Kelly Gibney's Nut Butter

Photo: Supplied/Kelly Gibney

Dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian

Making nut butters at home can save you a lot of money, as store-bought varieties can be crazy expensive. I’ve been making my own for a long time. I’m lucky to now have a powerful high-speed blender that can do it in just a few minutes, although I made it for years in my regular food processor. It requires a little patience but the end result is beautiful. You’ll be thrilled when you make that first batch. Homemade nut butter makes a great gift.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (420g) raw nuts - I most often use almonds or a cup each of almond, Brazil and cashew nuts
• salt to taste

Method

Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees C

Spread nuts out evenly on a large ovenproof tray. Roast for 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Place the nuts in a food processor and start to run the machine. Process the nuts for 10-20 minutes (depending on the machine), until the nut butter is absolutely smooth and creamy. You will need to take lots of breaks within this time to both to scrape the sides of the food processor bowl and to prevent the motor overheating.

The stages of making nut butter will appear as follows:

•     whole nuts
•     fine crumbs
•     sticky and solid mass
•     very coarse paste
•     smooth and creamy.

DO NOT add any extra oil or other liquid. It is not needed. Perseverance is key. The nuts will release their own oils (given enough time) to make perfectly smooth nut butter. Add salt to taste at the end.

Added extras

A tablespoon or two of either maple syrup or good quality honey is a delicious addition. As is ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.