If you are new to making homemade nut butter, a batch of your own macadamia nut butter might be the best way to start! Thanks to the higher fat content (of good fat!), the roasted macadamia nuts turn into a drippy nut butter relatively quickly and easily. Delicious on toast, as a dip for fruit or just enjoyed by the spoonful, you'll adore the creamy texture and hint of sweetness.
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When it comes to almost any food, the homemade version is always the best.
I don't know if it's just because you can taste the secret ingredient of your own time and effort or because you may be using high quality whole foods ingredients.
But you can tell.
And though sometimes you might not have time to make things from scratch (and that's okay!), when you do, it is usually worth it.
Case in point, this easy homemade macadamia nut butter. Filled with the healthy fats from macadamia nuts and without the hydrogenated oils that are often found in store-bought butter, it is super creamy and pure.
If you're new to macadamia butter but love cashew butter, you'll definitely enjoy this!
The Ingredients
- Macadamia Nuts- For best results, look for raw and unsalted. Dry roasted will work in a pinch- just skip the roasting step.
- Salt- Fine sea salt, kosher salt or table salt will all work.
The Method
1. Roast nuts. Place the raw nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 350 F oven for 9-13 minutes until golden brown and fragrant (watch them carefully in the last few minutes so that they don't burn!). Baking macadamia nuts before turning them into homemade nut butter helps to release their natural oils for best texture and flavor!
Once roasted, allow to sit at room temperature until completely cooled (resist the temptation to blend them too soon or you may overheat your processor).
2. Process. Add the cooled nuts to a good processor or high speed blender. Process for 30 seconds and then stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor. Process again for 30 seconds, scrape and repeat until you have a lovely creamy butter.
I find it usually only takes 2-3 minutes in total but in order to prevent your processor from overheating, it is a good idea to give it breaks.
3. Season. Add a pinch of sea salt to taste (I usually add ⅛ teaspoon of salt per cup of nuts) and process for 20-30 seconds just to mix in.
4. Store and use. Use as desired and place extras in a storage container.
Leftovers and Storage
To Store: Store this delicious nut butter in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks (if it lasts that long!).
Make it Your Own
- Use Pre-Roasted Nuts- If you want to skip the roasting, you can buy and use nuts that have been roasted. Be sure to check the ingredients and look for nuts that have been dry roasted (ingredients should just be macadamia nuts and maybe salt). If using salted, roasted nuts, you can probably skip adding salt.
- While this definitely works and I have used pre-roasted nuts countless times, I do find the flavor is better when you roast them yourself and so starting with raw nuts is definitely the best option.
- Make Raw Nut Butter- You can also skip the roasting and use the nuts raw instead. However, the resulting butter will be less flavorful. And because the nuts have not been roasted to release their natural oils, you may need to add a bit of avocado oil or coconut oil (1-2 tbsp) to help blend it into a creamy macadamia nut butter.
- Make it a Different Flavor- Add the additional ingredients at the same time as the salt.
- Maple- add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- Hint of Vanilla- add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Chocolate- add ½ cup of cocoa and ½ cup of maple syrup or melted raw honey
Ways to Enjoy Macadamia Nut Butter
- Make Apple Nachos
- Or try it with another fruit such as strawberries or bananas
- Spread it on toast or a slice of fresh bread
- Use it as a topping for pancakes or waffles
- With granola
- Use it as a great alternative for peanut butter to make peanut sauce
- Add it to smoothies or on a smoothie bowl
- Drizzle it over oatmeal
- Use it in place of almond butter to make Chocolate Hummus
- By the spoonful...
Yes and no. Macadamia butter is a great option in place of peanut butter in sauces and spreads. It is more runny though so it may not the best option to substitute in baking and bars.
Tips for Success
- Use Enough Nuts- Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to scale this recipe up or down. I find that nut butters blend to the best texture when the processor is at least ⅓ full (and ideally half) and up to ⅔ full.
- Stop and Scrape- Make sure that all of the nuts gets blended to the same consistency by stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times to incorporate any nuts that might be stuck on the edges.
- Roast your Own Nuts- For best flavor, I highly recommend roasting your own nuts.
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Macadamia Butter
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 3 cups macadamia nuts
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (Optional) plus additional to taste
Instructions
- Place the raw nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast at 350 °F for 9-13 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Add the cooled nuts to a food processor and process for 30 seconds. Stop and scrape the sides of the food processor and then repeat for 3-5 more cycles until smooth and creamy.
- Add salt and pulse for 20-30 seconds to fully incorporate.
- Enjoy! Store leftovers in a jar in the refrigerator.
Sarah
Oh my gosh, this was so good!! I made it this morning and spread it on a piece of toast for lunch today. I'm a big fan of peanut butter but this might be my new favorite nut butter.
Janessa
I'm glad you liked this recipe, Sarah! Thank you for your kind review.