Make Your Own Nut Butter

Make Your Own Nut Butter

There are a lot of dairy-free products in the market. However, store shelf (even refrigerated) products are lacking in the enzymes needed to properly absorb the nutrition in the drink/food into our bodies. Federal regulations require a pasteurization process that eliminates these essential nutrients. This post shows you how to make nut butters that are enzyme rich and nutrient dense!

Why buy raw seeds or nuts?

I prefer to use raw (not processed or roasted) seeds or nuts when making seed or nut milks. However, when you purchase raw nuts it is always a good idea to soak them in filtered water. Seeds, grains, beans and nuts are storehouses for nutrients. When you “sprout” or soak a seed or a nut, you are causing it to germinate or release the activation in that seed. Soaking helps the seed to become a live food. Sprouting or soaking eliminates certain acids and toxins that would potentially interfere with digestion. For example, the protein content increases and starch decreases when beans are soaked. Alternatively, you may purchase roasted and salted nuts. They would work to make the butter, it would just not be as healthy and not enzyme-rich.

To help the nut or seed to be clean and nutritious as possible, you can take a look at this chart as a reference for how long to soak raw nuts or seeds. The chart is also on the post for nut milk. For nuts or seeds to make nut butter, do you not need to see a sprout forming from that seed. Soaking will activate it. Some of this information was taken from the Raw UNcook book. I will list some of my other favorite sources for making nut and seed butters below.

Soaking/Sprouting times for different seeds and nuts

Almonds:  soak for 8 hours but will not sprout

Flax Seeds: soak for 1/2 hour but will not sprout

Walnuts: soak for 4 hours but will not sprout

Sesame seeds: soak for 6 hours and will sprout in 2 days

Mung beans: soak for 4 hours and will sprout in 2 days

Quinoa: Soak for 2 hours and will sprout in one day

Pumpkin seeds, hulled: Soak for 4 hours and will sprout in 2 days

Hemp seed: not need to soak and not sure about sprouting

 

Soaking versus Sprouting

You can sprout whole grains, nuts, beans, lentils, chickpeas, sunflower, pumpkin, chia seeds, chickpeas, split peas, black-eyed peas, quinoa, oats, nuts, and practically any vegetable. The most common sprouted seeds are alfalfa, broccoli, radishes, and mung beans.*

For this recipe, we are just looking to have good nutritious seeds or nuts to make a nut butter, therefore soaked but not necessarily sprouted. For more information on sprouting, you can go to the Sprouting Kitchen*

Dehydrating

After soaking the nuts or seeds, I like to dehydrate the seed or nut mixture in a dehydrator overnite. This will allow the nuts to dry completely. Seeds may not need to dehydrate as long. You will only know know how dry they are by chewing on a nut to check the moisture content.

Equipment Makes a Difference

There are a couple of different options you may consider when blending. I have used a blender; either a Vitamix or a Pampered Chef blender to make nut butters. With each appliance, you would blend in a Vitamix or blender can blend as long as it takes to turn the nuts into a butter-like substance. The key is to blend without adding heat; low and slow. I have also used a food processor to blend nuts and successfully made butter. The food processor takes about 15 minutes. Stop occasionally to cool it off and to scrap the sides. It is important to note that some blenders will want to heat up to blend. You will want to avoid this to keep the enzymes intact.

1. Soak 3 cups of nuts according to chart above. For hard nuts, soak raw nuts overnite.

2. Dry off and dehydrate overnite or as long as need to make sure nuts and seeds are totally dry.

3. Place in blender or food processor and blend. Could take 15 minutes or more if you take the time to blend low and slow. Use the grinder function if using the Pampered Chef blender. Stop occasionally to scrap the sides of the blender or food processor.

4. Blend until smooth. Add additional flavors and enjoy!

 

Shopping List for my favorite seeds or nuts:

My source for Almonds, Walnuts or Pecans in their raw form, can be purchased here.

Hemp seed

Another good option for Walnuts– raw and soaked (suggested substitute)

 

Optional add-in ingredients and equipment:

Cocao Nibs

Add your own cacao chips!

Carob powder

Coconut Oil

Sea Salt (I prefer this brand)

Pampered Chef Blender

Vitamix

Dehydrator

 

Living Raw Food

the Raw UNcook book

Paleo eating-raw

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