Making Homemade Peanut Butter from scratch is one of the simplest ways to enjoy a smooth, creamy spread with rich, nutty flavor. Ready in just 10 minutes, this flavorful vegan staple is inexpensive, easy to make, and perfect for toast, oatmeal, smoothies, or your favorite snacks.
Love nut butter? Try my sugar-free cashew butter next.
This easy homemade peanut butter is a daily staple in my plant-based kitchen, perfect for swirling into peanut butter chia pudding, blending into a berry peanut butter smoothie, or whipping up banana peanut butter cake and oat-free peanut butter date balls.
With just a food processor, you can turn plain roasted peanuts into a rich, velvety, deeply nutty spread without any added oils, sugars, or preservatives. My top tip for making this recipe from scratch: keep blending!
The mixture goes through a crumbly phase before transforming into a silky, creamy butter that you can customize with a pinch of sea salt or a drizzle of maple syrup.
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🥜Ingredients
- Roasted peanuts: Use unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts for the best flavor and creamy texture.
- Sea salt: Optional, but enhances the naturally nutty flavor.
- Maple syrup: Optional, for a touch of natural sweetness.
As always, you can find the full recipe with a list of ingredients with measurements in a printable recipe card at the end of this post.
🥄How To Make Homemade Peanut Butter
- Add the peanuts: Place the roasted peanuts in the bowl of a food processor. Make sure your processor is large enough to allow the peanuts to move freely.
- Start blending: Process the peanuts on high speed. At first, they will break down into a coarse, crumbly mixture. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Keep blending: Continue processing for several minutes. The peanuts will gradually release their natural oils, turning from a thick paste into a smooth, creamy butter. Be patient-this is the key to achieving that silky texture.
- Customize the flavor: Once the peanut butter is smooth, add a pinch of sea salt if desired. For a sweeter version, blend in a little maple syrup.
- Adjust the texture: For extra-smooth peanut butter, keep processing until it reaches your desired consistency. If you prefer it slightly chunky, reserve a few roasted peanuts, chop them, and stir them in at the end.
- Transfer and store: Spoon the peanut butter into a clean glass jar, let it cool completely, then seal and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
📋Variations
- Salted peanut butter: Add a pinch of sea salt for a delicious sweet-and-salty flavor.
- Sweet peanut butter: Blend in 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup for natural sweetness.
- Cinnamon peanut butter: Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a warm, cozy flavor.
- Chocolate peanut butter: Blend in 1-2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder for a rich chocolatey twist.
- Make it crunchy: Reserve a handful of roasted peanuts, chop them, and stir them into the finished butter for extra crunch.
- Add vanilla: Add ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract for a subtly sweet, aromatic flavor.
💡Marinela's Tips
- Use roasted peanuts. Roasting brings out the peanuts' natural oils and creates a deeper, richer flavor. If roasting them yourself, let them cool slightly before blending.
- Be patient with the food processor. The peanuts will go from whole to crumbly, then into a thick paste before becoming smooth and creamy. Keep blending!
- Scrape the sides. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl so all the peanuts are processed evenly.
- Use a powerful food processor. A good-quality processor makes the process faster and helps achieve that silky-smooth texture.
❓Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Yes, if you're starting with raw peanuts, roast them first for the best flavor and texture. Spread the peanuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 350°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until lightly golden and fragrant. Let them cool slightly before adding them to the food processor.
No. There's no need for added oil. Peanuts naturally contain enough healthy fats to create a creamy consistency when blended long enough.
Store it in a clean, airtight glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Always use a clean, dry spoon when serving.
Yes! Simply reserve some roasted peanuts, chop them into small pieces, and stir them into the finished peanut butter for a delicious crunchy texture.
🍰Vegan Peanut Butter Recipes
- Peanut butter overnight oats (no chia seed)
- Peanut butter oat date balls
- Homemade granola bars
- Applesauce peanut butter overnight oats
- Date peanut butter shake
- Oatmeal bake (no eggs)
- Blended peanut butter overnight oats
- Dates with peanut butter
📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade Peanut Butter Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted peanuts unsalted, peeled
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
- 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Add the roasted peanuts to a food processor.
- Process on high speed until the peanuts become crumbly. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Continue blending until the peanuts form a thick paste, then keep processing until smooth and creamy. This can take several minutes.
- Add sea salt or maple syrup, if using, and blend briefly to combine.
- Transfer to a clean glass jar, let cool completely, seal, and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.
Notes
- Using raw peanuts: Roast them at 350°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes, stirring halfway, until lightly golden and fragrant. Let them cool slightly before processing.
- Be patient: The peanuts will go through several stages-from whole peanuts to crumbs, thick paste, and finally smooth peanut butter.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated in an airtight glass jar for up to 4 weeks. Always use a clean, dry spoon when serving.
Nutrition
If you try this homemade peanut butter recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo @go_eatgreen on Instagram.
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Jacqui says
I’ve made lots of nut butters at home, but never though about making my own peanut butter. This is such a great recipe! Thank you
Marinela says
Thank you, Jacqui!
nancy says
i love PB and never thought to make it at home. This is great without preservatives
Marinela says
Absolutely! Homemade is the best! Thank you, Nancy, for sharing your thoughts with us.