Foolproof Homemade Almond Butter

I’m not a hot weather person nor am I a morning person. You would think that after living in the hot Arizona desert for eight years now, I would be adapted to the heat. But that is definitely not the case for me. It’s even more of an issue now that I’ve picked up this little running hobby. The temperature in the afternoons has registered with a high in the mid-80s for the past couple of weeks and it has really killed my desire to get out there and run. So the obvious answer is to start running earlier. Each day I seem to plan my run for earlier and earlier in the day, which shouldn’t be a problem except for not being a morning person. I want to be a morning person, I really do. But since I work three nights a week, my sleep schedule gets all messed up and…Excuses. Excuses.

So I get up and I do it. Really, getting up and running is a great way to start the day (on the days I’m not working of course.) But I really can’t run without having eaten first. I’ve tried to just roll out of bed and grab my shoes, but my legs were as heavy as lead and it was a miserable run. I start my running day by waking up an hour before my run, eating something simple and drinking some water. My favorite pre-run breakfast? Whole grain toast with nut butter. Occasionally with half of a banana. Simple and easy.

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Roast the almonds. Heat oven to 350F. Lay approximately two cups of raw almonds out on a cookie sheet. Roast for 12 minutes, flipping them once during that time with a spatula. Let cool.

You’ll need a high powered blender or food processor to make the almond butter. I love my Blendtec. Placed roasted almonds in blender and blend on low for 15 seconds. You may have to stop and scrape the sides down. Continue to blend on low until the almonds resemble crumbly cookie dough.

At this point let the almonds sit for five minutes so that the oils can release. This is a good point to add some sea salt. Start with half a teaspoon. At the end you can add more to your desired tasted.

After five minutes. Blend for another minute on low or medium. The almonds should become liquid enough that you no longer need to scrape the sides of the jar.

Blend until it reaches the consistency you like. I prefer a creamy but still a little crunchy. Store in an air tight container for up to two weeks. You will have to stir the oils back in, just like you do with peanut butter.

Try it out on different things. I love dipping apples into it, toast with bananas, on top of my Kodiak Power Cakes. You name it, homemade almond butter is a tasty and nutritious source of protein.