Almond butter can be made by cooking and grinding almonds, then mixing them with oil to form a creamy paste. Roasting is the most common method of cooking almonds, and a food processor or blender can be used to grind them. Salt and sugar can be added for flavor.
Almond butter is a relatively easy food to make provided you have access to a food processor or other similar implement. The basic steps for making this butter include cooking the almonds, grinding them, and mixing them with oil to form a creamy paste. Sugar and salt can be added to enhance the flavor, although these seasonings are not necessary.
Before almond butter can be made, the almonds must be prepared. The edible part of an almond sits in the center of a hard shell, which must be removed. Almonds can be boiled in their shells, a process that both softens the shell and partially cooks the almond, or the almond shell can be removed before dry-cooking the almond. Roasting is the most common method of cooking almonds because it gives them the best flavor.
To roast the almonds, place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake in an oven at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176.7 degrees Celsius) for about ten minutes. Almonds release a strong nutty scent as they are cooked. Once the toasted almonds have cooled, you can use them to make almond butter.
A number of different tools can be used to grind almonds in order to make almond butter. The simplest of these tools, the mortar and pestle, has been used to grind nuts and seeds into a paste for thousands of years. Making a substantial amount of almond butter using this method would be time-consuming, so power tools are now used to grind the almonds. Although specialized tools, known as nut butter machines, are available, you can grind almonds in a blender or food processor.
Almonds don’t naturally contain enough oil to grind themselves into a paste. To make almond butter from fresh almonds, you need to add enough oil to liquefy the almonds. Any type of oil can be used, although almond oil is preferred because it adds more almond flavor to the butter. Lightly flavored oils, such as vegetable or canola oil, can be used in place of almond oil. In general, you should add about one tablespoon (15 mL) of oil per cup (250 mL) of almonds.
While the only ingredients needed to make almond butter are almonds and oil, some cooks choose to add salt, sugar, or other flavorings as well. The salt enhances the flavor of the almonds, while the sugar will sweeten the butter, just as peanut butter is sweetened. Other nuts or seeds and various spices can also be used to make other varieties of almond butter.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
