How to Make Homemade Almond Butter (in One Minute)
Homemade almond butter is healthy, delicious and super easy to make. My version only has one ingredient – almonds (with no added oils) – and takes one minute to make with a Vitamix. Watch the video to see for yourself!
Homemade Almond Butter
Homemade almond butter (or any nut butter for that matter) is a staple do-it-yourself recipe. Just like homemade nut milks. But I still remember the first time I made almond butter in a food processor and thinking, “sheesh, this is taking a really long time.”
20-minutes to be exact. Because everything I’d found on the interwebs said that the best way to make almond butter was in a food processor. So that’s what I did, for several years. Then, I got my first Vitamix and the homemade nut butter clouds parted ways to show me the light.
Watch this quick video for my Almond Butter recipe:
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Are you ready for the light? You can take 15-20 minutes (depending on the size and strength of your food processor) to make homemade almond butter in a food processor. And it works, no doubt about it. Or, you could take one minute to make homemade almond butter in your Vitamix – for rich, creamy, super smooth almond butter. Which would you choose?
Because there’s so much incorrect information out there that says it’s difficult to make almond butter in a Vitamix, I whipped up a video to show you just how easy it is. I’ve also timed it for you with my Ascent 3500 blender. Yep, no smoke and mirrors around here. Just one minute to blend almonds into delicious almond butter.
How to Make Almond Butter
In order to make the best almond butter possible, it’s important to know a few things about nuts. Namely, some nuts have more natural oils than others, which affects how easy they are to churn into butter. Peanuts, cashews and macadamia nuts have more natural oils (fatty acids) so they turn into nut butter quite easily. Almonds have a bit less oil.
Therefore, the easiest way to make almond butter is to 1) add a little oil (I like avocado oil) to raw almonds while blending to help them churn easier, or 2) roast the raw almonds first which helps to release their natural oils. I usually opt for the latter – and that’s what I show you in the video above.
If you roast the almonds, there’s just one important step to not forget – let them cool to room temperature. You do NOT want to put hot nuts in your plastic Vitamix container or it may ruin/melt it. Vitamix containers can definitely take hot liquids and make hot soups (I do it all the time), but hot nuts are concentrated oils which then get even hotter when blended. So remember….roast, cool, then blend.
Whether you roast the almonds or not is up to you. I personally like the flavor of roasted almond butter – it’s so darn good! But if you’re in a hurry, just toss raw almonds with 3-4 tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil into your Vitamix. Then, turn your blender on high and use the tamper to push down on the almonds. Pushing the almonds into the blades quickly turns it into almond butter. And one minute later you’re done.
Homemade almond butter without a food processor.
More Tips for Your Almond Butter
- Storage: The almond butter will stay good for several weeks in the fridge (if not longer). I always store it in my favorite Le Parfait Jars.
- Temperature: Keep in mind that all ovens cook at slightly different temperatures and you may need to cook your almonds a minute or two longer, especially if you find them harder to blend without using oil.
- Tamper: Really use the tamper to push the nuts into the blades when blending and push towards the corners of the container. Don’t be gentle. It’s the friction that’s needed to turn it into nut butter.
- Nuts: I don’t recommend making this with soaked and dehydrated nuts. But if you do, you definitely need to add oil (and likely more) as you’ve now removed some of the natural oils within the nuts. Roasting alone simply won’t work. You can use almond that are pre-roasted for flavor, but you’ll still need to add additional oil. Only freshly roasted almonds will have their natural oils released and make it easy to blend them on their own.
- Quantity: Do NOT reduce the quantity of almonds if using a Vitamix. You need a minimum amount of almonds (4 cups) in the blender to ensure the blades work properly.
- Tips: If you’re making almond butter without oil (just roasting) and it seems dry and flaky and not turning into butter, there’s likely two reasons: 1) the almonds needed to roast just a little bit longer (see temperature note above), 2) the brand of almonds. I’ve found certain brands of almonds just blend better than others. I really have no idea why, but I’ve never had any problems with the brand linked in note #1 above. But if you’re in the predicament of your almonds not turning to butter, just add one tablespoon of oil at a time until it turns creamy. It’s totally salvageable!
More Healthy Basics Tutorials
- How to Make Almond Milk
- How to Make Cashew Milk
- Homemade Mayonnaise
- How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream
- How to Poach Eggs
How to Make Homemade Almond Butter (in One Minute)
Ingredients
- 4 cups raw almonds
Optional
- 3-4 tbsp neutral flavored oil, I use avocado oil
Instructions
- If roasting your almonds, preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Place the almonds on a parchment lined baking tray and roast for 10-13 minutes. Let the almonds cool completely, to room temperature. Then transfer the almonds to your Vitamix container.
- If not roasting the almonds and using additional oil, add the oil to your Vitamix container, then the nuts.
- Place the lid on your Vitamix and remove the cap. Insert the tamper through the lid. Turn the Vitamix on high and use the tamper to continuously push down on the almonds, particularly in the corners. After one minute, you'll have almond butter.
- Transfer the almond butter to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
Lisa's Tips
- I use these raw organic almonds and this avocado oil (when not roasting).
Nutrition
Recipes Made With Almond Butter
Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding
I swap almond butter for peanut butter in this recipe, but it still tastes like a PB&J sandwich – in a healthy chia bowl. It’s instantly become a reader favorite.
Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Almond Butter Dipping Sauce
This almond butter dipping sauce is creamy, savory and umami with a blend of almond butter, tamari, blackstrap molasses, sesame oil and white wine vinegar. You’ll definitely be making your spring rolls extra long for a few more dips.
Flourless Almond Butter Cookies
With just 5 ingredients these almond butter cookies couldn’t be easier to make. They’re deliciously sweet and crunchy and perfect for dipping in the glass of homemade cashew milk.
This post was created in partnership with Vitamix (a brand I’ve loved and used for years). All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post was originally posted Jan 2017, but updated to include new tips and information.
Can I use a food processor because I don’t have a good high-speed blender?
Hi Kay – Yes, you can use a food processor. It will just take about 20-25 minutes to blend and scrape the sides down in between blending to make sure everything is mixed.
This recipe turned out fabulously! I roasted the almonds, but they really didn’t have much oil. I added a half tablespoon of avocado oil to my food processor when I scraped the sides the first time and it did the trick. I added 4 Tbsp of Swerve sweetener once the almond butter was shiny. It made about 2 cups of delicious almond butter.
Wonderful! I’m so happy you love the recipe Meradith! And sounds perfect with a smidge of avocado oil and sweetener. :)
Hi Lisa! Is it possible to dry roast the almonds in a pan on a low flame on a stove instead of using the oven?
That’s a great question…and unfortunately I haven’t tried it yet. My only concern would be that it might toast the outside but not warm the inside enough.
Fantastic tips for using Vitamix. I added salt and this almond butter taste much better than store bought at a fraction of the cost. Best of all I control the handling and ingredients!
Awesome! Glad you love loved the recipe Angie! It’s always great to be able to make the almond butter at home because like you said, you can control all the ingredients. :)
Very yummy! My first try doing this was a fail haha The second was almost a fail, I added oil to save it. The third time and every time since then have been successful! After the first fail I kept them in the oven for a little longer just in case but honestly I don’t think it was the time in the oven. The first two times I made it, I didn’t start the Vitamix on high, I started out on low and then went to high I think that was it because since then I start on high like your recipe states and I haven’t had a problem since.
I’m happy to hear you’re having success with the recipe now Elizabeth. Sometimes it’s just those little tweaks that ensure success! Enjoy!
Best almond butter I have had. I roasted mine and it made all the difference. I added a little bit of mesquite powder to the almond butter which brought out the nutty flavor and made it even more delicious
Thanks, Mish! So glad you loved the almond butter. And I’ll have to try the mesquite powder in mine next time. Thanks for the tip.