Homemade Natural Peanut Butter

Making peanut butter at home is very simple and requires very few ingredients. Here’s how you can prepare it:

Ingredients

• 400 grams of unsalted roasted peanuts
• A pinch of salt (optional)
• 1-2 tablespoons of honey or sugar (optional, for a sweet note)
• 1-2 tablespoons of peanut oil or another neutral oil (optional, for a creamier texture)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (if the peanuts are not already roasted).
2. Spread the peanuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, until they are golden brown and fragrant. Be careful not to burn them, stirring once or twice during roasting.
3. Let the roasted peanuts cool for a few minutes.
4. Transfer the peanuts into the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade.
5. Blend the peanuts intermittently for the first few minutes, then continue to blend constantly. After a few minutes, they will first become crumbled, then start to form a ball, and finally become creamy.
6. If you want a sweeter or softer peanut butter, you can add the honey or sugar and oil at this point and continue to blend until you reach the desired consistency.
7. Add the pinch of salt to taste and mix well.
8. Transfer the peanut butter to a clean container with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

Homemade peanut butter keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks. Use it as a spread on bread and toast, in protein shakes, or as an ingredient in preparing cookies and sweets.

Curiosity

Peanut butter is inextricably linked to American food culture, yet, its creation is due to a Canadian, Marcellus Gilmore Edson, who in 1884 patented the method to obtain butter from peanuts. In Italy, it is not as traditional as overseas, but its use is constantly growing, especially among lovers of international cuisine and American sweets.