I’ve recently been crushing on nut butters. Hard.
What’s not to love?
I love making nut butters.
I love gifting nut butters.
I love canning and storing nut butters.
Oh, and I love eating nut butters.
Poor walnuts. So underrated! So underutilized! So we’re making some nut butter out of them!
I really do adore walnuts. They have a pleasantly nutty flavor that is not quite as strong as that of, say, a peanut. With lovely earthy notes that are more subtle than, maybe, those of a chestnut.
And because their flavor is mild and they’re not quite as firm as, for example, a macadamia nut, walnuts are extremely user-friendly.
Which is why they’re a perfect candidate for a batch of sweet, gluten-free butter.
First you’re going to want to roast the nuts out of your walnuts: pretty straightforward with a nutty aroma to boot.
Once your walnuts are nice and toasty, all you need to do is patiently process them to the proper consistency. Add in your seasoning and just a touch of oil and agave. Before you know if you’re going to be ready to rock and roll with a lovely crock of Roasted Walnut Butter.
You can give it to a friend. You can share it with your family. Or you can squirrel it away like a secret stash of, well, nuts. I’m feeling squirrely – you?
Note that the nuts used in this recipe were provided by The California Walnut Board, but the recipe itself, the post, and the opinions included herein are all my own.
Roasted Walnut Butter
3 c. whole walnuts, shelled
2 tbsp. raw blue agave
2 tbsp. peanut oil (I liked the contrast of nut flavors that using peanut oil provides here, but you can easily substitute any light oil.)
1/2 tsp. sea salt, finely ground
1/2 tsp. canela, ground (Ground cinnamon may be substituted here.)
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place the whole walnuts in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until the nuts are a deep golden brown color and extremely fragrant. Remove and set aside to cool.
Once the nuts have cooled, pour them into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process thoroughly. I recommend processing in 15 second bursts and scraping down the sides of your bowl in between. Once your nuts are the consistency of a thick paste, add the canela and salt, turn on the processor, and add the agave and peanut oil through the feed tube.
With just a few more seconds of processing, and again scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary, the mixture should come together as a moist, cohesive butter. Remove and store in a glass container, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.
YIELD: approximately 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups
omg I love this idea. I wish it wasn’t 2:15 am or I’d roast it up right now. So excited to do this! Thanks for sharing
Scarletta
I have a huge problem with your site. I have a PC in the TV room and the kitchen is a ways away.
I have no way of printing your recipes so I can take them to the kitchen to make the food.
I end up printing up as many as 25pages to get the recipie of the computer.
Many of those pages are comments etc. They are a waste.
Can you either tell this 70 year old broad how to do it or get a print button.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Lisa
Uncle! Uncle, I say! You, Lisa, have submitted the final request that I could bear for a ‘Print This’ button, and so now I have finally installed one. I’m only sorry that it took me so long!
Now, at the very bottom of every post, just before the comment section begins, you’ll find a green Print/PDF button. Clicking on this button will allow you to convert the post to a PDF or print it. And if you choose to print it, you can customize your print job to include whatever you like, leaving off the comments, photographs, etc.
Let me know if you have any trouble at all using this new function. Otherwise, print away and thanks for getting me to get my act in gear and add a print function to SB!
You’ve just inspired me to try making my own nut butter. Never have – not sure why because, clearly, it’s not hard at all.
I am such a fan of walnuts, and nut butters. This looks amazing!
Super intriguing idea! My brain is coming up with all kinds of savory applications–soup garnishes and walnut-butter-crusted roasts and salad dressings. Hooray!
I don’t like peanut butter (never have), but I think I would really like walnut butter! I will definitely have to try this.
Ive made my own PB & AB but never WB! This looks crazy good! And adorable glass jar!
man that sounds so good!
have a little chutney on the side with that. oh yum
I think by far walnuts have the best smell when roasted. I could make them every day just for the smell…that is unless I burn them. Then that is not a good smell.