Make Peanut Butter
To make peanut butter, all you need is a food processor and peanuts. With this recipe, you add three cups of dry roasted, unsalted peanuts to your food processor and process for ten minutes. First your peanuts will turn into powder. Then the peanuts will release their natural oils and you get a creamy consistency. Add a half teaspoon of salt and an optional tablespoon of a liquid sweetener like honey or agave and you just made peanut butter!
Try our favorite peanut butter recipes: Healthy Cinnamon Peanut Butter Dip, Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge, Peanut Butter Jam Bars, Peanut Butter Cup Pudding, Thai Coconut Peanut Soup.
Store Bought Peanut Butter Versus Homemade Questions and Answers:
Is homemade peanut butter healthier?
The short answer is yes. Homemade is healthier than store bought because you control all of the ingredients.
You can buy organic peanuts, and you also know that there are no additives, like high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, oils, or other emulsifiers in what you make.
The sugar and salt content are all up to you.
Is homemade better than store bought?
There are several reasons to make peanut butter versus buying it in the store. The first is that it’s healthier because you use whole ingredients. You know what is in your recipe, and there are no preservatives or other additives that can be harmful to your health.
Homemade also offers a stronger peanut flavor, so when you add it to recipes like smoothies or baked goods, it tastes much better.
Does from scratch peanut butter need to be refrigerated?
The peanut butter you make does not need to be refrigerated. It will last for up to a month, stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place. However, peanuts do go rancid after that period.
If a month is not long enough for you, you can store it in the fridge for up to six months. Just know that the fridge will make your peanut butter hard.
Before you refrigerate, stir your ingredients so that the oils will raise to the top and keep everything smooth. If it is still too hard when you pull it out of the fridge, you might have to pop it in the microwave for approximately ten-twenty seconds. Take it out and stir, if it’s still too hard, repeat the process. You don’t want to heat up your peanuts too much because heat and humidity speed up the natural decomposition of the peanuts, and they can go bad.
As a final tip, be wary of cross contamination. If you’re a PBandJ fan, watch that you don’t get jelly in the peanut butter as extra sugars can contribute to spoiling the batch.
What is the cost?
Homemade can be cost effective if you can buy peanuts in bulk. Organic peanuts will cost more.
One pound of peanuts equals approximately three cups of raw peanuts. In this recipe, three cups will yield 1.5 cups of peanut butter.
A five pound bag of peanuts from Amazon will cost around 20 dollars and yield about 7.5 cups. A jar of store bought peanut butter that is 16 oz will yield about 2 cups and cost around 6 dollars (unless you go with the cheaper brands that have lots of additives in them).
So you’ll have to buy about three and a half jars of store bought (which costs around 24 dollars) to equal what you can make from the bulk peanuts (which costs about 20).
How can I get a creamy consistency?
Sometimes peanut oils release differently, depending on the type of peanuts you get. If your peanut butter is too grainy, you can add in peanut oil. Try a few teaspoons at a time and make sure to process for a few minutes before adding more.
Peanut Butter
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 3 cups peanuts roasted, unsalted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pour three cups of roasted, unsalted peanuts into a food processor.
- Process the peanuts for ten minutes.
- Add a half teaspoon of salt. 1 tablespoon of a sweetener such as honey or agave is optional.
- Process another minute or until your peanut butter is smooth.