Mixed Fruit & Nut Butter

I love nut butter. Peanut butter, almond butter, mixed nuts, you name it. Just leave the coconut out and I am a happy girl.

There are a few standard jars that I like to have on hand, but lately I’m enjoying making my own nut butter. It’s fun and easy to make, and the taste from freshness is unbeatable. The best part is that when you do it yourself, there are so many ways you can customize the mix. Seasonings like salt, cinnamon and vanilla are basic additions to enhance the flavor of the nuts. Want to use peanuts or pecans, almonds or cashews? The selection is up to your discretion and there is no limit to how many you can use. While you are at it, why not add some mix-ins like raisins or chocolate chips?

I’ve seen a lot of nut butter inspiration on blogs:

Homemade Nut Butter (Perfect for a basic nut butter)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Almond Butter (Cookie dough and almond butter in one? Yes, please!)

Pumpkin Spiced Almond Butter (I love the flavor of pumpkin all year round)

Cinnamon Vanilla Peanut Butter (Perfect spin on a classic)

4-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Almond Butter (I’ve made a variation of this, leaving out the oil, and it was delicious!)

Homemade White Chocolate Peanut Butter (Even for a white chocolate hater this looks heavenly)

This weekend I decided to make something different with what I had on hand, a Mixed Fruit and Nut Butter. Since I had 3 bags of nuts already open, I decided to combine them: Honey Roasted Peanuts, Roasted Almonds, and Roasted Cashews

I also wanted to add texture to the spread with some dried fruit. The dried blueberries and bing cherries add a wonderful chew and aren’t too sweet

The entire process took about 10 minutes from start to finish. Completely worth it!

Start by combining the nuts in a food processor for about 5 minutes; scrape the sides every minute or two

When nuts are fully ground and the texture is drippy, add the cinnamon and salt if needed; run food processor for another 30 seconds

Finally, add dried fruit and run through food processor for about 3 minutes or until the fruit is as small as you’d like (run for less time if you want bigger dried fruit chunks)

Store in a leftover nut butter jar or tupperware at room temperature for up to a month

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Mixed Fruit & Nut Butter

I didn’t t add any salt because the nuts I used were salted enough. The nut butter comes out to ~100 calories / tablespoon which is similar to most natural peanut butters.

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 cup + 2 tablespoons

Ingredients

• 1 cup roasted cashews
• 2/3 cup honey roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup roasted almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• up to 1 teaspoon salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons dried bing cherries (unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup dried blueberries (unsweetened)

Cooking Directions

1. Start by combining the nuts in a food processor for about 5 minutes; scrape the sides every minute or two
2. When nuts are fully ground and the texture is drippy, add the cinnamon and salt if needed; run food processor for another 30 seconds
3. Finally, add dried fruit and run through food processor for about 3 minutes or until the fruit is as small as you’d like (run for less time if you want bigger dried fruit chunks)
4. Store in a leftover nut butter jar or tupperware at room temperature for up to a month

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I have been eating the nut butter by the spoonful or spreading it on english muffins.  How would you eat homemade nut butter?