Making peanut butter is super easy and is a great way to save money....especially if you can find dry roasted peanuts on sale. You also have maximum control over what goes into it...you can do salt or no salt, honey or agave or no sweetener at all!
Following this recipe, I made 16 ounces of peanut butter for approx $1.25. Even the super cheap, preservative laden peanut butter is $3 for 16 ounces. You will save even more if your family is used to buying Adams or another premium natural peanut butter.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces (by weight) roasted shelled peanuts*
- 2 Tbsp pressed coconut oil
- Agave syrup or honey to taste (optional)
- Sea salt (optional, though you will probably want a bit if using unsalted peanuts)
Yields 16 ounces (by volume) of peanut butter
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How to Make Peanut ButterPour the peanuts into your food processor
Lock the lid and process on high approximately 2 minutes
It may start to look gritty...like finely chopped peanuts
Keep Going
Check your peanut butter
If it's not smoothing out very well, melt a couple tablespoons of coconut oil (which is solid at room temperature) in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Add to the peanuts and process 30-60 seconds.
Add agave syrup or honey to taste (I added a little less than a tablespoon of agave). Taste and add salt if desired when using unsalted peanuts.
Process another 30-60 seconds
Stop here if you want chunky peanut butter
Keep processing if you prefer smooth peanut butter
Pack your fresh peanut butter into a 16 ounce jar with a lid.
Feel good that your kids are eating peanut butter with no preservatives or dangerous ingredients. Smile that you just saved money, too.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
How long will this keep? Does it need to be refrigerated?
Food safety standards recommend that you keep in an airtight container in your fridge for up to two months. Keeping in the fridge helps the oil stay suspended longer, too.
I will admit I am a bit rebellious and keep about 3 weeks worth in a sterilized glass jar in my pantry and nobody has gotten sick from eating it. If you choose to do this, do so at your own risk.
Can you can peanut butter?
Peanut butter is too thick to make it a food that you could can at home (the heat would not be able to permeate everything evenly). This process is so quick, though, needing to repeat it every 2 months or so isn't a big deal.
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This looks yummy! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete~Mrs. Delightful
ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com
Thank you so much for linking this up. I am very inspired to try this. Now I will just be on the lookout for when peanuts go on sale. Thanks again!! This looks tasty;)
ReplyDeleteWww.blissfulanddomestic.blogspot.com
That is great, looks so yummy, can't believe you made homemade PB! I'm a new follower! Thanks for the visit to SweetLittleBluebird.com and leaving a such a sweet message!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great week!
Cheers ~ Mary
awesome!
ReplyDeleteHow long does this keep?
ReplyDeleteThis maybe a dumb question... Do you have any idea how long this PB is good for? (does the lack of preservatives give it a short shelf life?)
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting. What could you use in place of the coconut oil?
ReplyDeleteYum! I'm thinking this would need to be stored in the fridge?
ReplyDeleteYum! I'm thinking this needs to be stored in the fridge?
ReplyDeleteHow long will it keep, and where do you store it? (Fridge or room temp)?
ReplyDeleteI started making our own because of prices too. We like the natural peanut butter. Our local store had almonds on sale for $3.99 lb. So I made almond butter. You really start saving money when you use alternative nuts. Almond butter is expensive.
ReplyDeletehow long will homemade peanut butter keep?
ReplyDeleteDo you then store in the fridge?
ReplyDeleteDo you have to put in refrigerator? How long does it keep?
ReplyDeleteDoes this need to be stored in the refrigerator? Just curious. I can't wait to try this!
ReplyDeleteDo you know how long this lasts before spoiling? Or did you can it somehow? Not sure the latter is possible...but really just wondering about shelf life if I were to make in bulk. thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat Questions everyone!
ReplyDeleteAbout Shelf Life
Food safety standards recommend that you keep in an airtight container in your fridge for up to two months. Keeping in the fridge helps the oil stay suspended longer, too.
I will admit I am a bit rebellious and keep about 3 weeks worth in a sterilized glass jar in my pantry and nobody has gotten sick from eating it. If you choose to do this, do so at your own risk. :-)
About Canning
Peanut butter is too thick to make it a food that you could can at home (the heat would not be able to permeate everything evenly). This process is so quick, though, needing to repeat it every 2 months or so isn't a big deal.
A Substitute for Coconut Oil
If you don't already have coconut oil as a pantry staple in your home, I'd encourage you to try it! It is a great oil that has high heat tolerance and can also be used in beauty products you make at home.
If you're not feeling that adventurous or just want to make it now with what you have on hand, you could use peanut oil or canola oil (organic or GMO free).
Thanks for the DIY! I have some shelled nuts that I might do this with. Can you use any other oil other than coconut oil? I use EVOO(extra virgin olive oil)in all my cooking, will this work as well?
ReplyDeleteIf you don't have coconut oil, I would try peanut oil or canola oil. I have not made this with olive oil so I'm not sure how it would affect the taste. Sometimes I find things made with EVOO have a distinct olive oil taste that I wouldn't want in my peanut butter
DeleteHow funny...not the recipe but I've been thinking about making my own peanut butter for health reasons and the protein and now I've found it here. Sounds like a wonderful recipe and want to try it asap.
ReplyDeleteWonderful idea! I love that you get to decide what goes in. When I heard about the impending increase I found a deal and stocked up on peanut butter. This will teach me to think about other options before just resorting to what I would normally do.
ReplyDeleteI made this last night. With the amt of oil called for it still had a thick cookie dough texture, so I kept adding oil...about double, with no change in consistency. I am completely perplexed on why it is not thinning out and I was afraid to add too much oil. The flavor is FANTASTIC, so we may just end up having to roll it into bite sized balls for snacking, but I would love to figure out why I can't get it to spreading consistency. Any help would be appreciated :0)
ReplyDeleteKochernut Mama,
ReplyDeleteTwo things may be happening. First is if the peanuts you had were very dry so missing a lot of their natural oils. You can try adding a bit of peanut, walnut or canola oil a teaspoon at a time.
It's also possible that you may have needed to processes it longer in your food processor. Good luck!
I have tried my hand at homemade peanut butter before, but could never get the cost down to make it worth it for us. I like to buy the bulk packs of JIF and hubby likes it a lot better too! But if I see a steal on peanuts, I'm definitely going to give it another shot.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit that if you're used to eating more "standard" brand peanut butter that you'll want to hold out for a great sale on peanuts to do this if your goal is to save money. Keep your eyes peeled now that Super Bowl season is sneaking up on us - nuts may be on sale as part of stores' game time snacks push.
ReplyDelete