This is a recipe for those of you who have attempted to make almond butter at home in your food processor and failed. Like me. I honestly blame it on the almonds I buy here in Malaysia. I have a high powered food processor that does wonders with food– but it will NOT make almond butter. I really have no basis for saying it’s the almonds I buy here, but I suppose it’s completely likely that different varieties of almonds have different levels of fat– so we’ll go with that.
It’s been a busy week making it through my last week before heading off to the States for the holidays! I had great ideas for holiday posts, which are all half written and sitting in my drafts folder. That’s okay– I am a no-stress holiday person. I can’t do it all, and “doing it all” isn’t the point of the holidays anyway. Getting home, and meeting my 6 month old niece for the first time, and playing with my 2 year old nephew, is the point. Having tea in the morning with my mom is the point. Going for walks with my family after our holiday meal is the point.
But before we can get to those very important points of the holiday season, I have to pack my bags, and embark on a 30 hour journey across the Pacific Ocean.
Last year, Alex and I saved quite a bit of money by flying on Christmas day. We figured the airports would probably also be quieter (we were wrong on that assumption!). To make it a bit more festive. he had this great idea to get each other a small gift for each airport we visited– 4 airports! It gave us something to look forward to at each destination.
The first airport (Kuala Lumpur) we both gave each other dried fruit, nuts, and teas! We know each other too well. I had also packed these things in my normals snacks kit– so we ended up having all of those things packed and ready for our flight back home.
Other snacks I like to include? Having fresh food is important for me, so I always pack lots of carrot sticks and apples. Snap peas or green beans also travel well and we’ll make it far into the long trip. I completely avoid airline food (it’s terrible, and dangerous with my allergies), so I usually have plenty of snacks, and then know my mom will have an amazing meal prepared for me when I get home.
I recently saw little tiny jars of walnut cashew butter in the grocery store here. $10 US for a tiny jar with about a half of a cup of nut butter. I love nut butters– and have to say I was tempted! But I knew walnuts are a soft nut and easily make nut butter, so figured the oils released from the walnuts would help create a creamy spreadable cashew butter.
It turned out perfectly! No oil necessary. I set my kitchen timer for each interval so I could really see how long it took. I let my food processor have a quick break at each interval as well, to keep for overheating– 20 minutes is a long time for it to be running!
Contents
Other Homemade Nut Butter Recipes:
Raw Walnut Cashew Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups cashews
- 1 cup walnuts + 1/2 cup walnuts (otional)
Instructions
- Add cashews and 1 cup of walnuts to a food process bowl. Process, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- I find using a kitchen timer helps me stay realistic about how much time the nuts have been processing, so I don't give up before the magic happens.
- If you nut butter never quite gets smooth, add walnut oil or coconut oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, to smooth it out. I love the flavor of coconut oil in nut butter.
- After your nut butter is very smooth, add extra ½ cup of walnuts and pulse 7-10 times until they are broken up but still leave a slightly chunky texture. This step is optional. You can also leave your nut butter creamy!
Nutrition
This would make a wonderful homemade Christmas gift! Some day, I won’t be traveling so far, and will have time to make nice gifts like this again. A bit of this will be coming on the long journey to be spread on apples and carrot sticks!
Sometimes I just give up and eat a more “dry” nut butter when it doesn’t blend right! Haha! But yea, almonds are the worst, pecans though gave me a lot of success!
You should add coconut oil when that happens! The coconut almond flavor is amazing– especially with marmalade!
Michelle! Have an absolutely stress free flight back home and enjoy yourself 🙂 I love the idea of 4 different gifts per airport- How funny it being fruits and nuts 😉
I actually found almond butter to be one of the easier ones, but then again I toast them in a frying pan first!
I should try roasting the nuts with a bit of oil– I have toasted them in the oven, but still– just almond dust 🙁 I’ll have to try it while I am back in the States.
The walnut cashew butter looks wonderful! I really love nuts and the spread just make them even better!
And it’s a lovely gift idea! I have long flight trip often with my boyfriend and I’ll totally try this out next time! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Thanks Maggie! It’s delicious– a lighter flavor than AB/Sunbutter (my favs), but wonderful in its own right. Walnuts are my favorite nut. No, maybe cashews are…. I guess I just love nuts!
oh I love that you made this chunky. I have to remember that next time. I’m in the same boat as Arman i toast my almonds then blitz them while they are still warm. Success everytime! Best of luck and have a safe flight!
I’ll really have to try toasting them in a frying pan instead of the oven– maybe it will make all the difference!
The walnuts really add a nice, light crunchy– it was a good addition 🙂
Seriously?! It’s that easy?!
Wow! I’m impressed. I certainly have to give this a try.
Thanks so much for sharing.
xoxo
Nut butters are easy if you have a good food processor! The good food processor is key to not experiencing frustration 🙂 When I had my old food processor, I always had to add oil– which tastes fine, if you need to do that!
I love cashews too, Michelle, and love roasting them just with black pepper. This is the combination of my two favorite nuts and I can’t wait to try it. So simple! Thanks for a great recipe!