Look out peanut butter, there’s a new kid on the block, and it is BEYOND delicious. The inspiration for this almond hazelnut walnut butter, came to me through a very enthusiastic recommendation from my brother Neal, who, beside being a nut-butter fanatic, runs a wilderness and primitive skills school with his wife, Gelsey. When you’re done making this almond hazelnut walnut butter, go check out what they do; it’s awesome: http://laughingcoyoteproject.org.
I love this almond hazelnut walnut butter for so many reasons, well mainly four reasons. 1. Pure deliciousness. 2. Easy. 3. Fast. 4. Nutritious. But maybe the greatest thing about this nut butter, is that you really can use WHATEVER you want. I chose this almond hazelnut walnut combo, then added in sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds. But you can get really creative, or not! Neal was doing some variations with pecans, which sound amazing, and I’m looking to get my hands on some macadamia nuts too. I’ve now made three batches of this almond hazelnut walnut butter in the past two weeks, and in my last batch, which I whipped up this morning, I added in a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and woooooooow. So when I say you can get creative, I mean it! Try adding in your favorite spices, or vanilla, or honey, or even go savory with it. The possibilities are endless.
I think it’s safe to say I will likely not be buying nut butter ever again. Why would I when this recipe is so easy, fast, and healthy?
Almond Hazelnut Walnut Butter
Yields 2 cups
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw hazelnuts
1 cup raw walnuts
3 T melted coconut oil
Pinch of salt
*Optional ingredients (highly recommended)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 cup raw hemp seeds
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread out the nuts and bake for 15 minutes.
2. Once the nuts are toasted, pour them, still warm, into your food processor. Start blitzing the nuts. It will be very loud. (Sorry upstairs neighbor for making this at 7am this morning.)
3. Once the nuts are in small, sand-like pieces, drizzle in the coconut oil, salt, and cinnamon, if using. Now let the mixture blend. And blend. And blend. You will see it start to thicken and become buttery on the bottom edges. Check and see if it is smooth enough for your liking, and keep blending as necessary. I should add, this nut butter will never be as smooth as store-bought creamy peanut butter. But it is fresh, and delicious, and so eat-able, you’ll wonder how you’ve never made it before!
Store in a glass jar or airtight container. I keep mine in the fridge with a spoon nearby for easy snacking.
