will ruin the result. This is why I use a food processor instead of my Vitamix, to avoid using such a powerful motor.
Well I read the other comments and see that others have added extra ingredients. I think we all agree that you have a great recipe, but adding a few other ingredients will not ruin the batch. My intention was just to help others not burn out their machines, like some of them have.
The Vitamix is a very expensive machine and first learning how to use it is is crucial.
Yes, you are welcome to add other ingredients, like salt, oil, or even honey (at the end of blending), but water in particular will ruin the texture almond butter and will make it very prone to mold– giving it a significantly shorter shelf life. I just don’t want you to waste your (expensive) ingredients!
Adding ice is a brilliant move for many other recipes to prevent the blender from overheating, it just doesn’t produce good results in this particular recipe. (Many people have reported it being “fluffy” instead of creamy.)
This did not work 1 hour and still dry clay, i bought a 300 hundred dollar cuisinart super pro food processor. Still dry!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A good place to get almonds inexpensively is the bulk foods dept. at Winco, especially if they are opening a new one. I got some for $2 per lb.
I’ve been working for over two hours with my old Cuisinart and still don’t have butter yet. I soaked them overnight and put them in my dehydrator to dry. I didn’t roast them – but I’ll try that next time.
I used my vita mix to make almond butter. Because of the fast motor, yes it did achieve a smooth consistency. So I transferred the dry mixture to a magic bullet. Still little success. I decided to add a small amount of coconut oil. This helped somewhat. I didn’t want to add too much coconut oil As it would obscure the taste of almonds.
After one half hour, I still had a very coarse mixture. I gave up and put it all in the jar which is fine because I use the butter in protein shakes. The clean up in my kitchen took as much time as making the almond butter. Got to tell you, I am not convinced that this method is better than buying a $5.00 one pound jar of organic raw in Trader Joe’s.
Whoops… Meant to say, it did not achieve a smooth consistency due to the Vitamix motor speed.
I made this all the time, and the only key to make it nicely smoth without adding any oils or moist to make it creamy is patiens!!!!! if your turnout lumpy or to dry, you need to spend maybe 5 to 10 extra minutos, and it will turnout the way is suppost to be. I like adding 1 tsp of coconut oil but after my butter is ready because I like the smell.
Hi,
Would you mind sharing what kind of food processor you’re using?
.
Thanks much? Love the website! Very nice!
I have a 12-cup KitchenAid– it’s old, so I don’t think they make the exact same model anymore, but it still works great!
I was wondering if it would take the load off the food processor if you grind them first or is most of the time after they become flour like?
Yes, most of the work is done after the flour stage!
Worked great for me in my food processor. I was scared at first that my motor would overheat but it was fine. It came out great. Thanks for the receipe.
I just made this using raw almonds in my 18 year old cheap (didn’t care if I burned it up) Hamilton Beach food processor took about 30 minutes to get smooth and it turned out great…will make again & thanks for the great recipe!
I am thanking my lucky stars I just found your website!! You have so many amazing ideas! I just made the almond butter in about half the time with organic sliced almonds!! It tastes just a delicious!!
I roasted the almonds for 15 minutes. I had smooth almond butter in a much shorter time in my Cuisinart, maybe ten minutes if that. Very similar to making peanut butter. My only complaint is that it’s too thin, hope it thickens up a bit in the fridge.
I just found your website and wanted to say thanks. I needed a cup of almond butter and had no idea about it. I’ve just made it in my food processor and it was super easy – thanks soooooo much 🙂
Fan of your site, I make many recipes from it! Thanks for this one! It rocks