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This Walnut Butter is an easy nut butter that can be made with any kind of nuts. Peanut butter is great, but switch up your breakfast spread with and use walnuts instead. This recipe has just 3 ingredients and takes about 5 minutes to make!
Homemade Nut Butter
Sure you can spend a fortune to buy walnut butter (or cashew butter) at the store, but why? You can make it at home SO easily with just 3 ingredients. This same method can be used to make almond butter or pecan butter too – or even peanut butter!
Ingredients Needed
- Walnuts: Walnuts are a perfect option, but you could substitute your favorite nut.
- Maple Syrup: Acts as a sweetener for the butter – you can also use honey or agave.
- Salt: Adds some extra needed flavor – don’t add too much – a little bit at a time so you don’t over power the butter. You can use table, kosher, or sea salt.
- You could also add in some flavoring – like a bit of cinnamon, if you want.
How to Make Nut Butter
- I like to toast my walnuts before making nut butter. Place the raw walnuts in a single layer in a frying pan and heat over medium-low heat for a few minutes, stirring often, until you smell them. Don’t walk away from the stove! Learn all about how to toast nuts.
- You’ll need a food processor or high-speed blender. Just add the walnuts and blend until smooth – use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the food processor occasionally. Once it becomes thick, keep running the processor and it will smooth out into a natural nut butter consistency.
Ways to use Walnut Butter
Homemade nut butter is great on bagels or toast for breakfast, as a topping for pancakes or waffles, crackers or even on banana slices. I also add it to oatmeal to add some extra protein and omega-3 fats to my breakfast – or swirl it into ice cream!
Expert Tips
- I toast my nuts because raw walnuts bother my mouth – but if you don’t have that problem you can skip that step.
- Depending on the power and speed of your blender or processor, it could take up to 8-10 minutes to fully blend and make a creamy nut butter.
- Walnuts can get a sort of bitterness to them, which is why I like to add some sweetness and a bit of salt. Drizzle just a bit of honey or your desired sweetener into the mixer and taste as you go so you don’t add too much.
- How much nut butter does this recipe make? 2 cups of walnuts make approximately 1 cup of walnut butter.
- Store the walnut butter in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator.
Walnut Butter Recipe
Ingredients
Walnut Butter
- 2 cups (217g) walnuts
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (to taste, see note)
Instructions
- To toast walnuts (this is optional, but I like my walnuts toasted), place them in a frying pan over low heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring almost constantly. As soon as you notice little brown spots and/or smell the walnuts, remove from heat and place on a plate to cool. Make sure they are almost completely cool before continuing.
- Place walnuts in a food processor. Process for about 1 minute, then stir and add a bit of salt and maple syrup. Continue processing until the mixture becomes thick then thins out (the oils in the nuts magically thin the butter). Scrape the sides of the processor during mixing. Taste and add more salt and/or maple syrup to taste.
- Store in refrigerator; makes 1 cup.
Recipe Notes
- Salt is subjective – and you don’t want it to be too salty. Start with a bit and add more to taste.
- Same goes for the maple syrup (or honey) – start with 1 tablespoon and add more as desired.
- If your nut butter ends up too salty – add a bit more syrup. Same goes vice versa – too sweet? Add a bit more salt.
Recipe Nutrition
Other Dip Recipes
This looks like such a delicious snack! I’m not sure I am handy enough to make them- but I’d sure love to taste it!!
You totally can, it’s the easiest thing EVER to make! 🙂 Thanks so much!
Look at you and your ‘walnut knowledge’! 😉 I always buy those big bags at Costco and can’t wait to go look to see where they are from; thanks for the fun tip! Oh yea and this butter…sounds amazing!
Thanks Mackenzie!
I feel like I have learned so much from this post! It’s so freaking cool this is all in your area. I wish I could find something like that around here. I’m glad you had so much fun on your trip! You made me feel like I was there! Thanks!!
Oh, the walnut butter… Hell yeah, I want some! Gotta try that out. With the maple syrup.. man, it sounds good!
It’s beyond good. I can’t get enough of it!
You amaze me with what you come up with…just sayin 🙂 What a great idea to turn walnuts into a healthy maple butter!!! And with pie chips…so you 🙂 I love it!!!!
Thanks Jocelyn!
What a fun trip! On one trip up I-5 to Oregon, I saw an orchard that had a sign “Allmonds” hanging on the fence … I believe all orchards and fields should be labeled, inquiry minds want to know 🙂 Love and saved the recipe!
YES. They should TOTALLY be labelled. I’ve always thought that too!
I love the idea of signs on farms and ranches, to help educate people and let them know “what’s growing on”. But as a farmer with a small walnut orchard, I have a hard enough time with people helping themselves to my orchard. Stealing isn’t cool; especially since we work all year for one paycheck. You’d be surprised at how often it happens. But I’m grateful for great blog posts showing wonderful examples of how to use delicious California walnuts! I’m looking forward to trying out the pie chips with my walnut butter
I think it’s horrible people would steal!! That’s so wrong. Enjoy the butter, it’s one of my favorites!
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