If you’re like me and you like to add a heaping scoop of a creamy nut butter to almost anything, then you’ll go through a lot of the nutty goodness. The store bought jars can be really pricey and even if you buy the organic kind, they can still contain ingredients, you might not need in your diet. Like sugar for example. Since I basically like all nuts, I love having an array of different nut butters in my pantry: cashew, walnut, pumpkin seed, sesame or even pistachio – yeah, pistachio is the bomb! But my all-time favorite and probably the most versatile, is almond butter.
There are so many reasons why almonds are good for us. Yes, they contain a lot of fat but fat is not our enemy. Especially when you eat foods that have monosaturated fatty acids, such as almonds. Our bodies can easily use these fats for energy like carbs but without raising insuline levels and dropping them rapidly. Because that’s what makes us get the munchies. Almonds are serious super foods and can not only help us loose weight, if eaten conciously and in moderation but also help lower cholesterol levels, the dietary fiber is great for digestion and the vitamins and minerals are good for our cells. Say hello to beautiful skin!
While you can munch on almonds as a healthy and delicious snack in between meals, why not make a jar of almond butter to add to your morning porridge, smoothie or nice cream?! Don’t be intimidated. I promise you, it’s so easy to make, you’ll never go back to buying a store bought almond butter ever again. You can alter this recipe and basically use any other nut or seed as well. Your entire home will smell like roasted nuts and you’ll have to control yourself, not to eat it all straight out of the jar. Yeah, I did that…
The recipe is super duper easy. The most important thing you need is a really powerful high speed blender like this one for example. Or a good food processor. Otherwise you won’t get a creamy and smooth texture. You also need to scrape down the sides of the blender every 10-15 seconds, because this will keep the almonds moving and your almond butter will be ready quickly, without the blender getting too hot.
So we got the blender, now some raw almonds – you can soak them for better digestion – tossed in the oven for about 20 minutes to get those oils to come out and make the almonds taste even better. And a couple good pinches of coarse sea salt such as Fleur de Sel or Himalayan pink salt. Now we can get the party started! After a few pulses, scrape the sides down and give it a go! Don’t forget to scrape again and again.
Once you end up with a silky, glossy and smooth almond butter, it’s done!
Pour into a mason jar and store it in the fridge for it to keep fresh longer. But I’m sure it’ll be gone in no time!
WHAT YOU NEED {makes 1 small jar/ 300 ml}
2 cups/ 300 gr raw almonds (soaked over night and dried optional for easier digestion}
1|4 tsp coarse sea salt like Fleur de Sel or Himalayan pink salt
Baking tray lined with baking paper
Baking spatula
Mason jar or any small jar with a lid
HOW TO
1| Preheat oven to 150°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2| Add the the raw almonds to the tray and spread them evenly. Roast for 20 minutes and then let cool {take them off the tray so they cool faster}
3| Once cooled, add the almonds to your blender, pulse a few times until you have a coarse meal and scrape down the sides. Add the salt and give it a go at medium speed. Keep scraping every 10-15 seconds until you have a nice creamy, smooth and glossy texture. Add to your favorite mason jar and close the lid. Keep in the fridge for it not to go ransid quickly.
Use this creamy and super nutty almond butter for porridges, nice creams or smoothies.
How about a salted caramel smoothie bowl?
Just mix 2-3 frozen bananas with 100 ml oat milk, 2-3 medjool dates, a good pinch of sea salt and 1-2 tbsp of the roasted almond butter until nice and frothy. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy! It makes a big bowl, so you can share if you want 😉
