Homemade Nut and Seed Butter
Nuts and seeds are natural power-packs of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats, protein and fiber, which help children grow, develop and learn. Regularly eating nuts/seeds as part of an overall healthy diet can help to reduce cholesterol, regulate blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease, maintain regular bowel movements and even support bone health! Raw or dry-roasted and unsalted nuts/seeds are the healthiest option. Added salt or sugar should be avoided where possible.
Here are some amazing recipes to try to ensure your babes (and you) are only eating the BEST!
Quick Tips & Tricks
You never need to roast! Roasting is just an extra step to a more flavorful nut butter. I have had all of these kinds of butter all-natural (nuts/seeds straight the into food processor) and have loved every single bite. Test out what works for you!
First the nuts/seeds will crumble, then it will look like a course meal, and then a big crazy looking ball. You need to have patience and let it keep going! Soon you will have a beautiful creamy nut butter that the entire family will love!
While many companies add in corn syrup and nasty additives, you have the option of adding amazing natural spices like cinnamon, pumpkin spices, and more! Have so much fun with it 🙂
In search of a Food Processor to make all of your nut/seed butter dreams come true? Here are our top 3 picks:
- Now, listen. I LOVE my food processor. But I did not purchase this until I was already a recipe creator for 3 years and, in those three years, I saved up a heck of a lot of pennies. Once my original food processor died (you will see it below!), I decided to upgrade to this absolutely magnificent machine. Is this necessary for your kitchen? Probably not. BUT, if you are serious about creating recipes and have the budget, this is one that cannot be beat. P.s this has a THIRTY year warranty.
- Brushed stainless steel, 720-watts, large capacity….this is an absolute gem of food processors! I love how it all detaches like our magimix and makes creating AND removing easy. If you have ever had a food processor where the blades do not detach, then you know the struggle.
- So, sadly, our original food processor is no longer being sold (I find this a bit odd!), but this one is the closest that I could find for the price range, brand name, and quality. I always recommend going for the higher cup size (10-14 range), but this is a wonderful option for small families/singles/students. If budget is a concern and you are a larger family, go for the refurbished items before going down in size (I promise, a small cup size will drive you INSANE and you will kick yourself for not going bigger and refurbished!). So this has a stainless steel detachable blade, compact cover, spatula, extra large feed tube, and a 5 year motor warranty.
- 2 cups unsalted shelled peanuts OR dry roasted peanuts your choice!
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- Pinch of Salt
Add peanuts to a food processor/high-speed blender and let it run for about 1 minute.
Stop and scrape down the sides.
Food process/blend again for another 5 minutes, until creamy.
If you would like to add a little bit of maple syrup or a pinch of salt, add now and food process/blend again for 30 more seconds.
Store in a mason jar in the refrigerator and consume within 1 month.
Sodium: 5mg | Calcium: 24mg | Sugar: 2g | Fiber: 2g | Potassium: 151mg | Calories: 118kcal | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fat: 10g | Protein: 5g | Carbohydrates: 5g | Iron: 1mg
Add cashews to food processor and process for 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and process again. Continue to scrape down sides every few minutes until about 12 minutes have passed. Let the food processor run until the cashew butter is very creamy. If this is your first time, add one more minute to when you THINK it is down. I promise it can get creamier!
Store in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Sodium: 3mg | Calcium: 10mg | Vitamin C: 1mg | Sugar: 2g | Fiber: 1g | Potassium: 170mg | Calories: 143kcal | Saturated Fat: 2g | Fat: 11g | Protein: 5g | Carbohydrates: 8g | Iron: 2mg
Now, you can simply add the almonds to the food processor/high-speed blender and process until smooth and have nut butter, but roasting them is just so yummy!!
Preheat oven to 350F/175Spread almonds out over the baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes (stir halfway through).
Let almonds cool down until warm and add to food processor/blender. Process/blend until creamy while scraping down the sides every few minutes or so. This takes me around 10 minutes but it can take up to 15 so be patient. Grab a book!
If using the optional flavors, add in after the butter is creamy and process again for another minute.
Let the butter cool down and then transfer to a mason jar.
Store in refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Sodium: 1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Sugar: 2g | Fiber: 3g | Potassium: 156mg | Calories: 129kcal | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fat: 11g | Protein: 5g | Carbohydrates: 6g | Iron: 1mg
Preheat oven to 350F/175Spread sunflower seeds out over the baking sheet and toast for 20-25 minutes (stir halfway through).
Let seeds cool down until warm and add to food processor or high-speed blender. Process/blend until creamy while scraping down the sides every few minutes or so. This takes me around 10 minutes but it can take up to 15 so be patient. Grab a book!
Do not add the coconut sugar and salt until the seed butter is creamy (minimum 10 minutes).
Let the butter cool down and then transfer to a mason jar.
Store in refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Sodium: 53mg | Calcium: 16mg | Vitamin C: 1mg | Vitamin A: 10IU | Sugar: 2g | Fiber: 2g | Potassium: 130mg | Calories: 124kcal | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fat: 10g | Protein: 4g | Carbohydrates: 6g | Iron: 1mg
- 2 cups sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil *Optional* I typically would not recommend oil added into any butter, but this is a huge preference to many tahini paste lovers!
You can simply process/blend the sesame seeds all natural, but roasting them in a skillet does WONDERS for flavor.
You will need a dry cast iron skillet or a heavy non-stick skillet. Heat over medium and add the seeds. Stir frequently until they begin to brown and then remove immediately and pour into blender/food processor with extra virgin olive oil (if using). Process/blend until nice and creamy
Store in a glass jar for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.
Sodium: 41mg | Calcium: 195mg | Sugar: 1g | Fiber: 2g | Potassium: 94mg | Calories: 115kcal | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fat: 10g | Protein: 4g | Carbohydrates: 5g | Iron: 3mg
- 3 cups shelled pistachio nuts
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350F/175Spread pistachios out over the baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes until fragrant. I like to keep an eye on them to make sure they do not burn and stir around 4 minutes.
Let nuts cool down until warm and add to food processor or high-speed blender. Process/blend until creamy while scraping down the sides every few minutes or so. This takes me around 10 minutes but it can take up to 15.
Do not add the optional flavors until creamy.
Let the butter cool down and then transfer to a mason jar.
Store in refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Sodium: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Vitamin C: 1mg | Vitamin A: 102IU | Sugar: 3g | Fiber: 3g | Potassium: 255mg | Calories: 142kcal | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fat: 11g | Protein: 5g | Carbohydrates: 8g | Iron: 1mg
Looking to lower your waste while prepping? Check these out!
The parchment paper by “If You Care” is unbleached, chlorine free, and compostable. I have used this up to the highest oven setting without any issues! Paper, in it’s natural state is beige or light brown. For years people have subjected it to a bleaching process to create the white sheets we all know and love. Unfortunately, cleaning the paper is having the opposite effect on the environment. The most common bleaching agent – chlorine dioxide (ClO2) – occurs naturally as a component of salt, but once it separates from it’s natural pair it begins to cause problems. The paper bleaching process deposits chlorine in the lakes and streams where mills are most commonly located, and once there it bonds with organic matter in the form of dioxins. Dioxins are a group of highly toxic chemicals that are thought to pose negative effects on reproductive and immune system development, as well as cause several kinds of cancers. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there is no safe level of dioxin exposure.
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Plastic-Free Glass Containers
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Find more healthy vegan recipes like this homemade nut butter when you join The WonderMamas Meal Plan Membership!
Check out our meal plans here!
