Hellooo people! So I am back in the blog world after a little break for a big exam last week. I mentioned this on my last recipe post (Butternut Squash & Chicken Curry – check it out!), so no more exam talk! Instead, let’s talk NUT BUTTER. What more is there to say? I actually can’t remember a time when I didn’t consider a day complete without a little nut buttery goodness in it. I usually eat 1-2 tablespoons of nut butter a day, and I don’t consider it a ‘treat’ or ‘cheat’ food (nor do I consider foods under those headings!). Quality nut butters, where the ingredients literally are blended unsalted nuts, are a fantastic source of unsaturated fats (both mono- and poly-unsaturated) which we NEED in our diets. Pecans in particular are packed with micro-nutrients too – vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins among others. They’re also a great source of plant protein and contain a good dose of natural anti-oxidants. As if you needed any more reasons to try this recipe!
I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again – I believe more exotic nut butters, such as those made using hazelnuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, pecans or walnuts, are RIDICULOUSLY expensive and to be frank, a total rip-off. I can never justify spending up to ten or fifteen euro on a TINY jar of branded versions of nut butters made using these varieties. Especially when I know that I can make a BIGGER jar of nut butter at home for a fraction of the price! Rant over, but hopefully you get my point, and it might convince you to save some of that hard-earned dollar and try your hand at homemade nut butters too! So let’s get to the recipe!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 200g unsalted pecans (I used the Lidl brand, that’s where I usually buy raw nuts from!)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
- A pinch of sea salt
- Optional Sweetener: I didn’t use sweetener myself, but that’s my own preference! If you prefer a sweeter nut butter, I recommend adding either 1 tsp of granulated or liquid sweetener like Stevia or Stevia extract, or alternatively add 1 tbsp honey/maple syrup/agave etc.
Method
- Toast the pecans in a large pan for about 5 minutes or until they start to brown and become fragrant – you’ll know they’re ready by the delicious smell! Don’t skip this step – toasting the nuts not only gives a fantastic flavour, it also softens the pecans making blending them a lot easier!
- Add the pecans to your blender cup – I used my Nutribullet to make this, but of course a food processor would be perfect too.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and screw on your blender/food processor lid.
- Time to blend! If you saw my post for my Walnut Butter recipe, or if you’ve made nut butters before, you’ll know that this stage can take a little while. Generally, I find blending in pulses for about 10 seconds at a time over 10 minutes works best for me! You will need to pause between pulses to scrape the nut butter off the sides of the blender cup. Saying that, I think this depends on what type of nut butter you’re making – I found this time around I didn’t have to do any scraping, which I’m convinced is because I toasted the pecans first. After about 10 minutes, I find that’s when the oils in the nuts start to release, and you get that creamy nut butter texture!
- Store in the fridge for up to a week – if you can keep from devouring it before then!
Enjoy guys! I am absolutely loving making my own nut butters, and I hope these recipes inspire you to try it out! Next up for me is seed butters – I’ve made pumpkin seed butter before and I can’t wait to try it again! Tag me if you try this recipe out – @theirishbalance on Instagram!
Ciara 🙂 x
Loved this and defo making xxxxxx
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FiFit Aw fab! I hope it turns out fantastic for you love x
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