All it takes to make peanut butter at home is peanuts and a few minutes with a food processor. Fully customizable to suit your tastes, it's easy to make and better than store bought!
food processor fitted with blade attachment or blender
Ingredients
11-lb jar(454grams)peanuts, unsalted and dry roasted, see Recipe Notes
¾ to 1teaspoon(¾ to 1teaspoon)kosher salt, or to taste, optional
1 to 2tablespoons(1tablespoon)honey, or another sweetener, optional, see Recipe Notes
1 to 2tablespoons(1tablespoon)peanut oil, or another neutral oil, optional, see Recipe Notes
Instructions
Warm the peanuts: This step is optional but it helps to warm up the peanuts and loosen the oils for easier blending and a creamier finished product. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Place roasted peanuts on a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake for 5 minutes.
Make the peanut butter: Place the peanuts into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment or blender (still warm, if you baked them).
Pulse the peanuts a few times to start getting them chopped. For chunky peanut butter, remove about ⅓ cup of the chopped nuts and set aside.
1st round: Run the processor continuously for one minute, then stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. The peanuts will look dry and grainy.
2nd round: Run the processor for another minute, then stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. The peanuts will start clumping together.
3rd round: Run the processor for another minute, then stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Now it will start looking like thick, glossy peanut butter. Almost there!
Add the salt (if using). See the recipe notes for making the finished peanut butter creamier or sweeter.
4th round: Run the processor for one to two minutes more until the product is completely smooth. Taste to adjust the saltiness (or texture or sweetness, if desired).
If you set aside some chopped nuts, add them now and quickly pulse them in.
Transfer the product to a clean jar. If you warmed the peanuts first, allow the peanut butter to cool to room temperature before closing the jar.
This recipe yields about 1½ cups of finished peanut butter.
Storage instructions: Homemade peanut butter will last refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 months. There’s no need to stir the peanut butter as it won’t separate, so you can enjoy it immediately!
Recipe Notes
A one pound (454 gram) jar of roasted peanuts contains between 3 to 4 cups of peanuts. This product won’t be quite as smooth as commercial peanut butter, but it’s spreadable and yummy. Just think of all the preservatives, emulsifiers, and additives you’re not using!If you use raw peanuts, increase the roasting time to 10 minutes. Roasting is optional, but gives the finished peanut butter a deeper flavor. I avoided using peanuts that were already salted or roasted with peanut oil so that I could control the finished flavor and texture, but the choice is yours.For sweeter peanut butter, add 1 to 2 tablespoons honey or another sweetener when adding in the salt. For creamier peanut butter, add 1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil or another neutral oil when adding in the salt. Peanut oil is best, but any unflavored oil will work.You don't have to limit yourself to peanuts to have a homemade nut butter (especially if there's a peanut allergy around). Almonds, cashews, and sunflower seeds are but a few examples for homemade nut butters. Use your favorite!