Learn how to make homemade Walnut Butter by roasting walnuts to bring out their natural oils and create the most buttery, silky smooth and creamy nut butter! Great on toast, bagels or even use it in baking for a butter taste in place of oil!
HOW TO MAKE WALNUT BUTTER
Most people are familiar with making homemade almond butter or cashew butter, but let’s not forget about the magical walnut butter! When you roast walnuts and then process them, they become insanely smooth, creamy and an oily consistency. It is very similar to pecan butter, just not as sweet. Much more smooth and runny than almond butter or cashew butter.
Also, walnuts are a much healthier nut butter because they are a great source of omega 3 fats, antioxidants and vitamins. Having a balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fats are better for our hearts and overall health.
HOW TO MAKE WALNUT BUTTER
First, you will add 1 1/2 cups of raw, unsalted walnuts to a pan lined with parchment paper.
Roast them at 300°F for 12 minutes until looking a bit moist or oily on top and smelling fragrant. They don’t need to cook too long, as we don’t want to burn them.
Add the roasted walnuts to a food processor and process for about 1 minute. It should look like a chunky paste like this.
Since roasting the walnuts brings out their natural oils, it will process really quickly into a butter. Scrape down the sides and process another couple of minutes or so until it is very runny/oily and dripping and easily pouring off of a spoon. It should be much runnier than almond butter, as can be seen here. Very similar to a canola or olive oil consistency.
Walnut butter on its own is very nutty, but you can add a pinch of salt, coconut sugar or cocoa powder for flavor variations. It would even be delicious adding pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon. It is delicious on toast, bagels or even try swapping with almond butter in baking. I like to add a spoonful to my daughter’s smoothies for added omega 3 fats.
This walnut butter is also a magical ingredient in these Vegan Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Icing!
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
How to Make Walnut Butter
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (205g) raw, unsalted walnuts
- I use this food processor.
Instructions
- Add the walnuts to a pan lined with parchment paper. Roast them at 300°F for 12 minutes until looking a bit moist or oily on top and smelling fragrant. They don't need to cook too long, as we don't want to burn them.
- Add the roasted walnuts to a food processor and process for about 1 minute. It should look like a chunky paste.
- Roasting the walnuts releases their natural oils, so it will process really quickly into a butter. Scrape down the sides and process another couple of minutes or so until it is very runny/oily and dripping and easily pouring off of a spoon. It should be much runnier than almond butter. Very similar to a canola or olive oil consistency. NOTE: Keep in mind that different sizes of food processors can affect how quickly your nut butter forms. I have an 11 cup Cuisinart, so it is large and powerful. If you only have a 7 cup or a small one, it may take a few minutes longer.
- Walnut butter on its own is very nutty, but you can add a pinch of salt, coconut sugar or cocoa powder for flavor variations. It would even be delicious adding pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon. It is delicious on toast, bagels or even try swapping with almond butter in baking. I like to add a spoonful to my daughter's smoothies for added omega 3 fats.
I followed the recipe, but the walnut butter is bitter. Any advice?
Hi! yes, that’s because walnuts themselves are bitter. It’s not going to have the same flavor of something like almond butter. I created it rather to be used in baking, like in the cinnamon rolls. I’ve also noted on the recipe that if you want a flavor or it to be sweeter, you can add cinnamon and coconut sugar or whatever you like.
I made this and it turned out perfectly. I’m making the cinnamon rolls later in the week. Does it need refrigerated?
Hi Kristin! No, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated unless you were going to hold onto it for over a week.
Hi Brandi,
After the recommended time and temperature, my walnuts did not “sweat” at all. I still put them in the food processor but it made a very dry paste. I used it anyway and it tasted wonderful, but in the future, would you recommend leaving the walnuts in for a longer period of time at the recommended temperature, or bumping the temp a little higher. Trying to avoid burning them too!
-Nancy
Hi Nancy, glad it worked out! Sounds like you simply didn’t process it long enough. As noted in the instructions and in the photo in the post, it first turns into the paste, but you need to keep going “until it is very runny/oily and dripping and easily pouring off of a spoon.” as noted in step 3. Any nut butter will first turn into a paste, but as you keep processing, it becomes warmer and releases more of its natural oils and WILL turn into a smooth butter as pictured. Since food processors can vary in power, some may take a bit longer, but it should happen fairly fast with walnuts in general though since they are much oilier than almond butter. Just process it longer. As far as the baking time, I list the time that it works for me when I test the recipe. You can try roasting them for 15 minutes if you like, but it’s more of a case of not processing long enough, as 12 minutes is enough time to get the walnuts really hot and toasted to make the butter. I wouldn’t raise the temp as that can make them burn really fast.
Is there a way to make the butter a thicker consistency so, that it is mimicks peanutbutter consistency?
Just process it less time
I was gifted 10 pounds of walnuts and have never mad this in such quantity before. What is the shelf life and can it be frozen?
Nut butters will last weeks and weeks in the fridge. I would not freeze nut butter though, it will add extra condensation and I don’t think it would turn out the same after thawing.
Hi, what’s the difference in using raw vs toasted walnuts?
I like to roast my own walnuts, but if you buy roasted then just skip the roasting part and blend them up. Roasted walnuts are oilier and blend up much better into a very runny nut butter. Roasting them basically releases their natural oils.
Used this recipe but I added sea salt…truly delish and roasting the walnuts definitely makes a difference
Used the butter to make walnut and chocolate ice cream in a ice cream machine, melted 1lb dark chocolate into a pint of double cream and a small can of sweetened condenced milk about half a pound of walnut butter all heated together in a pan. Show stopper of a desert.
Wow, that sounds amazing!!
Can walnut butter be canned?
As in a hot water bath?
I have no knowledge or experience in canning, so I really do not know. But nut butters last quite a long time, especially if kept in the fridge, so I’m not sure it’s even necessary. They will firm up a bit in the fridge, but will come back to a soft texture once it’s sat out at room temperature.
I make this monthly and put one tsp. of it in my morning smoothie. YUM!
It was perfect and beautiful and then I added date syrup and it seized up! I am so bummed I ruined it and will make it again exactly how your recipe describes!
Oh no! Yeah, unfortunately, adding liquid sweetener to warmed up nut butter will cause that to happen. If you want to add sweetener, use coconut sugar or a dry sugar.
I made this recipe and it was perfect! The butter came out exactly as described and it was so yummy! Thank you for taking the time to write this recipe out for us all!
Recipe works exactly as described. Walnuts are quite bitter though so plan to eat with a little honey on toast. Thank you!
Oh yes, I never eat it by itself, haha! I actually only use it for baking in my recipes.
I used this recipe for pecans and it was amazing thank you so much you have changed my world.
Awesome to hear Jen! I also have a pecan butter tutorial on my blog!
I followed your recipe completely and it turns out great. I use Stevia with Monk Fruit sweetener and bit of pink himalayan pink salt since I am watching my sugar intake. I love it. I was surprise no oil needed and it was so oily when I keep on pureeing in my food processor. Thanks a lot.
This recipe for walnut butter is delicious….I have tried it on everything,etc, pretzels,crackers,bagels, toast even rice cakes it is an alternative to traditional butter’s,etc peanut or almond and quite healthy.
I made it yesterday. After processing it in the grinder, added cinnamon powder, pink salt and a bit of honey. The texture came out creamy smooth, a little greasier than peanut butter…just the way I like it. And it tastes heavenly. Thanks for sharing the recipe.