Learn how to make peanut butter with these essential steps. This smooth and creamy spread is made with only two ingredients and takes 15 minutes. You won’t believe how easy it is to make homemade peanut butter!
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Have you ever wondered how to make peanut butter? It’s a straightforward process that only requires two ingredients, perhaps even one. There are a few steps to follow to ensure the smoothest and creamiest homemade peanut butter.
Once you make your own, I promise you won’t return to the store-bought version. You can even customize it with add-ins to switch up the flavors. Peanut butter is one of the most popular spreads, so why not have a small artisan batch ready anytime the craving for sandwiches or peanut butter cookies hits?
How to make peanut butter
My family eats a lot of nut butter, with peanut butter and almond butter topping the list. It’s fun making homemade versions because you control what gets added in, and you can mix up the flavor combinations.
Make sure to use at least an 8-cup-sized food processor or high-speed blender. This tool will help process the right volume of peanuts and prevent equipment burnout. Let’s go over the basics for a super smooth spread. Here are the essential steps.
Roast the peanuts
Roasting peanuts will warm the oils in the legume, making them more aromatic and easier to process. The nuts bake in the oven on a baking sheet at 350°F (177°C) for about 10 minutes. It’s okay to use raw or dry roasted unsalted peanuts. The nuts should take on just a light golden color after roasting. You can skip this step if you want to make raw peanut butter.
Process the peanuts
Add warm peanuts to a food processor or blender. The peanuts undergo multiple phases in texture changes before becoming smooth and creamy. The initial step is to pulse the nuts a few times to break them up.
Continue to process at high speed for 1 minute. It will look like wet sand. Process for another minute on high speed, then you’ll notice that the peanut solids will start to clump together into a mass, and the peanut oils will coalesce (merge) as well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Process for 1 minute again at high speed will create a more thick and chunky textured peanut butter. The equipment will also become hot from processing. If you notice the machine struggling, let it rest and cool down for 10 minutes before continuing.
Peanut butter add-ins
This is the time to add kosher salt, sea salt, or flavoring ingredients like sweeteners (honey or maple syrup), cocoa powder for chocolate peanut butter, cinnamon, or oils (vegetable oil or coconut oil). If you’re adding honey or maple syrup, you must add some oils to keep the peanut butter smooth and spreadable; otherwise, it will seize up and clump together immediately (trust me!).
A small amount of added fats will also make the peanut butter creamier and prevent oil and fat separation from happening because it helps to emulsify the spread. Process for 1 to 2 minutes until a smooth and warm pourable peanut butter forms. Once the nut butter cools down, it will be spreadable with a knife.
Storage
This homemade peanut butter recipe makes about 1 cup of spread. Transfer to an airtight container or glass jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. I’ve noticed that you don’t get the separation with homemade peanut butter compared to the store-bought products if eaten within the month. This is because the peanut butter is not being transported and sitting on the shelf for an extended period.
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Recipe Science
Why peanut butter is solid at room temperature
Peanuts contain a balance of 80 to 20% ratio of unsaturated and saturated fats. The peanut oil heats up when processed, making it more liquid and flowable. Once cooled to room temperature or below, the fats cool down and the saturated fats help to make the peanut butter solidify to a more spreadable texture.
How to Make Peanut Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups peanuts, unsalted, shelled, dry roasted or raw
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, optional
Instructions
- Roast Peanuts – Position the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 350°F (177°C). Spread the peanuts onto a sheet tray. Roast for 5 minutes then rotate and roast for an additional 5 minutes.
- Process – Add the warm peanuts to a food processor or blender—pulse for 5 seconds to break them down. Process again on high speed for 1 minute. The texture should look like wet sand. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl or cup.Continue to process at high speed for 1 minute. The peanuts will start to clump together and form a mass. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl or cup. Process on high speed for 1 minute. The peanuts will become smooth and look like thick peanut butter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl or cup.
- Add Mix-ins – Add salt and process on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes. The peanut butter will be very smooth and pourable.
- Storage – Transfer the warm peanut butter to a jar or airtight container. Once it cools, it will thicken up and become spreadable.
Equipment
Notes
- Recipe Yield: 1 cup peanut butter
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
- For a Sweeter Flavor: 1-2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup can be added to sweeten the peanut butter. Add the sweetener when you add the salt. However, you must also add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or coconut oil to prevent the peanut butter from seizing up and becoming tough. Add the sweetener and oil at the same time as the salt.
- To Spice Up the Flavor: Spices like cinnamon or cocoa powder can be added with salt to flavor the peanut butter. I find that ½ teaspoon of cinnamon is a good starting point.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Naomi says
How long will this recipe keep and is there any way to seal for shelf life?
Jessica Gavin says
The peanut butter will last about 3 weeks in the refrigerator. I have not canned peanut butter to extend it’s shelf life, storing in the fridge, or freezing works well.
Anthony Vrakotas says
Hi. I’m making this tomorrow. I was wondering if flax oil would work. It’s supposedly really healthy and I’m looking for ways to use it.
Thanks.
Jessica Gavin says
You don’t have to add any additional fat. However, if you do use some flax oil, add very little, it has a strong flavor. I would start with 1 teaspoon and add more as desired from there. Let me know how it goes!
RITURAJ WAHANE says
I we prepare peanut butter in commercial and want to use emulsifier how much quantity should we use in 1kg ?