How To Make Almond Butter

Butter is something that many people love to consume on their sandwiches, with their jelly and even in their homemade cookies or cakes. However, it is almost something that only a few people can afford to have regularly, since it has a high salt as well as fat content. This is the reason why many people have started opting for peanut butter and almond butter instead, both of which have lower amount of fats and salt. In case of almond butter, you also get many health benefits through the healthy mono-saturated fats that they contain. Want to try making almond butter at home? If yes, then check out the recipe given below and know how to make almond butter.

Almond Butter Recipe

In order to make almond butter, you first need to choose good quality almonds. You can either go for almonds in shell or get the already-shelled kernels. Whatever option you choose, keep in mind the fact that the kernels should be long and sweet. At the same time, they should not be more than one year old.
After you have selected the kernels, it is the time to move on to the ‘blanching’ step. The skin on the kernels not only interferes with the making of smooth butter, but also makes it a bit bitter. So, this step is necessary. You can even buy 'blanched-whole-kernels' from the market. However, using pre-sliced blanched almonds is not advisable.
Once the almonds have been blanched, you need to bone-dry them. Thereafter, roast the almonds in an oven. Spread them on a cookie sheet and place in the oven, with the heat at 350^oF. Shake the sheet every five minutes, to ensure uniform roasting. Remove the almonds from the oven and let them cool down.
When you feel that the almonds are barely warm, put them in a blender or food processor, one cup at a time. After the almonds have been broken down into small bits, increase the speed of the blender and keep on grinding them until a paste begins to form. Continue with the grinding, till your butter reaches the desired consistency.
If you feel that the almond butter is not as smooth as you desire, you can consider adding external oil to the grinder, such as virgin coconut-oil, sweet almond oil, olive oil, canola oil, or any other plant oil. Before adding the oil to the butter, heat it to 110º F, in the microwave. Thereafter, get on with the grinding process, to mix the oils and get the desired butter.

Tips

If you want, you can add sweetener to the almond butter, in the form of table-sugar, brown sugar, honey, or jaggery. However, remember to add the sweetener only after the butter has achieved the desired consistency.
You can store almond butter at room temperature for about 30 days. In case you want to keep it edible for a longer period of time, keep it inside the refrigerator.
Never ever use cold kernels for making almond butter. They should be slightly warm, say around 110º F, at the time of grinding. Otherwise, the butter will not be good.

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