Almond butter, Walnut butter, Hazelnut butter, Pecan butter ....... Ahhhh my heart dances to the look, the scent, of freshly made nut butter. I have always been a peanut butter addict. Before I became a whole food lovin' eater, I was a Jif girl. Now, I am not bashing Jif in anyway. It did own my heart for a very long time. However, once I learned of the harmful effects of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and added sugar, I made the switch to natural nut butter. You can find all natural peanut and nut butters at your local health food stores, but NOTHING compares to freshly made nut butter right out of your own kitchen.
When I first embarked on the journey of healthy eating, I bought everything already made in the store. Almond milk, nut butters, hummus, salsas, condiments ..... you get the idea. I never really put any thought into how these foods were made. I didn't even think that it was possible for me to make them. I just read the ingredient list and as long as I could pronounce them and knew what everything was, I was happy. Nut butter was the very first thing I made. I can still remember that day. Standing in my kitchen, watching the peanuts swirl in my food processor. It was magic, watching those puppies slowly transform into a creamy butter. Then I opened the lid, dipped my spoon in and tasted my masterpiece. Oh. My. Ghee. It was AMAZING!!!
You can make any nut or seed into a butter. You can even combine them. I like to add a pinch of sea salt and some cinnamon in mine. If I want to add a little sweetness, I'll add in some honey. My dad has his own hive of bees and makes his own honey, it is delicious!!
Fill your heart with nuts. Almonds contain a high amount of Vitamin E and monounsaturated fats. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps to reduce your risk of heart disease. Monounsaturated fats help to reduce LDL cholesterol, which is linked to atherosclerosis and heart disease. Almonds also contain a large amount of magnesium. A deficiency in magnesium is associated with a heart attack and a lack of magnesium after a heart attack can result in free radical damage to the heart.
Walnuts contain Omega-3 fatty acids. It is so important to get these essential fatty acids in your diet because your body cannot make them. Omega-3's help to lower cholesterol, reduce your risk of a heart attack, boosts your immune system and improve brain health. Have you noticed that walnuts have an uncanny resemblance to a brain? It's brain food! Nature is so cool!
NUT BUTTER
1 Cup Raw Nuts (I used Pecans and Walnuts)
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
pinch of Sea Salt
Preheat oven to 350*F
Place the nuts on a baking pan and bake until fragrant and golden. It took my oven about 10 minutes.
Once they have cooled, place all ingredients in a food processor. Turn that baby on and let the magic happen. If you like chunky butter, first pulse the nuts and remove a few spoonfuls of the chopped nuts. Continue to allow the remaining nuts to blend and form a creamy butter. Stir in the chopped nuts. Put the nut butter in a glass jar and store in the fridge. Nuts become rancid quickly so storing nuts and nut butter in the fridge increases the shelf life.
Enjoy!!
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