Have you ever thought about making homemade peanut butter? I was standing in the natural foods aisle at my local grocery store the other day, bribing my children to behave themselves with some dried apricots. My older son looked at the peanut butter machine and asked what it was.
I never really looked carefully at the machine before but after explaining how it worked and how it made peanut butter to my boys, I thought, why do people buy this stuff? I can totally make this at home with a food processor. So we headed over to the peanut aisle and came home and made our own.
It took 5 minutes and only had one ingredient. No salt, no preservatives, no junky oils. Just peanuts. Since that day we’ve played around with some yummy add-ins to make special flavors. The chocolate is pretty dangerous. The cinnamon raisin and honey flavors are two of my favorites.
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to making your own peanut butter:
- 2 Cups of Shelled, Unsalted Roasted Peanuts
- Add peanuts to your food processor or blender with the metal blade attached.
- Pulse the peanuts until the nuts are chopped.
- Now, process the chopped nuts for about 3 minutes. I like to stop each minute to scrape the sides down.
- If your peanut butter is too dry or not smooth enough, you can blend for another 2-3 minutes and/or add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil to help the consistency. Peanut oil or other neutral flavored oil like sunflower or canola oil is best.
- Store the peanut butter in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
Now on to our five favorite variations. I’ll be honest though, I’ve only made the chocolate peanut butter once. It’s just too dangerous to keep in the house!
Creamy Roasted Peanut Butter
Follow the steps above for Creamy Peanut butter. You can also up the flavor by using raw peanuts and roasting them yourself. To roast:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees
- Add peanuts to a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan
- Roast for 6-10 minutes stirring or shaking pan mid-way through.
- You can also roast the already roasted peanuts for a couple minutes to heat them and help loosen the oils
Crunchy Peanut Butter
If your family loves crunchy peanut butter, remove half a cup of the chopped peanuts from step 2 above. Then stir them back in at the end.
Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter
This is one of my favorites and is so easy!
- Add 1 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon right after step 2. You don’t want to add it in when the nuts are too blended so add them in right after the rough chop.
- Finsh the steps to the very end and fold in 1/3 cup of raisins.
Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
There are two ways to make honey roasted peanut butter. The easy way? Follow all the steps above using store bought honey roasted peanuts. The not-as-easy way? Roast your own.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees
- Line a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- Add 1/4 cup of honey to a microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave on high for 20 seconds.
- Add 2 cups off peanuts and stir to evenly coat the nuts.
- Spread nuts evenly on parchment-lined sheet. Do not overlap.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes stirring every 5 minutes. Careful not to overlap the nuts.
- Once finished, let the nuts cool. Then follow all the basic steps above.
Chocolate Peanut Butter
If you are up for a decadent treat or want a peanut version of Nutella, it’s easy to make chocolate peanut butter.
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (the darker the better!)
- 1 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 Salt
- Add these ingredients after step number 4 above. You may also need to increase the oil in step 5 to 2-3 tablespoons.
More Recipes
Now that you have some yummy homemade peanut butter, you don’t have to just save it for your sandwiches. Try some of my favorite Peanut Butter recipes.
- No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
- Coconut M&M Magic Bars (use up leftover peanuts)
Have you ever made homemade peanut butter before? I’d love to hear how you love to make yours. Do you have a special blend your family loves?
Looking for more fabulous DIY ideas, be sure you Follow Me on Pinterest and don’t miss the Home DIY Board for more great tips.
I buy natural peanut butter with just the salt added. I need to make it at home though and add my Real Salt. The stuff I buy is $2 for 16 ounces. What prices have you found for purchasing peanuts (and where from)? Thanks!
I can get a pound of peanuts for $2-$3, sometimes around $1.75 but I don’t buy organic. It takes about half a pound to make this recipe and yields roughly a cup and a half of peanut butter. The peanut butter I buy is closer to $4 a jar though so for us, this is definitely more cost effective.
That’s a great price! Where do you buy from? I want to try making it now!
I get them in the bulk bin at the grocery store or Costco. But you can get a good price from Amazon too: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EO6B7C?tag=saviwithshel-20 They are $2.81/lb if you choose Subscribe & Save and just $2.37/lb if you already have 5 Subscriptions in a single month.
Is the image above peanut butter you made? I have never been able to get it that smooth and creamy.
I have found that the longer you run your food processor, the creamier it will be. How long did you process it? I did on and off for probably a total of 3-4 minutes. I also added about 1 tsp of grape seed oil (I did the creamy peanut butter recipe). I hope it works out for you, as mine turned out wonderful!
What a delightful idea using grape seed oil.
Is there a need to refrigerate the homemade peanut butter?
Yes you do need to refrigerate. Store it in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.
I’ve never refrigerated my pb. We go through about a pint a week, so I make a quart at a time.
I do not refrigerate my home made peanut butter. I store it in an airtight container and trust me, it doesn’t last long enough to go bad.
I really like your recipe ideas for peanut butter. The recipe I use is a favourite of all my family members. It is a mega nut mix spread, and can be made to be smooth or crunchy. It has 500g of oven roasted Peanuts, Almonds, Walnuts, Hazelnuts and Pistachios. No added oil. No salt. Processed in food processor until smooth. (If crunchy preferred add some chopped nut pieces).
Mega nut spread-what an amazing idea!
I can’t wait to try all of these recipes, especially the chocolate peanut butter recipe! I’m not a huge fan of wasting money on purchased chocolate nut butters.
I just made this using Planters cocktail peanuts. They only had peanuts, peanut oil and salt. Ground up and added some sugar free chocolate chips. Was too thick so added a drizzle if avocado oil. Mmmmmm better than Nutella. Thank you.
Hello, Can you tell me how to roast peanuts in an old oven with no temperature indicator? And another doubt, the non roasted version is also good? tkuuu
Eugenia, you need this: Stainless Steel Oven Thermometer. I had one when we lived in an old, old house and it was a lifesaver when baking. When I’m in a hurry I just buy already roasted peanuts and don’t bother roasting them myself. The peanut butter still tastes good.
Do you roast the peanuts in the shell or unshelled?
I roast them out of the shell.
I use Natural Peanut Butter with just salt added but have been meaning to make my own. Thank you for sharing so many recipes for different flavors with Share It One More Time. Cathy
Never had cinnamon raisin peanut butter but sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing with Turn it Up Tuesday.
Lovely recipes! I pinned yours in my “Food & Drink Recipe Collection” board! By the way, I found yours from “Turn It Up Tuesday” Link Party 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Can’t wait to try homemade PB. Didn’t think it would come out good in a blender but I’m going to try it! Then I’ll make the granola bars I saw on Creativity Linky. Thanks so much!
Kristine 🙂
I was reading your peanut butter granola bars post and immediately got sidetracked by your homemade peanut butter recipe, lol. That’s something I’ve been wanting to try to make for a while! I love buying Costco’s peanut butter because it’s just peanuts and salt, but making my own would be cheaper! Definitely pinning this to try!!
I am struggling. I have tried dry roasted with and without salt. I have been trying Costco Salted Roasted Peanuts too. They keep coming out grainy and in one big mass. The longer I process it, the more solid it gets. Tried adding oil. Even honey. The plastic bowl and processor just get hot. Am thinking my food processor isn’t up to the task and need one with more power. What do you think? Can you emaol me? Im super busy ar work. Thanks.
That could be. Ask a friend if she has a more powerful one and try that one. You could also get the blades sharpened on yours. Maybe they are dull.
I had the same issue, but my problem wasn’t with my processor – it was with my patience. I’d used my Ninja Bullet to make the peanut butter, so I put the gritty lumps back in there and processed for two more minutes. The resulting butter was so smooth, I could pour it!
I recently, finally, got a mixer with a food processor attachment so tried making my own peanut butter and needless to say I loved it. You’ve given me some new variations to try now so thank you!
Oh I didn’t realize there were food processor attachments for the mixer! Cool!
Good Morning Shellie, I love peanut butter but I have never thought of making it myself. I have a food processor so I am looking forward to making my own additive free peanut butter.
Thank you so much for the instructions.
Best Wishes
Daphne
YUM – so many great recipes!! I’ve always wanted to try and make my own, just never knew how…until now!! 🙂 Pinning this!
Looks yummy! I’m going to try this a add mini chocolate chips to. So it’ll be chunky from the chocolate!
I’m so thankful for this recipe! My husband and I had tried countless other methods – many using lots of oils – and this one tops them all! It’s even better than store bought we think.
Appreciate your sharing. 🙂
Hi! I made the honey roasted peanut butter. unfortunately over half of my peanuts got stuck to the wax paper I used… I tried to get them off but bits of the wax paper came off with the peanuts. the 1/3 that I managed to process was great. any tips for my next attempt?
thanks so much for posting these recipes.
Parchment paper and wax paper are two totally different things. If you get wax paper it will melt and stick. You need parchment paper instead. You should be able to find it on the same aisle as the wax paper. At my store it’s just on a higher shelf.
Hi! I have a bunch of in-the-shell peanuts I want to use for DIY PB before they go bad, so I’m removing them from the shell before re-roasting. In doing this, do I keep the skin, or discard that part w/the shell? BTW, I’ll buy the already-shelled kind next time . Thanks so much!
I would go ahead and remove them from the shells and also the skins. You’ll have to remove them at some point and I think it would be easiest before roasting.
Since I’m allergic to peanuts, I have been making cashew butter for a few years now, with a little oil and sea salt. Great substitute for my peanut butter cravings. Great on bananas, crackers and toast!
Hello I was wondering for the simple 2 cups of peanuts to make the butter, what your yield was after processing it into butter? I would imagine it doesn’t make a full 2 cups of peanut butter
Yes, it makes more like 1.5 cups. Also depends on how chunky you make it.
Can you preserve this peanut butter by canning them into pint size jars?
Always make my own pb with my vita mix. Just a mix of honey roasted and cocktail peanuts nothing else. What I want to make is cappuccino peanut butter. The Amish store upstate has it. But I want to make my own. Any ideas on how?
Can you use coconut oil? And also, can you add white chocolate chips if melted, or just put in the food processor as is? Thanks in advance!