Making perfectly spreadable homemade peanut butter is easy and delicious! All you need is some roasted peanuts and a food processor. Just blend the peanuts until you get a smooth and creamy texture, and voila - your very own homemade peanut butter!
Why you'll love this creamy peanut butter
- No tree nuts - peanut butter is a childhood favorite. With more and more spreadable nut butter options available, the opportunity for a variety of nuts and flavors is unlimited. For many however, tree nuts are not an option because of allergies so making your own peanut butter easily becomes a favorite staple.
- Health benefits - creamy and delicious peanut butter is so much tastier than store-bought varieties from the grocery store. Without the added oils, salt and sugars, you can control exactly what goes in. Peanuts are a good source of protein, dietary fiber, and healthy monounsaturated fats. Also, biotin, copper, niacin, folate, vitamin E and magnesium, which are important for maintaining healthy skin, hair and bones.
Try making some easy recipes with your own homemade nut butters, like the peanut vinaigrette in my Crunchy Kale Salad with Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette. Or spread some peanut butter on these Double Chocolate Carrot Zucchini Muffins, Fresh Ginger Apple Muffins with Crumble Topping or Lemon Poppy Seed Scones (no egg, gf).
Key ingredients and substitutions
Peanuts - choose raw unsalted peanuts for this natural peanut butter. No need to add olive oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or any hydrogenated oil like you might find in a store-bought version. Swap with raw almonds to make your own quick and easy homemade almond butter.
Sea salt (optional): just a pinch will enhance the peanutty flavor.
Vanilla powder (optional): adds a rich vanilla flavor. Swap for vanilla extract and add at the end of blending to a smooth nut butter.
See recipe card below for all ingredients and quantities.
You don't need to include extra oil in your homemade peanut butter recipe, as the peanuts will release their natural oils as you blend them.
Expert tips and variations
Peanuts - make sure the roasted peanuts are cool before adding to the blender or food processor.
Homemade peanut butter cups - use this homemade version of Matcha Dark Chocolate Mint Cups for the best peanut butter cups. Just swap the filling with your own homemade peanut butter. You can also make peanut butter cookies by swapping the almond butter in these Flourless Almond Butter Cookies.
Chunky peanut butter - if your favorite recipes include crunchy peanut butter, blend the peanuts for a shorter amount of time. You could also mix in a chopped cup of the roasted peanuts to the smooth peanut butter.
Store - natural homemade peanut butter has a shelf life up to 6 months in the fridge or 1 month at room temperature in a cool, dark cupboard or pantry. Store in an airtight container or mason jar with a tight fitting lid.
How to make homemade peanut butter
- Start with 4 cups of raw organic shelled peanuts: the kind of peanuts I like to use are raw organic peanuts because they have not undergone any processing aside from having the shells removed. This way all the nutrients have been retained in the peanuts and they will not have been overheated with roasting, or include additives like salt, low quality oil or sugars.
- Roast the peanuts: this is optional, as you may enjoy the flavor of raw peanut butter, but I suggest you try roasting a batch to bring out a deeper almost sweet characteristic of the peanuts. Roasting the peanuts at 350°F for 10 minutes will allow the natural oils to surface on the peanuts and provide a more creamy peanut butter result without added oils.
- Allow the roasted peanuts to cool: once you remove your roasted peanuts from the oven, allow them to cool completely before blending to prevent overheating.
- Start blending the roasted (or raw) peanuts: add the peanuts to the blender and slowly turn it to high. You will want to use your tamper tool continuously to push the peanuts toward the blades as you coax the peanuts to get creamy. This will take about 2-2 ½ minutes.
- If using a food processor: you’ll need to stop the machine from time to time to scrape down the sides, about 4-5 minutes. The peanuts will start with a crumbled texture, then clump together, then start to get smooth but gritty, then creamy and glossy.
Homemade Peanut Butter: FAQs
You can buy roasted peanuts to make peanut butter but they will have gone through a higher heat processing which destroys more nutrients in the peanuts. You may also need to add some neutral oil at the end of blending as some of the natural oils in the peanuts will have been lost during commercial processing. Spanish peanuts, however have a slightly higher oil content, though they also have red skin which will effect the creamy texture.
Can I use less than 4 cups of peanuts?
4 cups (568 grams) works well because it’s enough nuts to allow the blades in the high speed blender or food processor to do its job. Less nuts, and you won’t be able to effectively use your tamper to work the nuts toward the blades in your blender, and your food processor may push a small amount of nuts to the side without having the chance to blend them down properly.
You'll need a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl of a food processor or high-powered blender.
I highly suggest you refrigerate your peanut butter as it will last up to 6 months in the fridge. If you choose to store your jar in a cool, dark place it may last up to a month. However, it will not have any preservatives in it so be weary of any off-smells or tastes that can be affected by heat or humidity, causing rancidity.
You can always add salt to enhance the flavor of the peanuts. A tablespoon of honey or pure maple syrup will give it some sweetness without the need for brown sugar, powdered sugar or artificial liquid sweetener.
For best results, I like to add ½ teaspoon of vanilla powder or vanilla extract. A pinch of cayenne pepper for spicy peanut butter, or ¼ cup cocoa powder and fold in some chocolate chips for chocolate peanut butter. Just make sure to blend the flavors in at the end of processing.
More easy recipes to try
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Recipe
Homemade Peanut Butter
Equipment
- 1 large rimmed baking sheet
- 1 high-speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 4 cups raw organic shelled peanuts, (568 grams)
- ¼ cup neutral oil like avocado oil or coconut oil (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the raw peanuts without overlapping. Roast for 10 minutes.
- Allow roasted peanuts to cool completely, then transfer to your blender or food processor.
- High speed blender: Place the lid on your container and replace the cap with the tamper. Blend on high, using the tamper tool to coax the nuts into the blades. It will take about 2-2 ½ minutes to achieve smooth peanut butter.
- Food processor: Place the lid on your container and blend, stopping periodically to scrape down the sides of the container with a silicone spatula. It will take about 4 minutes to achieve smooth peanut butter.
- Transfer the peanut butter to a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.
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