Forget the store bought peanut butter, you’ll fall in love with making it from scratch! This super simple recipe yields ultra creamy, ultra customizable, ultra delicious peanut butter. With just one ingredient and 10 minutes, you’ll have creamy homemade peanut butter whipped up in no time.
My husband and I were gifted a food processor a few years ago. At the time, we lived in a TINY apartment with an even tinier kitchen. I probably wouldn’t have purchased a food processor due to the lack of space, but it ended up being one of my favorite small kitchen appliances!
One of the first recipes I made in the food processor was peanut butter. Where we lived, there was no grocery store nearby (30 minute drive), but we had a dollar store down the street (15 minute drive). Let’s just say I haven’t gone a week without having fresh, creamy homemade peanut butter in my pantry again.
Why You’ll LOVE Making Peanut Butter:
- It’s Easy! One ingredient, one tool, minimal clean-up, 10 minutes. Bam.
- It’s Healthy – No added sugar (unless you want), oil, or mystery ingredients.
- It’ll Save You Money – Peanuts are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased in bulk. A jar of creamy natural peanut butter at the grocery store (or Whole Foods) might set you back $3 to $5 whereas making peanut butter at home may only cost you as low as $1 (depending on where you live/shop).
- It’s Customizable – Have a sweet tooth? Add a little extra honey or real maple syrup. Like it a little more salty? A touch of sea salt will go a long way. Love cinnamon as much as I do? Add a teaspoon (or two, or three). You can shake things up mixing in melted chocolate, chopped nuts, or chopped dried fruit.
What’s In Homemade Peanut Butter?
Simply peanuts. When you go to the grocery store, check out the nutrition and ingredients labels – you’ll notice some of the peanut butter brands have all sorts of additives.
How to Make Creamy Homemade Peanut Butter
Step 1: Get your food processor out! You should be using the steel blade it comes with. If you don’t have a food processor, I would use a high powered blender – but be aware that it might take a bit longer and you may have to scrape down the sides more often.
Step 2: Toss your peanuts into the food processor and pulverize the nuts! This will take 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the strength of your food processor and the size. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor periodically to fully incorporate all of the nuts.
Step 3: Enjoy your creamy homemade peanut butter!
Common Questions
How long is this good for? In a cool, dry space, homemade peanut butter can last for around 2 weeks. If you think you will keep it for longer, move it to the refrigerator where it will last for around a month. When I keep my homemade peanut butter in the refrigerator, I like to take it out so it comes to room temp before using it so it is spreadable.
Do I need to stir it? Typically, my homemade peanut butter does not separate like the canned stuff. If you have to stir yours, I would use a butter knife and give it a couple of turns.
Why is my peanut butter still chunky? If your peanut butter is not smooth, let the food processor keep doing it’s work! Take a moment to stop the machine and scrape down the sides and bottom to ensure everything is fully incorporated. When it starts to look smooth, let the food processor run for another minute or two.
Can I use almonds or another nut? I haven’t tried this recipe with almonds, walnuts, or pecans. I HAVE added finely chopped, toasted walnuts to my homemade peanut butter before to give it a little crunch. I would suggest consulting other recipes before embarking on making other nut butters!
I put my peanut butter in the fridge, and now it’s too hard to spread. What do I do? The oil within the peanut butter will harden up in the cold (but turn creamy again at room temp). If this bothers you, one solution is to put the peanut butter in several smaller containers, storing most of it in the refrigerator and keeping a small portion out at room temp for use (up to two weeks).
Uses for Homemade Peanut Butter
I love using homemade peanut butter for recipes where the peanut butter really needs to stick out.
- Drizzled into overnight oats (or regular oatmeal)
- Homemade protein bars
- Granola
- Baked oatmeal
- Smoothies or protein shakes
- Smeared on a piece of whole grain toast
Creamy Homemade Peanut Butter Recipe
Equipment
- food processor (or high powered blender)
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted peanuts or honey roasted peanuts
Optional
- salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon honey (if using regular roasted)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- melted white or dark chocolate
Instructions
- Place the peanuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until VERY smooth. Once the mixture starts to come together, stop and scrape down the sides and bottom as necessary. This process can take up to 10 minutes, depending on the strength and size of your food processor. The mixture will appear chunky at first, but keep going until it is super smooth!
Notes
- This recipe makes about 1 to 1.25 cups of creamy delicious peanut butter.
- When you remove the peanut butter from the food processor, it will be warm at first. Allow it to cool in the jar or container before closing the lid.
- Homemade peanut butter can be stored at room temperature (in a cool, dry place) for about 2 weeks. Otherwise, it can be stored in the refrigerator for about a month.
- Blend until you think it's smooth, then blend another minute or two extra!
1 comment
So so so easy!! I am never buying peanut butter at the store again. My food processor isn’t very strong so I had to blend it for a bit longer than I though it would take, but the wait was worth it.