It’s amazing how much peanut butter we consume in our house. Between two small children and one adult peanut butter fanatic, we go through it pretty quickly. The store brands of natural peanut butter are expensive and the commercial kinds aren’t exactly great because they are loaded with fun things like stabilizers and partially hydrogenated oils. Many stores also have the “u-grind” peanut butter dispenser in their bulk or natural food sections, but they tend to result in a rather flavorless (albeit nutty) spread.
So, how about making it yourself so you can make a more flavorful blend? Since peanuts are fairly inexpensive per pound, you will find that if you eat a lot of peanut butter, you will save money by making it yourself at home. Better yet, try growing your own peanuts, shelling and roasting them to make your own. It doesn’t get any more inexpensive than that. Well, except for your own cost of labor, but we just won’t include that, will we?
Spanish peanuts work better for making peanut butter as they have a higher percentage of oil. But if you can’t find them, just increase the amount of peanut oil you use to make it more spreadable. You can even add honey for a smoother consistency and a sweeter spread.
Heck, if you are feeling adventurous, mix in melted dark chocolate (1/8 to 1/4 cup) for a superdecadent treat!
Ingredients:
2 cups roasted shelled peanuts
1 to 2 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted nuts)
2 tsp honey (optional)
Instructions:
Place peanuts in a food processor with the oil (adjust as necessary if you are not using Spanish peanuts). A good rule of thumb if you are not using a high fat peanut is to use approximately 2 tablespoons of peanut oil for every cup of peanuts you use. Process the nuts and oil until the desired consistency is reached, adding in additional peanut oil or honey if it is not creamy enough to your liking.
If you prefer a chunkier blend, add in an additional 1/2 cup of chopped nuts at the end.
Make sure you store this in the fridge in an airtight container – it should last about two months. But I guarantee you, it won’t make it that long.
