Homemade Nut and Seed Butter

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Quality nut butters are delicious, but they can be quite expensive. Find out how to make your own homemade nut butters. It’s a super simple way to stretch your healthy eating budget.

How to easily make your own Homemade Nut Butter and Seed Butter--fresher than store bought and a great way to save money too!

One of the best tips I have for saving money on special diets is to make most of your own foods from scratch. We pretty much make everything here, including…

Homemade Rice Milk
Homemade Jello
Homemade Ketchup
Salad dressing
Liquid Stevia Drops (yes, you can really make these!)
Homemade Baking Powder, and
Homemade Protein Bars.

Am I crazy?  Maybe, but it sure helps us save money.

One of our favorite things to make is homemade nut butter.

Nut butters and seed butters are great spread on things like my Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits or Gluten-Free Wraps.

Or eaten on a spoon.  Make that a large spoon :-).

I use nut and seed butters in my Almond Butter Truffles and I soon hope to post a Cookie Dough Truffle that we love !!!

But until you’ve made your own Homemade Nut or Seed Butter (whether it’s almond, pecan, pumpkin seed butter or any of those other butters), you don’t know what you’re missing.

The store-bought butters are a fortune. And not a small one. It’s horrid.

So do yourself a favor, for both flavor and frugality.

Learn how to make homemade nut butter–you’ll thank me.

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Homemade Nut Butter and Seed Butter Tips

1.  If you’re currently eating Jif, switching to nut butter without trans fats and sugar is a great step in the right direction.  But…. did you know that a lot of almonds are pasteurized with a chemical called PPO, which is engine fuel – Ick, right?)

2.  Making your own butters from seeds and nuts that are soaked and dried in a dehydrator is better still.

3.  The healthiest nut and seed butter is made by purchasing organic seeds and/or nuts and then grinding them into butter yourself.  But that gets pricey.  Here’s what I do.

We do purchase organic sunflower seeds, but most of our other nuts (macadamias, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans) are all conventional.  We haven’t chosen to spend our money on going organic with all of these items at this time.  We can only do so much.

There are other methods for making the butters, but I don’t think you can match the Vitamix for consistency, convenience, and speed.  I know some of you like other blenders, but for me, Vitamix is the answer.  I’d love to hear if anyone has success otherwise, however.

I’ve read about using a food processor to make nut butters, but I heard from another reader who was trying to make almond butter in her Viking Food Processor (the same one that I have :-)) and it wasn’t working.  I’ve read many similar comments on the internet as well.  When it does work, it usually takes 13-15 minutes.  Compare that to about 2 minutes in the Vitamix.  That’s one reason I’m sold on this machine.

If you don’t have a Vitamix yet, please don’t give up on making nut butters.  I just think that the food processor method will be frustrating as a long term solution.  [I just actually ran up to the kitchen to try making sunflower seed butter in my professional food processor, and after blending for about 5 minutes, it still is not done :-(.  The mixture has now made its way into my Vitamix blender and will soon be smooth.]

UPDATE:  I am currently test driving the Blend-Tec as well.  Hopefully, I’ll have an update soon but Vitamix has a new model too.

TIPS:

1.  To save on cleaning time, I typically make 2 batches of nut or seed butter at a time and sometimes more.  That way I only have to clean the blender container out once.  You know – I love to cook, but the clean-up part?  Not so much.

2. And here’s a great money-saving idea:

After you are done making the homemade nut butter, fill your blender up with about 3-5 cups of clean water.  Then turn the blender on high speed and let it run for about 1 minute.

The result: Dairy-free Nut or seed milk (great for those with food allergies) that you can use in your tea, coffee (or coffee substitute), or for baking as you wish!  It won’t be as thick as a regular nut or seed milk, but if you wish to add some more nuts/seeds you can.  Then blend for about 1 1/2 minutes.  Have you seen the prices on almond milk in the grocery store???  You just saved about $2.50!

Fresh ground almond butter, peanut butter, and for those of you with peanut allergies who have been buying Sunbutter, have you looked at the price of that stuff?  – $30 for 6 pounds on Amazon?!  I get organic sunflower seeds for about $1.50 per pound.  That’s some serious savings.  Add some natural sweetener to the blender and make your own.

You can substitute nut and seed butters pretty freely in recipes.  There will be some texture changes, but I am not a recipe purist I started out trying to be one, but my stress level benefits when I realize that — newsflash — I am not perfect.  I do the best I can.

When you make the butters in the Vitamix, you may find it necessary to, add a bit of liquid oil (I prefer mild flavored olive) to the blender in order to facilitate blending.  I don’t typically find this necessary, but pumpkin seeds and almonds tend to be quite dry.

More Money-Saving Whole Foodie Ideas

In addition to making your own nut or seed butters, you might like to try some of the following money-saving recipes.

Easiest Almond Milk
Easiest Coconut Milk
Homemade Coconut Butter
Easiest Sun-Dried Tomatoes
DIY Powdered Egg Replacer
Powdered Sugar Substitute

Recipe Notes

  • You can substitute any healthy sweetener for the xylitol.
  • The salt is optional, but tastes great in the homemade nut butter. If you used salt to soak and dry your nuts, you should likely omit this.

Homemade Nut Butter or Seed Butter

How to easily make your own Homemade Nut Butter and Seed Butter–fresher than store bought and a great way to save money too!
4.50 from 2 votes
Print Rate
Course: Dressings, Seasonings, etc., Snack
Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, Vegan, whole30
Servings: 48
Calories: 87kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds nuts or seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons oil (optional) (have it be a mild-tasting liquid type)
  • low-carb sweetener (to taste – optional)

Instructions

  • Put nuts or seeds into a high-powered blender or food processor. If your seeds and nuts have been soaked in salt water, then you will not need to add salt to the mixture. Otherwise…
  • Add ½ teaspoon salt.
  • Add sweetener if desired.
  • If needed, add a little mild oil to the nuts to assist in blending.
  • Process the nuts or seeds according the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • That’s it!
  • If you are working with a food processor, simply put all of your ingredients into the bowl of your processor and start mixing. Keep it going for up to 12-15 minutes. You will need to stop occasionally to push the mixture down off the sides of the bowl, and you may need to add liquid oil, but you will supposedly end up with a butter at the end.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg | Net Carbs: 3g

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

What kind of homemade nut butter or seed butter would you make first?

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131 Comments

  1. Do you keep your nuts/seeds raw? Or do you roast or dehydrate them? Seems like soaked nuts/seeds would be easier to blend, but I’m wondering about the flavor.

    1. I always soak and dehydrate mine. I do 35 cups at a time in my dehydrator. They taste really terrible simply soaked–some people like it but I 100% do not.

  2. 5 stars
    Hi, I have a BlendTec. Have you found a way to make nut butters with this high powered blender?
    I’m familiar with using my food processor for soaked/dehydrated almond butter and but have come upon a tip to shorten the processing time. This method also doesn’t require addition of any oils either:
    After the nuts have pretty much turned into a chunky paste and it has become warm to the touch (body temp), take the bowl off processor and let the “butter” and the processor cool off for 15-30′, then restart. It’ll smooth out more quickly when it is cooler. It processes better when cool.

    1. Thanks for the tip! I will try that! Do you have the twister jar for the BlendTec? I am pretty sure that you need that in order to make nut butters in that machine.

      1. Thanks Adrienne, no I don’t have the twister jar for the BlendTec. Makes sense that this would help with nut butters and is probably faster than the food processor method i described above.
        No matter how you slice it, nut butters from soaked and dehydrated nuts are fantastic!

    2. This is a response to some older posts asking where to get nuts that aren’t treated/pasteurized with the chemical PPO.
      A few years ago, I found this California company that uses steam to pasteurize the nut shell, while maintaining optimum temp in the nut itself. I’ve successfully sprouted these nuts and have bought them from here over the past 5+ years. Here’s a link that describes their process. From there you can access the site and purchase almonds in bulk.
      (Link deleted by Whole New Mom due to it not working anymore)

      They’re a great family owned business.

  3. So is there any way to remove the PPO without resorting to hiring a chemist? Probably not. So then, how would I find an almond buying group?

      1. You can buy direct from the farmer/grower to avoid the added jet fuel (PPO). I buy all of my raw, organically grown, non sprayed almonds and other nuts direct from a grower in California.
        Bremner Farms, etc.
        You can also get almonds from Italy, where they aren’t sprayed, either. They are a bit more due to shipping, but I’ve had good luck with them.

        1. We actually purchase our almonds direct from a farmer as well–I’m happy to have that option! Glad you found some sources that work for you!

  4. If I soak almonds, do I have to dehydrate them before making almond butter? Great information by the way!

      1. I disagree! Once soaked, they are softer and much easier to peel. When I make anything (nut milk, paste, butter) with the soaked nuts, I NEVER dry them! I always use the fresh soaked and rinsed nuts. I actually don’t dry them when just eating out of hand. I only soak what I’ll consume in a day or so, otherwise they could mold. I MUCH prefer the ‘raw’ flavor, and drying (dehydrating) them just does not give the same flavor at all!

        1. Hi Carol! I guess to each his own on this one. Personally, for my family (and friends whom we have shared our nuts with), we LOVE them dehydrated on a temp that should be low enough for them to still be qualified as raw. They are very light and crunchy and delicious. Plus we do most things in bulk and like to have dried almonds on hand for quick snacks / things we can take on the go.

          Also if you use soaked nuts in recipes you will have to change the liquid ingredients in the recipe to accommodate the change in water content.

          I’m intrigued that you like soaked and not dried almond butter. I don’t care for the texture at all. But again, this is a subjective thing. And I have really never bothered to peel the almonds since we are soaking and drying them.

  5. Also I do not use vitamix or above mentioned processors.. but in India I’m using a 1100mAmph processor.and the small jar as it’s small batches.

  6. Hi.. I tried nut butter at home.. but turned out very dry and doughy.. so demotivated coz I expected something like your pics..
    What do you think may be issue..
    If it helps I tried very less quantity and added cocoa powder honey coconut oil to it..
    plz helpp.. I want a smooth creamy butter desparately. I tried almond hazel and peanut ..similar results 🙁

    1. Hello there. It might be the kind of nut you used? Sometimes the texture of mine turns out differently. You could add some oil like coconut oil to it which might help. Hope that is helpful.

  7. I made pumpkinseed butter in July about a month ago and placed the jars in the fridge. How long will it last before going bad? I think it has been almost a month? Can it go rancid and if so will it taste bad?

    1. Hi there. I’m sorry but I don’t make shelf life claims. It can for sure go rancid. I would think you would smell a rancid oil smell first. I have had mine in the fridge for over a month and haven’t noticed an issue. Hope that helps!

  8. Hi I have not used nut butters for baking please advise what to look out for in store bought butters for baking. Our 6mth old grand daughter is lactose intollerent, so mummy has gone dairy free since she’s breast feeding. I have made cakes with oil & fruit juices or water but want to make nutty crispy crunchy cookies/biscuits. Will appreciate any simple tried & tested biscuit recipes. Eggless will be most welcome. Many thanks

  9. Hello! We are struggling with half a dozen recently diagnosed food allergies in my little guy. One of them is coconut. We have always used coconut oil in our nut butters. I am not sure what other oils might work for this. Any suggestions? Thanks!

    1. Hi there. I do not use any oils in my nut or seed butters. Only occasionally have I found that I needed to do that. Palm could work or possibly avocado oil. Sorry about the new allergy!

  10. My mango seeds won’t grind all the way maybe it is this cheap blender but I finally got it to tiny tiny micro pieces but they won’t melt completely so my butter is gritty. I have tried so many ways to get it to melt down and it just won’t do it. It sat is a melting pot for 40mins. I even put it back in the blender to blend then i put it in my mixer to whip still nothing. Mango Seeds are the hardest ever! I just don’t understand why it won’t melt completely. Have you ever worked with mango seeds?

  11. Hey! Have you ever tried to make mango butter? I have a lot of mango seeds and I for sure wanted to make mango butter for hair but I don’t know how and I read somewhere that it’s really good for hair. Thank you!

    1. No, I haven’t. Never had a bunch of mango seeds, but I am sure you could do it! The same technique would apply.

  12. Could you tell me where and how you purchase Organic Sunflower seeds? $1.50/lb. is a great price, and we may be interested in bulk purchasing if that’s the way you get that price.
    Thanks,
    Michael

  13. Hi! I want to know if you tried making butter in the BlendTec yet. I have a BlendTec and I find that it does not work for smoothies unless I add ‘plenty’ of liquid, to the point where it’s a liquiddy milk-shake rather than a smoothie. Before I try it, I’m wondering if you were successful with making nut butter.

    Thank you

    1. Yes, I have and it works but you need to use the twister jar and you can only make about 2 cups at a time. I can do 1.5 pounds in the vitamix. Hope that helps.

      1. Hey everyone, here is a really good article to understand blender power and make sure you get what you’re paying for: (site removed by blog owner since it’s no longer working)

  14. I made some sunbutter in my new Kitchenaid food processor the other day and it only took a couple of minutes, including scraping down the bowl. I thought it was much easier and faster than using my Vitamix, which is hard to scrape out of.

    1. Interesting! I’ll have to try it! I know the vitamix is a pain to scrape so I do 2 batches at a time :).

  15. Do you have a recipe for homemade tahini? I have one but i can’t get it blended. It calls for 4 cups of sesame seeds Bake 10 mins cool But in vitamix with 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil. Any suggestions?

    1. I just put it in the blender and blend. You need to put enough in. Maybe the coconut oil makes it smoother?

  16. Hello! I have made my first almond butter in Vitamix and I have to say it didn’t looked like butter ( I didn’t add any oil to it, which I’ll include next time), but the problem is that Vitamix overheats the nut butter while making it. The almond butter I acquired is not raw product anymore!

    1. Sometimes my butters are thinner than others and I don’t know why. Must be the moisture content of them. As for the rawness, I have never measured the temp of the butter but I would assume it gets hotter than 115. You could try making it in small spurts and that would likely reduce the temp.