A Clean Eater's Guide to Making Your Own Nut Butters

Nut butters are a great way to add flavor, texture, and a dose of healthy fat to dishes and snacks, but some commercial options add things like sugar or even partially-hydrogenated oils for texture enhancement. Fortunately, homemade nut butters taste better, are easy to make,  and keep this tasty treat firmly in the category of clean eating.

Since homemade nut butters are more perishable than commercial varieties, it's best to make them in small batches. Buy roasted nuts, rather than raw, to heighten the flavor--or roast the nuts yourself. As a general rule, figure on a ratio of 2-to-1 nuts to nut butter. (For example, 1 cup of nuts will make 1/2 cup of nut butter). Place the nuts in a food processor, and process until they form a paste. Some nut butters will be creamy; others a bit grainy. The higher the fat, the smoother the nut butter.

You can store homemade butters covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Looking for a recipe for a specific nut butter? Check out our Nut Butter Primer...

…then try them in a recipe:

Lamb Stew with Hazelnut Butter and Dates

Macadamia Butter Cookies with Dried Cranberries

Fettuccine with Cashew Cream

Keep Reading:

• Homemade Walnut Butter
• Cooking with Nut Butters
• Nut Butter Primer