This probably should have been my first post when I started this blog. My love for peanut butter goes back to before I can remember. I think my mom must have bottle fed me this stuff. Ok, that is a slight exaggeration. But you get the point of how much I love peanut butter. When I was running competitively, I would have peanut butter multiple times a day. My favorite cliff bar was the peanut butter flavored one, cream cheese didn't exist as a bagel topping when peanut butter was around, and I have been known (and still am known) to carry around a jar with a spoon. Now I'll stop confessing my love for peanut butter, I promise.
The reason it has taken me this long to bring you a homemade peanut butter recipe is I haven't been able to get my hands on plain peanuts! Laugh, but it is nearly impossible to find raw, unsalted peanuts that you don't have to crack and pick out of the shell (because I'm lazy). While I have been keeping my eyes open, the closest I have found is organic, dry roasted, unsalted peanuts. I actually used just that to make this peanut butter and it turned out wonderful! My aunt sent me a giant 5 pound bag of peanuts from Vermont, which left me no option but to try my hands at making some butter!
As it turns out, making peanut butter is easier and shorter than making almond butter. I was pleasantly surprised, and didn't complain one bit as I was able to quickly try a spoonful of the still-warm peanut butter. The process is basically the same as that of making homemade almond butter, without the roasting (if you're using dry-roasted peanuts like I did), and with less scraping down the sides of the food processor. Ready? Grab three cups of peanuts, a pinch of salt, and a food processor and let's get started!
Add your peanuts to your food processor, and turn on high.
After a minute of processing, you will have a fine peanut flour. Keep processing.
After two minutes, you will notice the peanut flour is starting to stick together. Keep processing. If your peanuts are climbing up the sides too much, and the blades are unable to reach them, scrape down the sides of the processor before continuing. At any point after this stage, you notice the peanuts are not touching the blades, stop and scrape down the sides.
The peanuts will begin to clump into one mass after 4 minutes, and a thin layer of peanut butter will begin to form on the bottom. Keep processing.
Getting there! At around 6-7 minutes the peanuts will look like they are thinking about changing into peanut butter. Keep processing.
At around 8 minutes, you will notice a small ball of peanuts rolling around the base of your processor. In about an minute, this will fully dissolve and the peanut butter will be ready!
Viola! Homemade peanut butter. I stored mine in a old peanut butter jar that I washed. If you are a true peanut butter lover, you have to make your own at least once. It's like going to Harry Potter World in Orlando for a die-hard Harry Potter fan. Is it truly a magical experience? Probably not, but it's just one of those things that has to happen. I actually don't find homemade peanut butter to be drastically better than my favorite organic creamy store bought version from Wegman's. I currently only make homemade almond butter because it is SO much tastier than any packaged version. I'm not sure I'm going to make peanut butter all the time because I am able to buy a version that is affordable and only contains organic peanuts and sea salt that, in my opinion, tastes just as good. Am I glad I made this? Absolutely! Will I make it again? Hell yes! I just don't think I'll be making it once a week, like almond butter.
Now excuse me while I drink this peanut butter cup smoothie. With fresh peanut butter, there was no other option :) Happy Hump Day.
Spread it on multi-grain english muffins or sweet potato naan bread
Whip up a batch of no-bake peanut butter cookie dough bites
Stuff it in the center of a chocolate cookie
Cool off with a chocolate peanut butter cookie dough blizzard
Power up in the morning with a peanut butter banana buckwheat bowl
or, slather it on just about every one of my muffin, pancake, or waffle recipes!
P.S. eating it by the spoonful is always an option :)
Homemade Smooth Peanut Butter
3 cups dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts
pinch sea salt
Directions:
Process peanuts in a food processor for about 10 minutes, or until desired peanut butter consistency is reached, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary.
Homemade Crunchy Peanut Butter
3 cups dry-roasted peanuts, divided
pinch sea salt
Directions:
Reserve 1/2 a cup of peanuts when adding the peanuts to the food processor. Process the peanuts in the food processor for about 10 minutes, or until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. After desired consistency is reached, add the reserved 1/2 cup of peanuts and pulse a few times, until the peanuts are broken into small pieces.
Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie
1 1/2 frozen bananas,
1 Tbsp cacao powder
1/2-1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp homemade peanut butter, heated
Directions:
Blend bananas, cacao powder, unsweetened almond milk, and vanilla in a high speed blender until smooth. Start with 1/2 cup of almond milk and slowly add more until desired consistency is reached. Pour into a glass and drizzle warm peanut butter on top. Swirl a few times with a spoon so it is evenly distributed, then devour!
I love the idea of melting and swirling the peanut butter into the smoothie, rather than blending the whole thing up as I usually do. Definitely going to give it a try!
ReplyDeleteOh, it's wonderful! By not blending the peanut butter into the smoothie, you can really taste the peanut butter. And if you're a peanut butter junkie like myself, it's all about the peanut butter! Enjoy :)
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