The first time I made homemade nut butter in my Thermomix, I couldn't believe how simple it was. One ingredient. Five minutes. Better taste and nutritionally superior to anything I'd ever bought. Now, my kids think store-bought nut butter is weird—they're spoiled on the real stuff.
Why Homemade Nut Butter Changes Everything
Store-bought versions often contain added sugar, palm oil, and stabilisers you can't pronounce. Homemade? It's 100% nuts and that's it. Your Thermomix does the grinding and natural oil extraction for you, creating silky smooth butter that tastes like actual food.
Why Your TM7 Is Perfect for This:
- Powerful motor grinds nuts to powder in seconds
- Creates enough friction to release natural oils
- Consistent blending avoids lumpy results
- Takes less time than you'd expect
- Zero cleanup compared to a separate food processor
Basic Almond Butter Recipe
You Need:
- 300g raw or roasted unsalted almonds
- A pinch of sea salt (if you prefer)
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional, for sweetness)
The Method
Step 1: Add nuts to your TM7 bowl
Pour in your almonds. If using roasted, you'll get butter faster. Raw almonds take a bit longer but produce a nuttier flavour. Your choice.
Step 2: Grind to powder (1-2 minutes)
Set to Speed 7 for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides with your spatula. The almonds will look like fine breadcrumbs. This is normal.
Step 3: Continue blending (2-4 minutes)
Set to Speed 6 for 30 seconds, then stop and scrape. You'll see the powder start to stick together slightly as oils release. Keep blending in 30-second bursts, scraping between each, until it transforms into butter. This usually takes 3-5 minutes total. The machine will get warm—that's the friction doing its job.
Step 4: Season and store
Add a pinch of salt if desired and a teaspoon of honey for sweetness. One final blend at Speed 3 for 10 seconds to combine. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature (it'll last 2-3 weeks) or in the fridge for longer shelf life.
Variations That Work Beautifully
Peanut Butter (The Classic)
Use 300g unsalted peanuts. Method is identical, but peanut butter comes together slightly faster due to higher natural fat content. Some people prefer roasted for deeper flavour. Either works.
Cashew Butter (The Luxury)
This is my secret weapon for winning over kids who don't love nuts. Cashew butter is naturally creamy and subtly sweet. Use 300g raw cashews (roasted work too, but raw have more delicate flavour). It blends faster than almond butter—expect it done in 3 minutes.
Mixed Nut Butter (The Sophisticated Option)
Combine 150g almonds, 100g cashews, and 50g hazelnuts. Each adds something different: almonds bring earthiness, cashews add creaminess, hazelnuts contribute richness. Blend together for a complex, restaurant-quality butter.
Storage and Shelf Life
Homemade nut butter stays fresh at room temperature for 2-3 weeks in an airtight container. The natural oils mean it might separate over time—just stir to recombine. For longer storage (up to 3 months), refrigerate. It'll be thicker when cold but spreads easily after 5 minutes at room temperature.
Why This Matters
I'm not a clean-eating evangelist, but I do care about what goes into my kids' bodies. When you make nut butter at home, you know exactly what you're feeding them. No mystery ingredients, no added sugars, no palm oil. Just real food that happens to taste incredible.
Plus, there's something satisfying about transforming a simple handful of nuts into creamy, spreadable butter in your Thermomix. It feels like cooking magic to kids, and they're more likely to eat something they watched you make.
Explore more TM7 recipes like 5-minute soup and one-pot carbonara, or Discover Thermomix TM7.