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spoon digging into a jar of walnut butter

Walnut Butter (your ultimate guide + recipe!)

Author Erin Dooner
Course Nut butters
Cuisine American
Servings 14
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Learn how to make walnut butter with just walnuts and a food processor! Also find out the trick to making it less bitter, how to cook with it, and its many health benefits.

Ingredients

For the walnut butter:

  • 4 cups (420 grams) walnuts
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt add more to taste + more if soaking

Optional add-ins:

  • honey or maple syrup or cinnamon

Instructions

If using raw walnuts:

  • Skip directly to processing them below.

If soaking your walnuts:

  • Place the walnuts and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large bowl or stainless steel pot. Cover with 8 cups of water. The nuts should be covered by about 2" of water as the nuts will expand. Cover with a tea towel, lid, a plate or whatever fits. It doesn't need to be air-tight.
  • Let soak for 7-24 hours. Use a colander to drain them and rinse them very well. Do not reuse or drink that brown water. Begin processing.

If using a dehydrator:

  • place the walnuts in a single layer on the mesh tray that came with your dehydrator and dehydrate them at 115 °F (46 °C) for 6-24 hours, turning occasionally until crisp and dry. The time will depend on your dehydrator, its size, how full it is, and the climate. Begin processing.
  • If you don't have a dehydrator, you need to roast them. Place the walnuts in a single layer on a baking tray and roast them for 10-13 minutes at 350 °F (175 °C), turning 2-3 times, until nice and toasty. Let cool 5 minutes before placing in the food processor. Begin processing.

If roasting raw, unsoaked walnuts:

  • If you didn't soak your nuts, you'll just need 6-10 minutes of roasting time. Stir them after about 4 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before placing in the food processor. Begin processing.

To process them:

  • Put the nuts in the food processor and process until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, about 5-10 minutes. Do not overheat your food processor! Take breaks if your food processor starts to warm up too much. Once it's been working for about a minute, I remove the pusher so that the hot air can come out.
  • In the first stage, you’ll have something that looks like walnut meal. Then it’ll form a thick, paste-like mass. Then it’ll break down into a liquid.
  • Blend for another minute so it’s easily pourable and similar to almond butter. Don't process it so long that it's incredibly runny.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months or freeze for 4-6.

Notes

  • The nutrition information does not include any of the optional sweeteners.
  • The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 tablespoonsCalories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 5gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 42mgPotassium: 147mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mgNet Carbs: 3
Tried this recipe?Tag me today! Mention @texanerin or tag #texanerin! Thanks. 🖤