When I was a kid I loved butter. As a 2 years old toddler I could sneak into the cupboard in the kitchen and snatch some soft butter with my bare hands when nobody saw me. If I would do the same thing now it had to be because of homemade almond butter. Nothing beats the packed healthiness of almonds, and when you pack it together as almond butter, it is even easier to include it in your diet and baking! Check out the healthy facts about almonds further below.

Homemade almond butter is very cheap to make, approx 1/5 of the price of what you pay in store. It is easy to make and requires just a few ingredients. But you will need a food processor!

How to use almond butter:

• In your baking as a main ingredient or just for the nutty taste.
• As a dip for apples, carrots and other fruits and vegetables. Or if you are in the naugthy mood; it is amazingly good to dip Dark chocolate with it!
• As butter on your sandwich, or to make a classy almond butter and jam sandwich.
• As a snack take 1-2 tablespoons of almond butter; in the morning to boost your metabolism, before your workout or in between meals at busy days. I always keep some almond butter handy when I am at work, as it tend to be busy sometimes!

Homemade almond butter

Ingredients:

250 grams almonds

2-3 tablespoons oil of choice. I use coconut oil.

8-13 drops Stevia/ 2-3 tablespoons of honey/ 2-3 tablespoons coconut sugar

A small dash lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-3 pinches of salt

Method:

1. Put the almonds into the food processor and turn it on. Let it run for 10 mins, and be sure to stop it often to take the almonds down from the sides.
2. Add the oil, the sweetener of choice, the salt, cinnamon and the lemon juice (be sure to just add a small dash, and not too much). Turn the food processor on again, and run it until it get a bit more smooth consistence. Stop it frequently to take the almonds down from the sides (see pictured above). Taste it! Add more oil if you want it more runny, more sweetener if you want it more sweet and more salt if needed. Run until desired consistence, all togheter approx 20-25 mins or less. Taste again. If you are in a hurry it will get finished sooner if you add more oil.
3. Put the now finished almond butter into an airtight jar, and keep in the fridge. It can be stored up to 3 weeks if you use stevia, and 2 -3 weeks if you add another sweetener. Take it out of the fridge approx 15-20 minutes before use if you want it a bit softer. Enjoy!

Guilt- free facts about almonds:

• Almonds are propped with healthy fibers, proteins and healthy monosaturated fats which together boosts satiety.
• Almonds also have loads of vitamins (especially vitamin E which for example is good for your immune system, hair and nails), calcium which is good for your bones.
• In one study from 2003 people that include almonds in their diet lose more weight than people who didn’t.
• Almonds help lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and might help prevent cancer.