I won’t be talking much tonight, for a change.
I wouldn’t want my words to get in the way…
For tonight, we’re making Peanut Butter.
Oh… be still my heart!
You all know how much I LOVE nut butter, and how I am completely obsessed with creating all sorts of different varieties.
Well, I thought that, for a change, I would give you the most basic of them all, one that doesn’t even really require a recipe.
All you need really, are nuts, an oven, a powerful food processor, and a lot of self-control.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Just wait ’til you see this.
Basically, you start with a good quantity (here I used a kilo) of raw peanuts (or you could use almonds, or hazelnuts, or any combination of these nuts) and you roast them in a 300F oven, until they get nice and golden, which usually takes about oh, a half hour, maybe? Just be sure to check them often so they don’t burn on you.
Then you’ll want to let your peanuts cool for about 10 to 15 minutes. Just make sure to keep them out of reach of children… else they might end up eating them all! 
Add your nuts to the bowl of your food processor, along with one or two WHOLE vanilla beans.
You read that right. I like to use the whole thing. I just chop it up in small pieces and add it to my nuts.
Of course, the use of vanilla is entirely optional!
Then you start processing your nuts…
You make them spin, and spin, and spin some more…
The more you spin, the creamier your butter will get…
So they’ll have to spin for quite a while. Ten, fifteen, even twenty to twenty-five minutes, depending on the nuts you’re using and the consistency that you are after.
Pretty much getting there, if you ask me, but let’s keep going… just a little longer, shall we?
Oh my goodness YEEEESSS!
That’s what I’m talking about!
Let’s check for consistency, just to make sure it’s where we want it to be…
OH YUM! Yep! This is it. Ready to go into glass jars.
Let’s start pouring this baby!
Of course, why not make a mess while we’re at it? It’s always more fun this way!
And there you have it.
Gorgeous, creamy, warm, delicious, irresistible All Natural Peanut Butter.
Just try not to eat it all in one go!
Amazing. My boyfriend will love you forever for this
LOL! Good to hear! I take it he too, is a big peanut butter aficionado!
This is bookmarked…forever….I decree this the definitive nut butter recipe…so very-well labeled as peanut butter pornorama!!!…Question…could I use the same whole vanilla bean/thorough food processor
technique with hazelnuts/filberts….my FAVORITE nut of all?….Also…do I need to keep these jars in a cool place (the fridge)?…or do they “keep” in a dry ambient temperature pantry-type area?…As always..loving and profiting from your creativity and energy…
Thank you so much, Donna! That’s just so kind of you to say! And of course you can use that vanilla technique with hazelnuts, I do it all the time. In fact, you can use whole vanilla beans in anything that needs to be processed for an extended period of time. I even tried it in coconut butter! While it confers a superb taste to the butter, it does give it a bit of a dirty look though, which I wasn’t really impressed with. Guess I like my coconut butter to remain pure and white as snow!
As for keeping your nut butter in the fridge, a lot of people will do it because nuts will go rancid rather quickly… but I never need to do that with mine. I say you can safely keep any nut butter (that contains nothing but nuts, that is) in the cupboards for well over a month, even two… which, of course, never happens in my house! I’m lucky if a jar lasts longer than 2 weeks!
mmm gorgeous! See, peanut butter can be so natural! love the addition of the vanilla.
I’m so used to seeing the little specks of vanilla in my nut butters now, I find it weird when they’re not present. And it does add a lot of flavor too!
I love peanut butter as well and thanks to you I’ll make it by myself. Can’t wait!
So happy to hear that, Marta! You’ll see that it’s so much cheaper to make your own, and so much fun, too… Plus, the entire house smells DELICIOUS on nut butter making day. I swear, you’ll never want to go back to store bought!
Yum! I make my own almond butter, but I think it would be even better with the addition of vanilla beans! I need to find them, though.
I use a lot of vanilla, so I buy mine in bulk (by the pound) on ebay. There are tons of great sources for vanilla beans all over the Internet, I’m sure you won’t have too much of a hard time finding some. And I just love how you can add the entire bean to nut butter, it does make it so much better, and nothing goes to waste! I’m all for that!
Yum! That looks and sounds delicious! Just out of curiosity, do you ever add oil to your nut butters? I went to make almond butter the other day, and got worried about my blender (my food processor is no good haha) so i just added a teensy bit of olive oil and it only took like 30 seconds or a minute to make. I’ve also heard of people adding coconut oil I think. What do you think?
Thank you Kalie! To answer your question, no, I never add oil to my nut butters, for I find that nuts have a plenty high fat content as it is… it might take a little longer to get the job done, but trust me, nuts NEVER fail to turn to butter, and they don’t need any help getting there. Even coconut will eventually turn to butter, with a good strong food processor and a little bit, or ok, a lot, of patience!
So basically, what I think is a good food processor is worth investing in!
All I can say is… Mmmmmmmm! LOVE the vanilla bean idea – totally need to try that.
Oh ja! Do you ever. You’ll never look back! Hey, love your new little avatar, by the way. Meant to tell you for days now, but keep forgetting! Looking good, girlfriend, looking good!
Vanilla Bean – WOW…never even thought about adding that! THANK YOU!!! I’m alittle nervous that the entire bean, rather then scraping the inside out, will make it alittle bitter but I will surely trust your excellent judgement on this one!
I’ve been making peanut butter every two weeks like this for a few years – both for eating straight and to add into my granola bars. I keep some toasted peanuts aside and lightly chop them and add them in later since we love super crunchy. My daugher loves the addition of honey roasted peanuts to her super creamy one. I’ve tried adding honey directly and it really hardens up the peanut butter and runs the consistency for me. LOVE making cashew butter this way- by far the most decadent and delicious food I have in the fridge. One teaspoon packs alot of flavor and is so satisfying.
Thanks again….I’m so sorry I have a full vat of peanut butter or I’d try the vanilla beans tonight! Keep up experimenting with your awesome recipe ideas – we LOVE them.
am going through a BIG nut butter phase at the moment so LOVED this post!!! The only thing is, I have to portion them up into shot glasses or I find myself sitting down and eating the entire batch I’ve made – oooooops!!
LOL! Looks like we’re on the same wavelenght, Claire! I almost have to lock up those nut butter jars to keep me from eating them all in one go. I must have at least 6 different jars in the pantry / fridge and I keep dipping my fingers in all of them. Hey, gotta test ‘em, you know… make sure they’re still good!
Glad you loved this post. Maybe if we stare at the pictures long enough, it will satisfy our craving and we won’t need to actually eat any? Yeah… wishful thinking, I know! 
PS: can I freeze nut butters?????
Ugh… now that’s a good question! It never even occurred to me to try that, as I never really felt the need. My guess is it wouldn’t work very well. Might be worth trying, though. Just freeze a small quantity and see what it says. But that means running the risk of ruining some nut butter! OMG. I’d rather not think about it…
Thank you for your replies (love that I’m in London, UK and you’re in Quebec, Canada and we can communicate over our mutual love of nut butter”!!!) I’ll freeze a little and let you know how I get on……..:)
I love the pictures! It looks so good. I love the huge amount.
I usually do a small amount but I have no idea why. Next time, a kilo!
The vanilla bean is such a good idea. I’m going to try that next time too!
Thanks Erin! Glad you like the pics. I thought you would…
I like to make large amounts when I make nut butters. I find it just works better in the food processor. Less scraping and stuff. Plus, nut butter doesn’t last very long with me. I have it pretty much every day as a snack, along with a sliced apple. I find they go so well together! 
I just recently discovered your blog and I love it! Thank you for sharing your creations and inspiring me to cook healthier meals
I can’t wait to make some homemade nut butter at home now… once I replace my small food processor who died on me a few days ago
I was wondering if you had any recommendation for a food processor? brand or where to buy a good sturdy one? I heard Cuisinart is a great option, but sadly I don’t have the 350$ + tx budget for it.. :S
btw, I’m from Montreal and although I have found some great places to shop bio, I can’t always find the ingredients I’m looking for. I’ve never shoppped online for food (most of the “fournisseurs” are from the USA and I don’t know if there would be problems or border taxes to ship here) so I would be most grateful if you had any advice to give on that front to a newbie Québecoise online shopper
ps: LOVEEEEE all your smoothie variations!
YAY!!! Une amie Québécoise!!! Love when that happens! Sure glad you found this place and that you like it, too!
Unfortunately, I hate to break it to you, but if you’re going to buy a food processor that is powerful enough to get the job done, that is super reliable and that will last you years and years and years, you’re going to have to dish out a little bit of money… I personally use a 12 cup, 700 watts Kitchenaid and I am extremely satisfied with it. I’ve had it well over 8 years now and it still works like a charm. I say you’re better off investing in a good machine that’s going to last you a lifetime than buying a cheaper one that won’t give you the same kind of service and you’re going to end up replacing a couple of years down the road. Often, buying cheap only gets to be more expensive in the long run… Hey, check out Canadian Tire regularly. They have amazing deals sometimes on Kitchenaid items.
As for shopping for food, have you ever tried Marchés TAU? I find they have a really good selection of organic and healthy foods, and am usually able to find pretty much everything I need under their roof. There’s also yupik.ca where I like to buy stuff in bulk, like nuts, grains and seeds. They have a great variety of organic goods as well. They are located in Marché Central and you can shop there in person if you want (I much prefer to buy food in person!) Seriously, I have yet to find an ingredient that I can’t find locally. If you ever need any help, don’t hesitate to drop me an email. It’ll be a pleasure to assist you!
Thanks for the advice, Sonia!
Now, I will defintely invest in a good food processor, even if I have to wait a few weeks to buy it (although I’m so very impatient to try out your nut butter recipes). I will be in nut heaven I believe (all those incredible combinaisons.. salivating just thinking about it lol).
I’ve never been to Marché TAU. Definitely on my list next time I’m on Plateau. Mostly, I buy from a smallish store in Bélanger coin Christophe-Colomb; and from Jean-Talon Market (mainly Aliments Merci and épicerie Alfalfa for the bio ingredients) since it’s a few minutes walk from my place. Since I’m on a student budget, I have to shop around to find healthy choices without breaking my wallet.
For spices, I go to different “ethnic” stores but I find that the quality varies quite a bit from place to place. Anatol (on St-Laurent) is also a great place but not bio.
Funny enough, I’ve been numerous times to Marché Central to get something from bureau en gros or futureshop, or even watch a movie, but never knew there was bulk store to buy from directly! :S
From Google map, it looks like it’s just in front of Best Buy and opposite the cinema. Is it open all year round? Sorry for my ignorance!
Btw, I cooked your buckwheat risotto earlier today and it was a success! I bought sarrassin without knowing what to do with it, but now thanks to you, I’ve got a great new recipe!
Your blog is my new reference for all things yummy and healthy! Merci beaucoup in advance for each of your blog post that I will peruse in the coming days and weeks
Yupik is really, really hard to find Élise, so not suprising that you’ve never noticed it before. In fact, you have to know it’s there and the first time I went, it took me forever to find it. It looks nothing like a store. It’s more like a warehouse, in fact… It is open year round though, I believe they have regular store hours.
Glad you liked the buckwheat risotto! Expect quite a few recipes using buckwheat in the upcoming weeks. I get the feeling it’ll be my grain replacement by excellence!
I happen to love buckwheat. Did you know you can also eat the groats raw? I like to sprinkle them on my cereal sometimes.
And thank you so much for your super nice comment. I am really flattered that you would make me your reference for all things yummy and healthy. I’ll do my very best not to disappoint!
Et merci beaucoup à toi de me lire et de prendre le temps de commenter! J’apprécie énormément!!
Thanks to you for the advice and replies
and delicious recipes!
Can’t wait to visit that place. Most people love clothes and shoe shopping, but I get all excited when I discover new spices or do my épicerie in new stores … I’m weird that way 
Never knew I could eat raw groats! Learning something new every day! In fact, there are many ingredients I never knew existed until recently.
I feel less stupid for not knowing about yupik now
Well, then call me weird too, because I am so right with you on that one. Like a kid in a candy store!!!
Love this
Now I promise to find a good source of organic peanuts (probably online) and I know my peanut butter will be better and cheaper than what I buy in the store!
You only put the peanut in the food procesor? Or you put, also, water?
I can’t wait to do this!!! thank you so much!!!!
Water? No! No water… Peanuts only, and vanilla if you want, but that is entirely optional.
I apologize if this question was already answered but about how long does homemade nut butter stay good for? Does it need to be refrigerated? Thanks in advance!
Home made peanut butter does not need to be refrigerated and will keep in the cupboard for a fair amount of time. I’ve had this particular batch here for a little over 6 weeks now (down to my last few tablespoons though, so by the time this week-end is over, the peanut butter will be history) and it’s still as good and as fresh as when I’d just made it.
If you plan on keeping it for an extended period of time, though, you might want to consider keeping it in the frigde…
I just loooove this recipe! Since I’m living in a tiny student flat I havent got an oven, so is it really necessary to roast the nuts or could I just right away start with processing them? Kind regards from the Netherlands
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Thanks Marie from the Netherlands!
Not sure how good a peanut butter made from raw peanuts would taste. Maybe buy unsalted roasted peanuts? That’ll help you some! Always a better option than storebought peanut butter!
I just made this in the morning.. Tastes awesome! Only thing I wasn’t really sure on was my peanut butter wasn’t that creamy. Although I didn’t let the peanuts cool for an extended period of time… Is this why it’s a little liquidy or did I just not blend it long enough?
Liquidy? I’m suprised… if you don’t let your peanut butter run long enough, it tends to be on the firmer side. All natural peanut butter is a lot more “loose” in texture than the commercial stuff we are used to, though. Is is a tad “runny”, so maybe that’s what you mean by liquidy? Theoretically, the longer you blend, the “runnier” and creamier it gets. If you want peanut butter that’s a bit on the firmer side, don’t run it for so long, or sometimes, adding vanilla extract to it will help solidify it. If you want to make this current batch a little stiffer, try adding flax seed meal to it, until you reach the desired consistency.
Love! I just made this after I wanted to buy a ‘natural’ peanut butter at the grocery store. Yeah, right. “Natural” and “Organic” all had salt, sugar (or molasses) and added oil. Seriously?? How is that different or healthier than other pnut butters?
Oh, and I did use 14 ounces of roasted, store brand unsalted peanuts and I can’t say if they are better or worse than starting fresh, but I have about 2 cups of NATURAL peanut butter that I am swooning over.
Anyway, thanks for sharing and I can’t wait to try other nut butters too!
YAY! So glad to hear this recipe worked for you, Terri, and that you are a new home made nut butter enthusiast! Be careful though, you’ll see that the stuff is pretty addictive!
Oh, and for the record, I don’t see anything wrong with starting with roasted peanuts, so long as they are unsalted… I bet dry roasted peanuts would taste fantastic! Have to give that a try!
Have just found your website through pinterest, you have some fantastic recipes which I am definitely going to try, not sure I should make this nut butter, I wouldn’t have it for long lol. But I might make it one day, as my mouth is watering looking at the pictures lol.
I have lost about 50lbs in the since January and you have some fantastic low fat meals. You don’t have the nutritional values for the nut butter, would love to know what it is. I still have another 30lbs to go for my target weight I have not been this weight since I was in my teen lol, now I am in my fifties lol.
Thank you once again for the wonderful recipes.