We're Nuts About Nut Butter!

Posted by The Gourmet Box on August 2, 2016

Different Types Of Nut Butters

As we all know by now, that nuts should be an integral part of your daily diet when you are trying to eat clean and healthy. It is one of the most important ingredients for a vegan diet. Rightly so, nuts are loaded with protein and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, making them a nutrient-dense powerhouse.

Today nuts are being used to make all sorts of delish products that you can consume on a daily basis. To name a few - nut milk, nut butter & spreads, nut oils, vegan desserts, etc. Out of all Nut Milk and Nut Butter have quickly gained popularity. They are absolutely delicious to consume, especially the nut butter.

Nut Butters can be made from any but of your choice - like almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, etc. Till now Peanut Butter was widely available and we were most familiar with it. However, there are a number of companies that have started making nut butter with other nuts as well.

You can make some at home as they are fairly easy to make it yourself. Here are some tips on making―and serving―various nut butter:

Cashew Butter:

The smooth butter forms after about 2 minutes of processing. It is ideal for sandwiches. Try it with avocado and other vegetables in a pita, or substitute it for tahini when you make hummus.

Almond Butter:

Roasted whole almonds have skins that will fleck the butter. When the almonds start to come away from the sides of the food processor, the butter is ready. Slivered, toasted almonds take about 3 1/2 minutes to form a butter, but roasted whole almonds have additional oil and will be ready in just 2 1/2 minutes. This mild, sweet butter is adaptable in sweet and savory dishes. Try almond butter on a sandwich with apples and brie or Gouda cheese.

Macadamia Butter:

Because of macadamias’ high fat content, the nuts grind into a butter too thin for spreading on bread in just 2 minutes. Chill to thicken it. Its buttery flavor is great for desserts.

Hazelnut Butter:

This grainy, thick butter with brown specks is fruity and naturally sweet. Processing it takes about 2 1/2 minutes. Bags of chopped nuts have few skins, so don’t worry about removing them. If nuts are whole, toast them in a 400° oven for 5 minutes or until they start to look shiny and the skins begin to loosen. Rub them in a dishtowel to remove skins. Mix a 1 to 1 ratio of chocolate syrup and hazelnut butter for a delicious spread that’s great on toasted honey wheat bread with bananas or on apple wedges.

Pecan Butter:

With a rich, hearty flavor that stands up well, pecan butter is great over meats. Pecans process into butter in about a minute. The loose paste spreads easily, but skins give it a slightly bitter aftertaste, so it’s best for recipes.

Peanut Butter:

Use plain roasted peanuts, rather than dry-roasted peanuts, which are seasoned with paprika, garlic, and onion powder. This smooth nut butter has distinctive fresh peanut flavor and the nuts take about 2 minutes to process. It is lighter in color than commercial peanut butters and is grainier than commercial hydrogenated brands.

Pistachio Butter:

A very dry, crumbly butter, it’s best combined with something else, like softened cream cheese. Cream cheese―pistachio spread is nice on French or egg bread. It takes about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes to grind into butter. It tends to clump during processing.

Walnut Butter:

Like pecan butter, this soft, oily butter is ready in about a minute. It, too, has a bitter aftertaste from the skins, making it good for recipes but not on sandwiches.

If you think its too much trouble to make it yourself - do not worry!! You can get your nut butter from The gourmet box