Nut butters are among my absolute favorite kitchen staples to make from scratch. In my opinion they taste much better than prepackaged versions. I particularly enjoy this sweet, creamy honey cashew butter.
If you’re not a fan of cashews (they happen to be my favorite), you can swap them out for pretty much any nut you prefer. Keep in kind that some nuts might have skins that need to be peeled, like pistachios or hazelnuts.
All you need is a food processor. I typically leave the cashews raw but you can also toast them first in a 350-degree-Fahrenheit oven for 5 minutes, or until fragrant.
The longer the nuts are processed, the more their natural oils are released to create a paste. Be patient because it can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides periodically.
The final result will be thicker than store-bought versions. If you’d like to thin it out a bit, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of any neutral flavored oil until the desired consistency is reached.
Honey Cashew Butter
Yields: approximately 2 cups
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon good quality honey (or to taste)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (optional)
Directions:
- Place the cashews, salt and honey in a food processor and pulse several times to chop.
- Turn the machine on high speed and continue to puree the nuts until smooth, scraping down the sides periodically. This process will take several minutes.
- If a thinner consistency is desired, add the vegetable oil.