How to Make Homemade Nut Butter in a High Speed Blender

I admit, the primary reason I bought a high speed blender was to make nut butter. Sure, I figured I'd use it for other things, but the motivation was to make creamy and smooth mixed nut butter as good as the discontinued Trader Joe's and Costco versions. Why do they always discontinue things? I don't know, but it doesn't matter because with a Vitamix you can make the best mixed nut butter in town. But it takes some practice.

Vitamix 5200 Works With Remote Control

I did a ton of research before buying a blender and decided to go with the classic Vitamix 5200. It's an older model, but it has one key feature I needed. Instead of buttons, it has a levers and dial, so it can be used with a remote control. If you have tinnitus or hyperacusis, a remote control for loud appliances will be your new best friend. Here's my pal. I only bought one because I was skeptical, but I've been meaning to go back and buy a double or triple pack.

Wear Ear Protection

I understand my situation is unique and that not everyone will use remote control, so rather than give you the remote control technique, I'm sharing the standard "normal ear people" way to make nut butter in the Vitamix 5200. Just wear ear protection. I beg you, please wear it when standing next to a high speed blender. Or if you are very wealthy and can afford it, buy one with sound shield -- the definition of quiet luxury.

Nut Blend for Mixed Nut Butter

Now let's get to the fun part. I use a mix of almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and pecans because you get the structure from the almonds, creaminess from the cashews, and a little richness and flavor from the hazelnuts and pecans. An ounce of Brazil nuts is a bonus addition. They make the nut butter ultra-creamy and add selenium. I'm always impressed by the amount of selenium in one Brazil nut. How many foods are so rich in one mineral? Just a thought.

Stages of Making Nut Butter

Nut butter doesn't go from whole nuts to smooth in one step. It goes through stages: It starts out coarse and crumbly like sand, the next stage is more like dirt, after that is a gritty paste, and then after going through a strange fluffy stage it smooths out. Expect it to be very hot. If you end up adding oil to your nut butter, which is sometimes necessary, be sure to use a high heat resistant oil. Extra virgin olive oil will turn bitter if you grind it too long. I use liquid MCT or sunflower, but since I usually have dregs of the last batch of almond butter, that works even better.

A Few Important Tips

Use enough nuts -- The Vitamix 5200 container is large and narrow. In order for the nuts to grind properly, you need to fill it about ¾ of the way full. If small batches are more your style, purchase the 32 oz Vitamix container. I am a small batch kind of person and I use the 32 oz container with half the amount listed in the card.
Run on high speed -- This is not the time for low or medium. High speed keeps everything moving and prevents the motor from straining. So with the 5200, you put the lever on high, but start with the variable dial on medium and work up.
Use the Tamper -- Stop and push things down as needed with the tamper. A thin silicone scraper is also handing for reaching down between the blades.
Use a little oil or better yet, tahini or almond butter -- A small amount of neutral oil helps everything come together more easily, especially with mixed nuts. For deeper flavor, you can skip oil and use packaged almond butter or almond butter from a previous batch. Tahini in small amounts also replaces oil and adds flavor so use conservatively.

Flavoring Mixed Nut Butter

There's nothing like opening the blender container and finally seeing a smooth and creamy, hot, flow-y nut butter. That means it's time to flavor. I buy small containers with lids, divide the nut butter up and make different flavors using whatever I feel like. Tiny bits of maple syrup or honey work, vanilla is always good, or sometimes I just leave it salted.

Deep Roasted Flavor in Nut Butter

For the best nut butter, you really want to roast the almonds. Using 350F for a longer roast is what I recommend so that you roast the insides before the outsides get too burnt.

And here's a tip for if you accidentally under-roast, though I admit I've only done this twice. If your butter doesn't taste deep-roasted enough, roast some of the actual prepared nut butter. Just spread about ½ cup of the nut butter on a parchment lined tray and bake it at 350 F for about 8 to 10 minutes. It will dry up and look gritty and you'll think you've ruined it. Fear not! Stir it into the unroasted nut butter and it will smooth out a bit. The nut butter will lose a bit of its smoothness, but it will have a new layer of flavor.

If you are hesitant to try this for fear of wasting a whole batch of nut butter, try it with just a portion. That is, roast about 1 tablespoon of the nut butter (it will only take 5 minutes if using such a small amount) then scrape it together with about ⅓ to ½ cup of unroasted until it smooths out. Or just be sure to roast your nuts thoroughly the first round.

Smaller Batches of Nut Butter

This nut butter takes a while to make so it's worth buying all the nuts and doing one big batch. It lasts a long time and makes great gifts. But as mentioned, if you do want to make smaller batches the 32 oz container is a great option. I spent the money on one and have zero regrets.

Where to Get Good Deals on Nuts

I'm just throwing this section in here, but it's really only useful to people in the USA. But here's where I "source" my nuts. I'm always looking for deals.

• Almonds -- Walgreens has surprisingly good prices on almonds and sometimes has buy one get one free deals. Same with Publix. And Walmart is always a safe bet for raw whole almonds.
• Cashews -- Whatever is on sale at any grocery store. I usually buy pre-roasted salted (like Planters) and just warm them a little before grinding.
• Hazelnuts -- Roasted unsalted from Trader Joe's
• Pecans -- Amazon and Costco usually have good deals.
• Brazil Nuts -- Wherever I can find them. Publix, usually.

I have one last tip for you and then I'll stop typing this long manifesto of a blog post. Nut butter is sticky and clings to the side of the blender container. If you dread wasting the nut butter that has built up on the sides, instead of cleaning the blender with water, add a cup of drained roasted pepper, a couple of cherry tomatoes, some paprika, a tablespoon or two of sherry vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend it. The butter stuck to the sides of the blender will get pulled into the mix of your new favorite Romesco Sauce. Or use a different blend of spices and make Korma. Don't even measure, just throw a bunch of stuff in there and mix until you have Romesco or Korma.

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