How to Make Almond Butter

Learn how to make almond butter at home! Made with just 3 ingredients, it's smooth, creamy, and nutritious. You'll love it on toast, oatmeal, and more.

Almond butter

I started making this homemade almond butter recipe in an effort to clear out my pantry. It sounds silly, I know, but partway through last winter, I ended up with jars and jars of different nuts in the cupboard. Pistachios left from this carrot salad, hazelnuts left from this kohlrabi slaw, and so forth. I had one big canister of almonds that was begging to be eaten, and since Jack and I had a great time making homemade peanut butter last spring, I decided to try blending them into homemade almond butter.

Let me tell you, I am so glad I did! If you’ve never learned how to make almond butter at home, you have to try this recipe. The almond butter is smooth and creamy, perfectly runny, and filled with a nutty, toasted almond flavor. It’s fun to make, watching the whole nuts slowly melt into a luscious spread, and it’s even more fun to eat. You’ll love slathering it onto toast, dolloping it onto oatmeal, and downing it straight off a spoon!

Homemade almond butter in a food processor

How to Make Almond Butter

To make this homemade almond butter recipe, you’ll need 4 things:

  • Raw almonds – We’ll start by toasting them in the oven to bring out their nutty flavor. This step also makes them easier to blend.
  • A food processor or high-speed blender – To grind the almonds into a smooth, creamy nut butter.
  • Sea salt – If you like, you can skip it and make unsalted almond butter, but I highly recommend adding a pinch or two. It gives the homemade almond butter a richer, more complex flavor.
  • A neutral-tasting oil – Only if you need it! If my homemade almond butter looks gritty and isn’t getting smooth, I’ll add a little oil to help loosen it up.

Once you have them handy, here’s what you need to do:

Ground nuts in a food processor

First, toast the almonds. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spread the almonds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 minutes, or until they smell rich and nutty. Remove the sheet from the oven, and allow the almonds to cool slightly.

Then, transfer the roasted almonds to a food processor or powerful blender. From here on out, you’ll just be processing/blending the almonds until they transform into a smooth nut butter. But heads up – this will take some time, about 15 minutes total. Stop regularly to scrape down the sides of your food processor or blender and to give the motor a break.

Grinding nuts in a food processor

At first, the mixture will be crumbly and chunky.

How to make almond butter - Nut butter in a food processor

Then, it’ll thicken into a ball.

Creamy almond butter inside food processor

Finally, it’ll become smooth and creamy! If the mixture is still thick and gritty after 15 minutes of processing, add a neutral oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, to help it blend.

Season to taste with sea salt, and enjoy.

Smooth and creamy almond butter in food processor

How to Use Almond Butter

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be happy eating this homemade almond butter straight off a spoon, but have fun experimenting with other ways to use it, too! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

How do you like to use homemade almond butter? Let me know in the comments!

Almond butter recipe

More Homemade Basics

If you love this almond butter recipe, try making one of these homemade basics next:

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How to Make Almond Butter

rate this recipe:
5 from 15 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves 12
Learn how to make almond butter at home! Creamy, nutty, and smooth, it's delicious on toast, overnight oats, yogurt, and more. Vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups raw almonds
  • Avocado oil or another neutral-tasting oil, such as grapeseed, as necessary
  • Sea salt, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Spread the almonds in an even layer on the baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
  • Transfer the toasted almonds to a medium food processor. Process until very smooth, stopping every 30 seconds to 1 minute to scape down the sides of the bowl, as necessary, and to give the food processor's motor a break. The mixture will be chunky at first. Then, it'll thicken into a ball, and finally, it will become creamy and smooth. The whole process should take about 15 minutes.
  • If the almond butter still isn't coming together after 15 minutes, add avocado oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, to help the mixture blend.
  • Season to taste with salt, and serve on toast, overnight oats, oatmeal, yogurt, or banana bread. Find more serving suggestions in the post above.

48 comments

5 from 15 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Julie
    11.27.2024

    I would love to try this! How long does it keep in the fridge? If it’s allowed to be outside the fridge in a pantry how long does that keep? Thanks!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      11.28.2024

      Hi Julie, I keep it in the pantry for up to a couple of weeks, then store it in the fridge.

  2. Hans
    10.27.2024

    Very nice recipe ! I have a small question: I used a food processor and finally it became creamy, I put some salt and maple syrup and blend again in the food processor but it immediately became tight and solid. It is more advisable to mix salt and maple syrup only by hand after the mixture is creamy ? Thanks

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      10.28.2024

      Hi Hans, hmm I’ve never had that happen! You could mix those ingredients in by hand or continue processing until the mixture becomes creamy again.

  3. Mary
    08.23.2024

    I made peanut butter cookies substituting almond butter. Deliciousl

  4. Janet
    08.22.2024

    I have so many Almonds!! So I thought why not try to make Almomd butter. I did a google search and it brought me to you… I don’t have a food processor…I have a Nutri-bullet, so will try to make it with this high-speed blender. I hope it works. I love love love Almond butter! If I need to add some oil. I have organic Coconut oil…
    .

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      08.23.2024

      Hi Janet, I hope you enjoy the almond butter!

  5. Tami
    08.06.2024

    How do you store it? Refrigerator or pantry?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.08.2024

      Hi Tami, either – I store it for about 2 weeks in the pantry or longer in the fridge.

  6. Beth
    04.30.2024

    I just found your blog today and already have so many recipes I want to try, but I am most excited about this one!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.02.2024

      Hi Beth, I hope you love it!

  7. Lori
    01.03.2024

    Can I double the recipe if I have a large food processor?

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.