Since childhood, Indian parents have emphasised the importance of eating nuts. Today we have welcomed nut butters in our diet that are easy to use. Homemade vegan butter is a healthy way to get the required intake of nuts while staying clear from preservatives. Let’s learn how to make peanut butter at home and make breakfast a fun meal!
Nuts are healthy and filled with the goodness of fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein. Almonds, cashews and hazelnuts can be used to make seed butters too! Add them to your morning breakfast or spread them on toast; these nut butters can make so many dishes a nutritious delight.
If you have ever wondered how to make peanut butter or any other kind of butter; you’re in luck. This easy guide will have you making your own delicious homemade nut butter in no time.
4 Easy-To-Make Vegan Butter Recipes
1. Homemade Almond Butter
We all remember our mothers insisting on eating soaked almonds in the morning during exams as they helped in improving memory and cognition. If you want to make this a delicious habit, you can make almond butter and enjoy all the health benefits of almonds every day. While almond butter has a slightly higher fat content than peanut butter, they’re packed with Vitamin E. Vitamin E is crucial for healthy skin and hair. Here’s a quick recipe on how to make almond butter at home.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of raw almonds
- Water
Instructions:
- Soak the raw almonds in 4 cups of water overnight.
- Rinse the almonds and spread them on a large tray and put them in the oven on the lowest temperature with warm air circulation.
- Blend the almonds in a food processor for 10-15 minutes until smooth.
- Optionally, add a pinch of salt or sweetener based on your preferences and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
2. How To Make Peanut Butter At Home
Peanut butter is easily available online or at every store. But most of them have oil, sugar and are filled with sodium that the delicious taste of peanuts are lost in them. Peanut butter that is high in fibre and healthy fats is especially suited for athletes. Filled with protein and potassium it can help lower the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. And learning how to make peanut butter at home is effortless too.
Ingredients:
- Raw peanuts
- ½ – 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 – 2 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 – 2 tablespoon sweetener (optional)
Instructions:
- In a baking sheet roast the shelled peanuts for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the warm nuts to a food processor and blend them for 2 minutes.
- If you want to make chunky peanut butter set aside half the peanuts.
- Blend the rest of the peanut butter for another 3 minutes until thick.
- Add salt and sweetener to the mix and blend them until smooth.
- Add in the chunky peanuts set aside for one last spin in the processor before transferring all of them into a jar for storage.
If you’re considering how to make peanut butter that is creamier, add a little extra peanut oil while blending to make the butter smoother.
3. Cashew Butter Recipe
Cashew butter is the best nut butter to have on a keto diet and is healthy for the heart. They are mineral powerhouses loaded with magnesium, copper, and phosphorus. Cashew butter is difficult to find at stores but so simple to make at home. It’s also a fantastic option for digestion since it’s one of the easiest-to-tolerate nuts of all.
Ingredients:
- Raw or roasted cashews
Instructions:
- Blend the cashews in a food processor until smooth. You can use either raw or roast them beforehand.
4. How To Make Coconut Butter
Rich, buttery, dairy-free; raw coconut butter tastes heavenly. It is good for the brain and body due to the MCT fats present in it. Coconut butter boosts your metabolism and helps with fat loss and is full of essential amino acids. It improves immunity and increases your energy levels. Give this recipe a try and learn how to make coconut butter.
Ingredients:
- Shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
Instructions:
- Blend shredded coconut in a food processor for 10 minutes.
- Add coconut oil to make it creamy and for the mixture to blend easily.
10 Delicious Ways To Add Vegan Butter (Nut Butter) In Your Daily Meal
Now that you have learnt how to make peanut butter and other butters at home, here are a few ways you can use them in various delectable dishes.
1. Curries And Stir-Fry
Make Alfredo sauce pasta by adding cashew butter in it for crunch. Or add a spoonful of peanut butter while making spicy Hakka noodles at home to enhance the flavour. A variety of curries can be given a dash of nutty flavour by adding your homemade butter.
2. Smoothies
Smoothies are a great source of nutrition. Any smoothie can be given a boost of healthy fats by blending your favourite nut butter to them. This will also add a layer of creaminess to it.
3. Sandwiches
We all know the globally loved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Upgrade your sandwich with a spread of nut butter of your choice. Top it with different fruits or sliced avocado. The nut butter will up its nutritional value.
4. Salad Dressings
If you love salads, here is a tip to make you love them even more. Take your regular salad up a notch with the addition of a tablespoon of vegan butter, making it a super healthy meal.
5. Desserts
Nut butters work wonderfully well with baked goods like cakes, brownies and cookies. Add various nuts as a topping for muffins and cupcakes. Lend a creamy flavour to desserts by using these butters.
6. Breakfast Specials
Nut butters are versatile and can easily become a staple part of your everyday breakfast. Whether an addition to pancakes, waffles or oatmeal; your breakfast will soon become an opportunity to add your homemade nut butter to it.
7. Soups And Stews
Whisk your nut butter as a thickener into any kind of soup or stew. Try adding peanut butter to pumpkin soup or cashew butter to the Kerala-style famous stew for an added flavour.
8. Dips
Various nut butters act as a great dip. Make a healthy snack by pairing vegetables, pita bread with a dip platter filled with different vegan butters along with hummus.
9. Energy Bars
Store-bought protein bars contain a lot of preservatives. Make your own DIY energy bars at home filled with granola, flaxseed, homemade nut butter. It’s a quick pre-workout morning breakfast option.
10. Homemade Ice Cream
Did you know you could use nut butter as a base to make your favourite nut-filled ice cream? Now, make yummy ice cream at home with no harmful preservatives.
Dip your fruit in nut butter or experiment making cookies with it. Nut butters are extremely versatile while remaining high on the health quotient. You can also substitute these butter recipes with a different nut like macadamia, pecan, or even try sunflower seeds. Don’t miss out on the endless possibilities to be creative with your nut butter and customise them as per your liking. Also, check out these 21 healthy lockdown recipes that can help you keep up with your diet even during this time.