Okay, you caught me. I actually bought an unhealthy brand of supermarket peanut butter. I couldn’t resist. The “whipped” label caught my eye. I’ve never met a nut butter I didn’t like, so I was pretty sure the fluffy cloud-like gimmick would rock my world just like every other nut I’ve ever tried. I was also intrigued that because of the light and airy consistency, I’d be saving on fat and calories, according to the little rectangle container. Taste-wise, it was pretty good. I’ve gotten so used to all-natural peanut butter with no other ingredients, that, quite frankly, it tasted a little fake. But the airiness was pretty cool, I must admit. I imagined a light little spoonful atop my kid’s waffles just like restaurants use with regular butter. But it got me thinking…how could I do this myself, and would it taste more real? I bought a bunch of nuts from the bulk bins and got to work. I decided I’d try some flavored nut butters since I was in charge. My first batch was a blend of unsalted, dry-roasted almonds and unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts. I wanted to created a fluffy version, and wanted it to have a cocoa flavor, so I added a touch of Stevia (2 concentrated spoonfuls) and Coco Complete, which is a chocolate flavored antioxidant. Alternatively, you could just use cocoa powder with more Stevia or some honey. My second batch was a blend of unsalted cashews and peanuts. I wanted a cinnamon-vanilla flavor, so I added both. After you taste these and imagine all the flavor possibilities, you’ll never buy store-bought again.
Choco-Almond-Whipped Peanut Butter:
1 cup each- dry-roasted, unsalted almonds and peanuts
1 scoop coco complete or 1 T cocoa powder
2-3 spoons of concentrated Stevia, or use liquid Stevia
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond milk
DIRECTIONS:
Blend nuts in a food processor for 10 minutes. Don’t be alarmed if it clumps up, it will eventually smooth out, I promise. Add cocoa, stevia and vanilla and blend. Slowly add milk a little at a time while processor is on. Add more by the tablespoon, if needed. Blend another 2-3 minutes. Mixture should be nice and fluffy (not nearly as airy as the store-bought, but nice, nevertheless). Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Cashew-Peanut Vanilla Cinnamon Butter:
1 cup cashews
1 cup peanuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Stevia to taste
Blend nuts in a food processor for a few minutes. Cashews blend up faster than other nuts. Add cinnamon, stevia and vanilla and blend another minute. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
