This homemade chocolate almond butter was actually the result of one of my recent chocolate cravings. I had just finished making a batch of homemade almond butter (because I won’t spend $17 on a jar of organic almond butter at the store, either), and I decided to try out a chocolate version. I didn’t want to risk ruining my whole batch of almond butter if my experiment went poorly, so I started with just 1/2 cup and added small amounts of cocoa and sweetener as I went. I figured with this method, I couldn’t go wrong! And I was right. Since you can taste this mixture as you go, you’ll always wind up with the exact chocolate flavor you’re looking for. The only downside to making your own chocolate almond butter, rather than buying the store-bought variety, is that the shelf-life will be a lot shorter. (After all, you’re not adding hydrogenated oils or preservatives.) I had to add a couple tablespoons of water to this batch, to make the consistency more spreadable, and added moisture means that it will spoil much quicker– probably in a week or two, when kept in the fridge. So, don’t make your batch too large, unless you plan on going through it quickly! As always, this recipe is highly adaptable, too. You can use any nut or seed butter you like, by simply adding the ingredients and tasting as you go. Enjoy!
— Chocolate Almond Butter (Vegan) Makes a little over 1/2 cup Ingredients: 1/2 cup almond butter, or other nut or seed butter of choice 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder 2 tablespoons water, or as needed to make the mixture spreadable Directions: In a medium bowl combine the almond butter, maple syrup, and cocoa powder. It will probably become difficult to stir, so add the water one tablespoon at a time, as needed, to make the mixture smooth and spreadable. Feel free to add any more cocoa, sweetener, or water to make the mixture exactly how you like it. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, and enjoy it with your favorite fresh fruit, crackers, or simply by the spoonful!
Notes: As I mentioned above, this recipe is very adaptable. Feel free to use carob or raw cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut nectar, honey, or stevia– adding each ingredient a little bit at a time, tasting as you go. You’ll simply need to adjust the amount of water or almond milk used to make it spreadable, depending on which ingredients you use. And please leave a comment below, letting us know what has worked for you! — Reader Feedback: Have you ever tried a store-bought chocolate almond butter? Any other flavored nut butters we should try to make at home next?
