Making Nut Butters

I made some wonderful nut butters this morning!  Since Mandie can't have peanuts anymore, we enjoy almond butter and most recently cashew butter.  Finding safe almond butter (ie: without sunflower or palm oil) is difficult and expensive - and finding safe cashew butter is impossible.  Thus, my adventures into making nut butters.  I am not a fan of the store-bought almond butter that Mandie so dearly loves, but after making some today I have changed my mind.  Homemade is YUMMY!  Here's how I did it.

Almond Butter
2 cups whole unsalted almonds, toasted
1/4 cup corn or olive oil (or any safe oil)
pinch of sea salt
pinch of sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place almonds on a baking pan.  Bake for 15 minutes or until they start to smell fragrant.  Cool until you can comfortably handle them.  Place cooled almonds, salt, sugar, and oil in your blender.  Process until it is the texture you prefer.  Store in the fridge.

Cashew Butter
2 cups whole unsalted cashews, toasted
1/3 cup corn or olive oil (or any safe oil)
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cashews on baking pan and bake for 10-15 minutes or until they are fragrant.  Cool until you can handle them.  Place cashews, oil, and salt in blender and process to desired consistency.  Store in the fridge.

I make my nut butters in my Magic Bullet - but any blender or food processor would work.  We love our nut butters on fresh gluten free bread with jelly for sandwiches, in cookies (recipe for cashew butter cookies coming soon), and are looking forward to trying them in fudge in place of peanut butter.  Mandie also LOVES to dip her apple slices in almond butter.  It's an almost daily snack or meal for her.