How to make homemade peanut butter

Are you ready for the easiest tutorial you’ve ever seen?

If you’ve never made your own peanut butter, now is the time to start!

Favorite things about homemade peanut butter:
You save money by making it yourself.
You can feel good about knowing it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup and all kinds of mysterious additives.

I don’t buy peanut butter anymore unless I’m making a recipe that calls for lots of it, and I don’t want to use up all my good homemade stuff.

It’s seriously so easy; you’ll wonder why you’ve been buying it from the stores all these years.

Ingredients:

20 oz. (about 4 1/2 cups) peanuts, roasted and unsalted or lightly salted** (The amount is up to you! I use a 20 oz. container, and it yields me exactly one Smucker-size jar of peanut butter.)
1 to 2 Tbs. oil, optional (I don’t add extra oil, but feel free to if you want extra creamy peanut butter.)

** If you use raw (not roasted) peanuts, roast them in the oven first at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. This will allow them to release their oils when you process them.

Instructions:

Place the peanuts (and oil, if using) in a large food processor, and process away! Depending on the power of your food processor, it could take five to ten minutes to get very creamy peanut butter, but you can sure stop sooner if you’re aiming for crunchy peanut butter. You’ll probably need to pause every now and then to scrape the sides of the bowl; this will also give your processor a few seconds to cool off and prevent over-heating.
Once it reaches the desired consistency, transfer it to an air tight container, such as an old peanut butter jar, and store for up to two months.**

** Most sources say to store it in the refrigerator, but I prefer how easily it spreads when stored at room temperature. I think storing in the fridge is just to prevent separation and that storing it at room temp. is safe. So when it’s stored at room temperature, the oil will separate, and the peanut butter just needs to be stirred before use.

The peanuts will go through a few stages before they become peanut butter, so don’t get discouraged when you see a crumbly, gritty substance in your processor! It will get creamier as the peanuts release oils, and you’ll soon have delicious, nutty, creamy peanut butter. The image above shows the stages; click on it to view it larger.

Of all the ways to use peanut butter, one of my favorites is a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The key to the perfect PB & J, though, is to grill it. Yep, grilled PB & J with Grandma RoseMary’s strawberry rhubarb jam hits the spot every time! The peanut butter gets all melty and even creamier, the flavor of the jam really pops when it’s warmed, and the toasty bread adds the perfect texture contrast. You don’t even have to butter the outside of the bread first; spraying the pan with some Pam first will do. Covering the pan with a lid while the sandwich cooks also helps get the insides nice and gooey.

Or are you looking to make a sweet treat with your newly homemade peanut butter?
Try these Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms! (Use any kind of Kiss you like. 🙂 )

What’s your favorite peanut butter recipe? What other ways do you use peanut butter? Pine cone bird feeders? Gum removal? Head massages? Shaving?

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