Move aside peanut butter to make room for some creamy roasted pecan butter. Scrumptious spread on toast, as a fruit dip (you have to try it with a Granny Smith apple!) or simply by the spoonful, it has a complex almost caramel like flavor and smooth texture.
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It's no secret that I adore peanut butter. In fact, that might be an understatement.
So when I say that I picked having this pecan butter with my morning yogurt over peanut butter every. single. morning. until it was gone...
Well, that means something. I have a feeling you'll love it too because it is:
- Easy. If you are new to making nut butter, pecan butter is a fabulous place to start! Unlike pepita butter which can take quite a while (just enough time to question if it is going to turn out...), pecan butter comes together after just a few minutes of processing. (Macadamia butter also comes together simply if you'd like another option.)
- Delicious. The flavor of roasted pecans turns out complex and almost caramel like. And did I mention that it is super smooth and creamy?
- A Fun Change. While peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter are all relatively popular and easy to find, pecan butter is less so. Unless you are in a specialty store, the only way to find it is to make your own. But it is well worth the effort!
- Simple Ingredients. Full of healthy fats from pecans and just a pinch of sea salt, it is made without the hydrogenated oils that are often found in store-bought nut butter.
The Ingredients
- Pecans- I recommend looking for raw and unsalted pecans as we will roast them in the first step. You can also use dry roasted nuts (the only ingredients should be pecans) and omit the roasting step.
- Sea Salt- Kosher salt or table salt will also work- adjust to taste.
The Method
1. Roast pecans. Roasting nuts before turning them into homemade nut butter helps to release their natural oils for best texture and flavor.
Place the raw pecan halves in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 350 F oven for 8-10 minutes until slightly browned and fragrant (watch them carefully in the last couple of minutes so that they don't burn!).
Once roasted, allow to sit at room temperature until cooled (if you blend them too soon, you may overheat your processor).
2. Process. Add the cooled pecans to a food 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 creamy pecan butter.
It usually only takes 4-5 minutes in total but in order to prevent your processor from overheating, it is good to give it breaks.
3. Season. Add sea salt to taste (I add ⅛ teaspoon of salt per cup of nuts) and process for 20-30 seconds just to mix it in.
4. Store and use. Use as desired (it is amazing on toasted Oat Flour Bread!) and place extras in a jar.
Leftovers and Storage
To Store: Store this pecan nut butter in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks (mine never lasts that long!).
Make it Your Own
- Make Raw Nut Butter- You can skip the roasting and use the raw pecans instead. This method does yield a less complex flavor (similar to how roasted pecans are more flavorful than raw). Also note that 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 butter.
- Use Pre-Roasted Nuts- Or 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 pecans and maybe salt). If using salted, roasted nuts, you can probably skip adding salt.
- Make it Flavored- Add the additional ingredients at the same time as the salt.
- Chocolate- add ⅓ cup of cocoa and ⅓ cup of maple syrup or melted raw honey
- Cinnamon- add ½-1 teaspoon of cinnamon. (I recommend also adding 2 tablespoons of honey because honey + cinnamon = YUM)
- Maple- add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- Vanilla- add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Ways to Enjoy Pecan Butter
- Use it to make Hot Chocolate
- Spread it on toast or a slice of fresh bread
- Make Apple Nachos or enjoy with another fruit such as strawberries or bananas
- Use it for topping for pancakes or waffles
- Add it to smoothies or on a smoothie bowl
- Use it as an alternative for peanut butter to make peanut sauce
- Drizzle it over a bowl of chocolate oatmeal
- Use it in place of almond butter to make Pumpkin Pie Hummus
- By the spoonful... (my favorite!)
Yes! Pecan butter is a great option in place of peanut butter, particularly in sauces and spreads. In baking, it is a great substitute for recipes calling for natural style peanut butter (as all of my recipes do) but it will not work as a substitute for shelf stable peanut butter.
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 any nut butter I make blends to the best texture when the processor is at least ⅓ full (and ideally half) and up to ⅔ full.
- Roast your Own Nuts- For best flavor, I highly recommend roasting your own nuts and not skipping that step- roasted pecans have a more complex flavor.
- Stop and Scrape- Make sure that all of the nuts get 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.
And if you liked this recipe...
...you might also like:
Recipe Card
Roasted Pecan Butter
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 3 cups pecan halves raw
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (optional) plus additional to taste
Instructions
- Place the raw pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast at 350 °F for 8-10 minutes until slightly browned and fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to for a few minutes.
- 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 5-10 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.
Marie says
Who knew it was so easy to make my own nut butter! My sister is allergic to peanuts and I wanted something to have on my toast when she is around. I’ll be keeping this on hand.