Creamy No-Stir Nut Butter
It took several attempts, but with tips from the pros at The Kitchn I finally figured out the keys to making truly creamy, no-stir nut butter—nothing like that self-grind stuff at the grocery store. First, you have to use warm, skinless nuts—heat helps release their natural oils and skinless minimizes grit. Second, you need patience and a good food processor. The nuts go through several stages before turning into butter (first crumbs, then clumps, then paste), and they all occur at the mercy of a food processor’s steel blade…and time. Finally, you need a touch of fat that is more solid than liquid at room temperature. Virgin coconut oil is perfect because it enhances the nut butter’s nutty flavor. The result is remarkably smooth and delicious—the kind of nut butter you want to eat with a spoon (you know what I’m talking about!).
- 3 c. skinless, unsalted peanuts, almonds, or cashews (I like to use half peanuts and half almonds)
- 2 tbsp. virgin unrefined coconut oil
- 2-2.5 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
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Spread the nuts across a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put in a pre-heated 350° oven for 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned. Stir once mid-way through roasting.
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While the nuts are still warm, put them in the bowl of a food processor and blend continuously for 2-3 minutes. You should see them turn from bits to fine crumbs, then clumps, and eventually a thick paste. At this point, stop the food processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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Add the coconut oil, an initial 2 teaspoons of salt, and vanilla to the food processor. Turn the food processor on and let it go for 7-10 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and/or let the food processor rest once or twice during this time if needed.
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Once the nut butter has reached its desired consistency, give it a taste. If it's adequately nutty, sweet, and salty for your tastes, then you're good to go. If you feel that you want to enhance the nutty flavor a bit more, then add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend for an additional 20-30 seconds (remember, salt is a flavor enhancer). Once done, transfer the nut butter to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks.
Off-Script Tip: You can give your nut butter a hint of sweet or spice with the addition of honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, or pumpkin pie seasoning. I recommend adding these ingredients at the very end (Step 4), once you've achieved the ideal creamy consistency. The addition of honey and maple syrup may cause the nut butter to seize-up slightly, but keep blending—it should smooth out again after a minute or two.
Jesse · January 24, 2021
For what it’s worth, I didn’t find any improvement past doing the second blend for 5 or so minutes. Definitely heat up the peanuts a bit even if they were roasted peanuts. Seems to help a lot texturally.
off-script recipes · January 25, 2021
Thanks, Jesse. Good to know. Did you use just peanuts or a blend?