I think it is safe to say that a lot of us love the environment... and nut butter. So I am going to show us how to create a zero waste, homemade nut butter in 3 (or less) steps!
Nut butter just happens to be one of my main food groups. Along with bananas, cashews, edamame, pasta, and dark chocolate😌
STEP 1: Buy the Nuts
-Go to your local grocery store (that has a bulk foods section, most health food stores do like Sprouts, Whole Foods, Jimbos, etc.) and bring your reusable bag!!
-Get your nuts from the bulk foods section (the one with bins and handles, that requires no pre-packaged plastic)!
-You can find reusable bags for purchase in the "Products" section on my website, or reuse one of the small plastic ones you may have left over from an old grocery trip (holding your produce, rice, or other bulk food items). It's okay. If you reuse them I will forgive you for getting them in the first place : ) They also have bags like the one pictured for purchase at Sprouts and other stores! Get reusable plastic-free produce, it helps the environment so much!
STEP 2: (optional) Roast Said Nuts
-If you would rather have raw nuts, you can disregard this section and move onto step 3, the last and final step, crazy simple right?
-All you need is to put as many nuts as you want on a baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, using a spatula and flipping every 3-5 minutes
Step 3: It's Blend Time Baby
-Get out your food processor/good quality blender with very sharp blades and make sure it is clean (my food processor was in the back of a cabinet covered in dust soooo whoopsies)
-Chop up your nuts as finely as you can, with a sharp knife, on a cutting board and move them into your blender/food processor (making sure not to go past the fill line if there is one
-Blend the nuts for 12-20 minutes, using a spatula and scraping around the sides every so often. It may seem like they're never going to get smooth, but just wait as the natural oils eventually come out and work their creamy magic! The more you blend, the creamier it will get!
-If you wish, add some things in! Like cinnamon, a little maple syrup, some salt, some cacao powder, the world is your oyster.
-If you feel like your nuts/blender need a little extra boost, add a tablespoon of coconut oil. Don't add the optional coconut oil too soon though, I promise the nuts will eventually get smooth! Persevere!
-Put it in an old nut butter jar, a mason jar, or just eat it out of the blender by the spoonful, I won't blame ya!