Best Homemade Peanut Butter
- PREP 10min
- COOK 10min
- TOTAL 20min
Our peanut butter recipe is so simple to make — all you need is a food processor and 15 minutes. The recipe below shares our basic recipe, how to make crunchy peanut butter, and two more delicious variations.
We always roast our peanuts (even if the package says roasted). A little time in the oven warms up all the oils in the nuts and brings them to life, making them taste better.
Oil is optional but does help if your nut butter is too thick. Any neutral oil will do the job. You should not need a lot, maybe a teaspoon or two.
You Will Need
Basic Peanut Butter
2 cups (300g) unsalted shelled peanuts
Fine sea salt
1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
1 to 3 teaspoons peanut or vegetable oil, as needed
Almond Peanut Butter
1 cup (150g) unsalted shelled peanuts
1 cup (150g) unsalted whole almonds
Fine sea salt
1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
1 to 3 teaspoons peanut or vegetable oil, as needed
Chocolate Peanut Butter
2 cups (300g) unsalted shelled peanuts
Fine sea salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, plus more as needed
1/2 cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup to 1 ½ cups (170g) powdered sugar
Directions
Roast Peanuts
Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C). Add the peanuts to a round or square cake pan (or small rimmed baking sheet).
Roast the peanuts for 3 minutes, shake the pan, then roast another 3 to 5 minutes or until the nuts are lightly browned and smell nutty (watch them to prevent over-browning). Let them cool until you can handle them.
Basic Peanut Butter
If you are making crunchy peanut butter, add 1/3 cup of the roasted peanuts to the bowl of a food processor—pulse 6 to 8 times or until the peanuts are chopped small. Transfer chopped peanuts to a bowl and reserve for later.
Add the remaining roasted peanuts to the bowl of a food processor. Process them for 1 minute, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Process another 2 to 3 minutes until the peanut butter is shiny and smooth. The peanuts will go from crumbly and very dry to a clumpy mixture and finally to smooth and shiny.
Add your desired amount of salt and maple syrup (or honey), then process until combined. We add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Check the consistency — if it seems too thick, add oil, a teaspoon at a time, until you are happy with it.
For crunchy peanut butter, stir in the reserved peanuts.
Almond Peanut Butter
Roast the peanuts and almonds as directed in the basic recipe above, then add them to the bowl of a food processor. Process them for 1 minute, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Process another 2 to 3 minutes until shiny and smooth.
Add your desired amount of salt and maple syrup (or honey), then process until combined. We add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Check the consistency — if it seems too thick or dry, add oil, a teaspoon at a time, until you are happy with it.
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Roast the peanuts as directed in the basic recipe above, then add them to the bowl of a food processor. Process them for 1 minute, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Process another 2 to 3 minutes until shiny and smooth.
Add salt, oil, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar, then process for another minute until blended and shiny. Check the consistency — if it seems too thick, add oil, a teaspoon at a time, until you are happy with it.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- How to store: Transfer the peanut butter to a food-safe container, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator for up to one month. If the peanut butter separates, use a spoon to stir it until it is well blended.
- Using a blender: As long as you have a relatively high-powered blender, you can make peanut butter in a blender. The steps will be the same as with a food processor.
- Vegan peanut butter: Use maple syrup instead of honey to sweeten the peanut butter.
- Nutrition facts: The facts provided below are estimates for the basic recipe. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.