How to Make Almond Butter
Homemade almond butter is healthy, affordable and even more delicious than store-bought! Learn how to make almond butter with this easy recipe.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
What took me so long to make almond butter? I just enjoyed homemade almond butter on toast for breakfast, and I must say—it’s far superior to store-bought almond butter. Homemade almond butter is ultra thick and creamy, and it tastes like warm, freshly roasted almonds.
Now that I know the difference, I can’t go back to buying jars at the store. I blend a tiny bit of cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup into mine to make it taste extra special. Why not?
Homemade almond butter is more affordable, too. The math is simple. One pound of almonds yields one pound of almond butter (or 16 ounces), which is the size of the standard almond butter jar at the store. Just compare the price of one pound of raw almonds to the price of your favorite almond butter.
The cost savings depend largely on the almond butter. I’ve bought jars of almond butter at Trader Joe’s for seven dollars, so there’s not much savings opportunity there.
However, I’ve seen almond butter on shelves demanding seventeen dollars per jar. Seventeen dollars! For blended-up almonds! This is highway robbery, and I will not be robbed.
Homemade Almond Butter Tips
When it comes to making almond butter, patience is key. It might seem like the whole almonds will never turn into creamy nut butter, but they always do. Don’t give up!
Buy raw almonds and roast them in the oven yourself. Warm almonds blend more easily and offer maximum fresh almond flavor. Roasting the almonds only takes 10 minutes, and it’s absolutely worth it.
Roasted almonds offer the same nutritional benefits as raw almonds (protein, fiber, healthy fat, and vitamins), although their vitamin content is a tiny bit lower. The flavor difference is absolutely worth it, in my opinion. The “raw” almonds you buy at the store have probably been heat-treated to kill bacteria already and will inevitably warm up from the heat of the machine, anyway.
Watch How to Make Almond Butter
Suggested Equipment
Making almond butter is easy, as long as you have a sturdy food processor or blender and some patience. I’ve successfully made almond butter in my Cuisinart food processor and my Vitamix blender (affiliate links).
The blender may have been a few minutes faster (the tamper is handy to press almonds down into the blades), but I couldn’t tell a difference in the texture or flavor of the final product.
My favorite way to enjoy almond butter? I love it on whole-grain toast with berries on top (fresh berries, defrosted frozen, or chia berry jam). You can also spread almond butter on quick breads, like banana bread or muffins. Or, blend it into smoothies or swirl it into yogurt for extra protein.
This freshly roasted almond butter would make a lovely handmade gift. Just tie a ribbon around the jar and it’s ready to go. If this recipe spurs a nut butter kick, try making homemade pecan butter. Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments!
Homemade Almond Butter
Homemade almond butter is healthy, affordable and even more delicious than store-bought! It’s easy to make, too. You’ll just need a good food processor or blender. Recipe yields about 1 ⅔ cup almond butter (that’s 16 ounces, the equivalent of a jar of almond butter from the store).
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (3 cups) raw almonds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional: ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Optional: ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the almonds across a large, rimmed baking sheet and toast the almonds for 10 minutes, stirring halfway.
- Let the almonds cool until they’re just warm (not hot), about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the almonds to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until creamy, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary. You’re going to think it’ll never blend, but be patient! The almonds will go from flour-like clumps, to a ball against the side of the food processor (keep scraping down the sides and breaking up the ball), and finally, it will turn lusciously creamy. If the mixture gets crazy hot along the way, stop and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Once the almond butter is very smooth and creamy (no sooner!), you can blend in any add-ins you would like. I always add salt, for more flavor overall. You can also add cinnamon for a hint of spice, and vanilla and/or maple syrup for almond butter that tastes more special than store-bought.
- Blend until the add-ins are evenly dispersed. When I added maple syrup, I had to let the mixture cool, and then blend a few additional minutes, to make it creamy again.
- Let the almond butter cool to room temperature, then transfer the mixture to a mason jar and screw on the lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or until you see or smell any signs of spoilage.
Notes
Change it up: You can create a mixed nut butter by substituting raw cashews, walnuts or pecans for some of the almonds. Just roast them all on the pan together.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I made it differently with raw organic almonds, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp iodized salt, 1/8 to 1/16th pure monk fruit powder. Perfect! I need a better nut butter maker for sure on a budget! If you have ideas for food processors I’d appreciate it. Thanks for the ideas and making me brave enough to try making my own allergy free fast food! I also made the roasted hazelnut butter with & without cocoa. Didn’t care for them but the almond like this tastes like peanut butter which I can’t have. Blessings
We usually buy the ground almond butter from Whole Foods but were looking for a more economical ground version. We tried your recipe and love the flavor and the creaminess but it has that “stick to the roof of your mouth” quality that we’re not so fond of. Any idea what creates this quality? Blending too long? Not long enough? Although it’s pretty creamy. Almost runny. We might try adding oil as some folks here suggested but would prefer less ingredients if possible. Ideas? Thsnk you for sharing your recipe!
Hi Elanie, I’m not sure why you are experiencing that, especially if you are getting it to the creamy level.
Hi Elaine, I went through the same process, you’ll need to blend it more still. And don’t forget to add a little salt, I think that helps break it down and let the natural oils release.
Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe. It really is divine.
You’re welcome, Claire.
Hi Kate-
I like roasting the almonds first, because now my house smells like almonds :) but once you toss it into the food processor to blend up, are you supposed to let it run continuously or pulse it? I’ve had my food processor going for about fifteen minutes (on and off to scrape down the sides) and am still looking at a jar of finely-processed almond flour. Thoughts?
Hi Andrew, you will want to blend on high. How did it end up turning out for you? It can take some time for it to start to change.
Made this, and then crushed up some extra roasted almonds and mixed them in to turn it into crunchy almond butter – AMAZING.
I love it! Thanks for your review, Biscuit!
This is my second time making the almond butter. I used vanilla, cinnamon and a drop of coconut oil. So smooth and delicious. I’m going to chop a few more almonds to make it crunchy. I love that idea.
How long it can keep in the fridge
Thanks
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or until you see or smell any signs of spoilage.
Delicious
Thank you, Doug!
Took over a hour to make but i got there in the end… especially after adding the honey.. very happy with the result
It shouldn’t have taken that long! What type of food processor or blender did you use?
Thank you for sharing this healthy recipe i love it…
Is it possible to use my nutribullet for this recipe?
I’m not sure if it is high powered enough, sorry! I don’t know too much about nutribullets.
Thank you for your response.
I tried it and it worked. And it was very good I did add a little honey after it was finished.
Thank you for this comment, very helpful. Will try it with a Nutribullet tomorrow
Is this really only good for 2 weeks in the fridge?! I keep my store-bought almond butter on the counter at room temperature for months before I go through it all and it’s fine. There are no preservatives in it either
Hi Chad, that’s how long it lasted for me before showing signs of spoilage.
You might want to pasteurize your jar before transferring the almond butter in it to kill the bacteria. I submerge mine in boiling water for about 3 minutes (and the lid) and that should help give it a longer shelf life. My mom does a lot of jams so seems to work for her.
This didn’t work well for me. I have a high-end Oster blender, but it couldn’t handle three cups of almonds at once. I had to process the almonds in smaller batches. Even then, the resulting paste (completely smooth) was dry and tacky and didn’t get creamier even after another 15 minutes blending, and my blender was in danger of meltdown. I solved the problem by adding some hazelnut oil. I didn’t bother processing all of it because I haven’t got all day and have kept the rest of the almond flour for baking and smoothies. The resulting almond butter is okay, but frankly my favourite organic store-bought is tastier. I think the almonds might have benefited from longer roasting.
Hi Hilary! That’s odd and I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m happy you were able to find a solution.
Maybe try the food processor next time?
Yes, that might work better, but I don’t have one and see no need for one. Just another noisy flipping appliance that takes up counter space and needs to be taken apart and cleaned!
Wow! We are not here, to hear your problems bro… chill
Cram it.
The key to this recipe is PATIENCE. I made it with some vanilla, Lo Salt, and maple syrup—so good! But it has to blend for a WHILE. Like at least 10 minutes in a good food processor. I tried the vitamix first and that was a hot mess. Also, cooling the mixture after you add maple syrup and then blending again for a long time is important!
Thanks!! I’ll try cooling everything before the second blend. I haven’t been able to get it creamy yet after the add-ins.
I made this recipe for the first time. My Blendtec overheated so I transferred to a food processor. I blended until creamy but I couldn’t figure out how creamy was creamy enough. I added salt and maple syrup and a bit of vanilla extract. After about 40-minutes I threw in the towel on mixing. It tastes pretty good, I just wish it was a bit creamier. Seems like it could have stood some type of oil to blend.
Help!! Once I add the maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and salt I cannot get the almond butter creamy again. I matter how long I continue to blend it. I have made the recipe many times and have the same outcome. I’m clearly doing something wrong, does anyone have any thoughts? It looks like a dry, crumbly poop. Love the taste though!
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. Have you let the mixture cool prior to blending again? It may be too hot when you add the add-ins.
I just made this and it was creamy right before I added the extra stuff! From there it wasn’t creamy again and just crumbled. It got really hard and just can’t fix it from this. Tastes amazing but unfortunately it’s not spreadable.
Clearly I am doing something wrong.
I waited until it cooled down but was still hard
Can I roast the raw almonds in a skillet as I don’t have an oven? And do I roast them dry or with some EVOO (I’ve tried dry before but read online that others add EVOO and sea salt.)
Thanks!
Hey! I’d like to know if you can freeze almond butter (to make a huge batch, divide it and unfreeze one small amount at a time) ?
I would think so, but I haven’t tried it. Let me know how it works for you!
I just made this almond butter with an inexpensive ($40) Hamilton Beach processor and it did the job. I ran into the same problem as others – after adding salt, vanilla and honey it went from creamy to crumbly. So, while continuing to process on low now, I gradually added oil to it. I didn’t measure but I’d guess about 1 Tbl or less. I have 4 different oils but decided peanut oil sounds like the best choice. Now, it’s creamy and delicious ;-) Thanks for the recipe!!
This method is very good. I warmed the nuts stovetop in skillet, then used cuisineart processor, and after 20 mins the butter was done. Creamy result! then I added sea salt and maple syrup by hand and the mixture toughened up. Only just read another comment advising to continue processing until smooth again. Oh well, next time
Thanks for sharing, Candy!
I think I didn’t get it right this… it supposedly turned more light color?
At the end I put a little olive oil and some water to get it all together. And I put the flavor at the beginning (I know I did everything wrong) but after getting all together and
after waiting to get colder I blended for 10 min straight.. and not very happy with the results. HELP WITH WHAT WENT WRONG :(
Hi! I’m sorry you didn’t have perfect results. The color will be as shown in the pictures. This will take time, depending on the power of your blend or food processor. It needs a high powered one. I hope this helps!
I love this recipe! The butter turned out delicious :) quick note that I had to add 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil to the recipe after including the add-ins (salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract & maple syrup) to make it creamy again.
I put the cinnamon and maple syrup along with the vanilla essence in just after I had started processing the almonds. (Pays to read the full recipe). However, it worked!!
I just had to double the amount of time and used a teaspoon to hand mix gently the sticky layer that was on the bottom of the mix a few times then processed until the butter turned creamy. i added a little bit of salt near the end. It bypassed the ball stage. I am going to try and add a photo if I can work the technology bit!
I just subscribed to your email newsletter today. I have not tried your recipes as yet but rest assured I am going to enjoy trying. I am 80 years old and love healthy cooking. I have about 10 recipes picked out that I will be trying. I will let you know of my successes, (failures too) if I have any. Thank you!
I rarely comment but you sound so so cute. I hope you enjoyed cooking the 10 recipes
I don’t usually comment either, but both of your (Sandra and Aakriti’s) comments were so sweet that I wanted to say: I’m glad you made these comments. It is nice to read things from the heart.
Thanks so much for this recipe, I love it! It’s exactly as you say, it takes time but it really works! It’s my go to recipe for almond butter and I always have a supply in the fridge. Thanks again!
You’re welcome, Shaz!
I made this the other day only took 15 min,was wonderful,trying to make again but it keeps seizing up on me,don’t know why.
Hi Linda! Just when you don’t think it will blend and get creamy, keep going! Sometimes the time matters by food processor and power of it. Let me know if you try again!
Really, really just fabulous. I ended up having to use a far smaller jar than intended cause I could not stop eating it right off the spatula over the course of making it! It does take a while in a Cusinart food processor. Patience! I needed to alternate pulsing with blending blending blending/scraping scraping scraping…Just keep going. Toward the end to really set off the creamy factor I did drizzle in the barest amount of walnut oil and what was left of my Just Date syrup. I did it more for texture than flavor and was so elated with the result I had to immediately rave right here in the comments. Hard to imagine a more delicious almond butter! Thanks Kate!! X
made this recipe! turned out so good i love it on apples !!
Yes! Almond butter and apples is delicious.
Hi, your quantity is incorrect. The ingredients read “16 ounces (3 cups).” There are 8 ounces in a cup. Do you mean 2 cups?
This is good. Btw to respond to a previous reviewer, 8oz of liquid Doesn’t necessarily compare to solids. Solids can show 8oz and weigh more or less depending on what it is. I used three cups.
I just couldn’t get this to work either. I was so optimistic and incredibly patient but until I added some oil and some extra maple syrup it stayed pasty and thick and just wouldn’t budge. I thought I was going to burn out my blender. It took over an hour in my ninja pro intellesense blender. Started with a blender cup, transferred to the food processor, then back to the blender cup. Even after the extras it was still dry. I wonder if it was my almonds?
Hi Tammy, I am sorry to hear that! I don’t have too much experience with the Ninja brand. Did you roast your almonds to start?
I did! It’s weird. Hearing all the wonderful reviews, I wish it had turned out. I wonder if my almonds were perhaps too old? I keep them in a glass jar. I would like to try this again but if my blender is the problem I fear I wouldn’t have any more success. My blender is not a Vitamix but it’s pretty good high speed blender. Maybe it just isn’t powerful enough though.
Hi Tammy, I wish I had a good answer for you. I’m sorry! Do you have a high powered food processor?
Hi Katie
Your polite and considerate remarks are so nice. I haven’t made the almond butter yet since I just discovered this recipe but hopefully I will soon remedy that.
Wow, I was expecting ok, but this was awesome. I just processed this in my blendtec, and it took about 2 minutes to get thick and creamy. It’s all gone and now I’m craving almond butter, which I didn’t know was even a thing people craved. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m happy it worked well for you, Rachelle.
This was a fail for us. I blame our underpowered Cuisinart blender. After at least 15 minutes of high-power blending, the almonds were still the consistency of damp Grape Nuts cereal. I tried adding a little veg oil to get some traction, but a very high speed blender is clearly required.
I’m sorry to hear that! Do you have a food processor? That might work too! But yes, high powered is needed for this.
I just made this and it is so delicious! Followed the exact recipe and I can’t stop eating this! I’m happy it worked as I have a very cheap blender, but it turned out perfect with some patience. Thank you for sharing!
Wow. It was really simple to follow. It smelled so divine even my 4 year old was driven mad by the smell of the roasting almonds. It did take me a few minutes but I used an Osterizer it really doesn’t have the power but it finally did it. Delicious. Looking forward to play with other nut blends. Thanks for the share. ❤
Thank you for sharing, Diana!
Super Yummy! I add nothing. Love this stuff!
HOW MUCH DOES THIS MAKE. 1 CUP 1 CUPS????? This recipe was a disaster. Never use a food processor> I had it on for 1/2 hour or more never stuck together at all. I even added some oil. Nothing.. This isn’t butter it’s flour!!
Hi Tia, I’m sorry to hear you are frustrated by this recipe. Your food processor may just not have been powerful enough.
This recipe worked for me! I have a 15-yr old Cuisinart food processor, and I’d say it took about 5 minutes to be smooth enough to be “done.” I paused and scraped down the sides several times. Added sea salt and a dash of cinnamon at the end. Thank you!
Thank you – i love the detailed notes on what the different stages are as you make…Beautiful taste
Hi,I love your nut butters! I was hoping could you help me figure out the nutritional info when sweeteners are added? I’m just concerned with the sugar content.I have been adding up the sugars in the nuts and maple syrup. after its turned to nut butter, I will then weigh out all of the nut butter into total grams.divide the sugar into total grams x’s 2 Tablespoons (32g)…For some reason I don’t think I’m getting this right.help! Sorry for long comment!
Hi Kelly! I’m happy you love them! Sorry, I can’t be of much help. You could use an online calculator like my fitness pal or something to help you with your specific adjustments.
Hello!
I only have a Bella Hand Blender, I am guessing that ignorance will not be strong enough to handle the almonds?
Hi Tamara! I’m afraid you’re correct—I can’t imagine a hand blender having enough power to blend through almonds.
Hi so I have question
This recipe is great and gives me creamy butter quickly until I add the add-ins, then it turns hard
And although I continue blending it for awhile in my high speed food processor, it cant quite get it to be creamy again
Any suggestions on what to add to help cream-ify it?
Hi Irina, after you add the sweetener, are you pausing the machine to let it cool for a few minutes before blending again (per instructions)? That did the trick for me.
It should get creamy once you keep blending for longer. Are you blending high?
I decided to try to make my own almond butter when I saw the ingredients list on my store bought jar – almonds! I followed this super easy recipe and after 12 min in my Cuisinart had creamy, dreamy almond butter. I used just vanilla this first time but look forward to trying other add ins – like almond extract! This homemade version is FAR superior to store bought.
I’m glad you think so, Katie! Thanks for sharing.
Followed Ms Kathryns instructions exactly (almonds only) and this is truly better than store bought. We have made our peanut butter for years now and almond butter is the same time and process other than roasting the almonds first. Vita Mix is our blender of choice. Peanuts are going away and almonds are taking their place.
Milton from North Carolina
Came out fantastic. In India We all have high powered blenders (aka mixie) and in 5 minutes I had something that my daughter who is lactose intolerant can enjoy. Thank you for sharing.
Great recipe! Thanks for the advice about being patient despite thinking it will never blend :)
THANK YOU,THANK YOU & THANK YOU AGAIN! The absolute BEST recipe ever!! Took me a bit to get it down and listen to instructions, as I’m stubborn. But everyone I’ve given this to has been blown away, as well as myself! It takes a few times to realize when to add additional ingredients etc, it gets better every time I make it. I do everything except sweeteners, perfect without, also I did 1/4 t vanilla & 1/4t almond extracts, but enjoyed with just the vanilla itself!!! Again, thank you so much for sharing your magic!!!
You’re welcome, Dani! I’m happy you love it so much. I know how it can be hard to follow a recipe sometimes, but I’m happy you did. Thanks for your review.
Took a little while to make, but taste amazing, but my turn out a very light colour? Did I not roast the almonds enough?
Hi Lianne, that’s interesting! Did your almonds have the skin on like mine? Hope you’re pleased with the flavor!
Yes they did, will try roasting them a little bit longer next time or blend them a little bit longer. But will definitely making the recipe again
I made this with raw almonds, forgot to toast first. I left in in the processor and only had to scrape once in the beginning. After I noticed that it was slowly moving itself around and indeed it eventually tumbled the side bits down! Leaving it going without stopping to scrape made the processor get pretty warm and I think that helped it blend. Just a pinch of salt and nothing else – creamy and warm after about 15min!!! Mmmmm….. if you look closely and can notice the mixture is still moving (even if it just looks like the sides) I would just leave it alone. If it definitely isn’t blending anything anymore then go ahead and open it and scrape it down towards the blade. Good luck!
I’m glad it worked for you, Allisan! Thanks for your detail and review.
I made this, but with chai spice instead of cinnamon! Super good!
I love this recipe! TBH I don’t even measure out everything exactly but the combination of salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and honey is such a great addition to a plain almond recipe. I’ve now made this multiple times and love it. I always get compliments on it too. Thank you so much!
What can you tell me about storing this butter? Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Let the almond butter cool to room temperature, then transfer the mixture to a mason jar and screw on the lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or until you see or smell any signs of spoilage.
Can it be stored in a plastic container?
Sure!
Hi can I use slivered almonds? They’re the only ones I have at home. Will it work if I roast them?
Hey Lauren! You’d need a lot of slivered almonds to make a jar’s worth of almond butter (16 ounces). But it should work fine! Are they labeled as toasted? If not, you could lightly roast them in the oven but be careful—they are more likely to burn since they are smaller (stir frequently, don’t roast as long as suggested in the recipe). Hope that helps!
Hi Dear,
Can I use Nutribullet instead of blender?
Hi Sherryll! I’m not sure it has the same power of a high power blender or food processor, which this recipe really needs.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for your response, I would like to let you know that my Nutribullet is not the ordinary one. I have Nutribullet RX
The Nutribullet Rx Is The Biggest, Most Powerful And Most Technologically Advanced Nutribullet To Date!
With Its 2.3 Horsepower Motor And Incredible 1700 Watts Of Power, The Nutribullet Rx Has Been Pre-Programmed To Operate With Hands-Free Smart Technology.
Thank you for the recipe….. I needed some almond butter for a drink I was making and had none to hand….. thanks for sharing.
This was awesome! I made this with almonds and cashews. The cashews were salted because that’s all they had at the store, so I just did not add extra salt to the recipe. I also left out the cinnamon just to see what it was like without it, but I may add it in next time! It is absolutely delicious! I’m trying to not eat peanuts right now because I think I have a sensitivity to them, and I can’t buy almond butter very easily in the country I live in. So glad I tried this out!
This worked in my little Kitchenaid food processor. My bag of almonds was 10.5 oz which fit perfectly in the processor. It took awhile but not an unreasonable amount of time- maybe 5 minutes. However it got hot and there was steam when I took the top off. Yikes!