How To Make it
How do you make peanut butter? All you need is peanuts and a food processor. Do not add any extra oil, as the peanuts will release their natural oils as you go.
If you’ve ever made homemade almond butter, making peanut butter is even faster. Unlike almonds, which need to be heated to help them break down faster, peanuts break down surprisingly fast in the food processor.
How Long Does it Take?
I actually timed myself while making this homemade peanut butter, and it takes only 1 minute and 30 seconds for the peanuts to break down into a thick paste, as pictured above. It almost reminds me of play-doh. Just 30 seconds later, it looks like the thick peanut butter consistency below.
Within 4 minutes of your food processor running, your peanut butter should look something like the photo below. I don’t even stop to scrape down the machine! The peanuts easily break down on their own, so the process is hands-off.
Getting a Runny or Drippy Consistency
Within 4 minutes, you should have a creamy peanut butter. For a runny and silky-smooth peanut butter, let the food processor run for 1 more minute.
You’ll hear a “sloshy” sound as the peanuts release their natural oils, becoming very runny. This is when I usually add any extra seasoning to my peanut butter, like salt or honey.
How Much Salt Do You Add?
For a 16 ounce jar of peanut butter, I like to add 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt for a “salted” peanut butter flavor. However, you can start with just 1/4 teaspoon of salt and see if that’s enough for you. The nice thing about making your own is that YOU get to control the flavor.
Is it Cheaper to Make Your Own Peanut Butter?
Oddly enough, it’s NOT always cheaper to make your own peanut butter. When comparing prices at the grocery store, a pound of unsalted peanuts is $3.49 (not organic), while a jar of non-organic peanut butter (with nothing else added) is just $2.49. So you actually save a dollar by buying it instead of making it. A jar of organic peanut butter here in the Midwest is $3.99, and I can’t find organic peanuts cheaper than $6.99 per pound on their own. (Crazy, but maybe this fluctuates in other areas?) So, in this case the only advantage to making your own peanut butter at home is that you get to control the flavor and texture.
My homemade peanut butter is smoother than any option I’ve found at the store, and the flavor is unbelievably good! The fact that it’s hands-off and ready in 5 minutes is even more reason that I love it.
More Homemade Nut & Seed Butters
Almond Butter Cashew Butter Sunflower Seed Butter Coconut Butter
If you try this homemade peanut butter, please leave a comment below letting us know how it goes. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too! – Reader Feedback: Have you ever made your own nut butters before?
