Homemade Peanut Butter
This peanut butter recipe is easy to make in a food processor. Homemade peanut butter tastes fresh, creamy, and irresistibly nutty. Yum!
Posted by Kathryne Taylor on January 16, 2025
Peanut butter lovers: Have you tried making your own? I don’t know what took me so long to try it. It’s so easy to blend in a food processor and tastes incredible. Take your PB&J to the next level with homemade peanut butter.
Homemade peanut butter is lusciously creamy, with rich and irresistible peanut flavor. Notably, there’s no grit or annoying oil to stir into the container. Homemade peanut butter tops all the store-bought options in flavor and texture, and I’ve tried every natural peanut butter out there!
With homemade peanut butter, you have full control over the ingredients. There’s no need for sugar if you prefer unsweetened peanut butter (though if you enjoy a little sweetness, I have options below). There’s certainly no need for oils like hydrogenated vegetable oil or palm oil. My dry-roasted peanuts blended into creamy oblivion without any added oils.
If you’re interested in making your own peanut butter, this recipe is for you! You’ll find tips, variations, and the full recipe below—plus a video so you can watch it come together.
Homemade Peanut Butter Tips
Peanut butter on toast has been a breakfast mainstay for as far back as I can remember. I once begged my mom to ship peanut butter across the ocean during a semester in France. Turns out, all you need is peanuts and a food processor to make your own.
Start with unsalted dry-roasted peanuts.
Typically, for nut butters, I start with raw nuts and roast them before blending. However, it’s been difficult to find unroasted peanuts lately. Dry-roasted peanuts are the perfect option. While oiled nuts would work, you’re introducing an unnecessary ingredient into your peanut butter.
Choose unsalted peanuts so you can control the salt level. Double-check the ingredients before buying (the only ingredient should be peanuts) and taste them before blending. Bad peanuts will make bad peanut butter.
Use your food processor, not a blender.
I’m still on team Food Processor for nut butters, peanut butter included. Nut butters are so thick that blenders, even great ones like my Vitamix, require a lot of manual help to get going. It’s easier to throw the nuts in my food processor and let the processor work it out.
I’m happy to report that peanut butter blends much more easily than my other nut butter recipes. Once you make peanut butter, you’ll want to try the rest!
Watch How to Make Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter Flavor Variations
Try just one or try them all! Crunchy cinnamon-honey peanut butter sounds wonderful to me.
Naturally sweetened peanut butter
Honey and peanut butter is perfection, but maple syrup is also fantastic. With homemade peanut butter, you have full control over the sweetness level. I found 1 teaspoon to be lightly sweet, 2 teaspoons noticeably sweet and barely honey-flavored (it thickens the mixture quite a bit!), and 1 tablespoon tastes like a treat, with light honey flavor.
Cinnamon peanut butter
Try adding some ground cinnamon for some warming spice. Use 1/2 teaspoon for subtle flavor, or up to 1 tablespoon if you’re a big fan.
Crunchy peanut butter
For some crunch, reserve about 3/4 cup of the peanuts. Blend the rest as directed, then add the reserved peanuts back to the processor and process just until they are broken into small bits.
Mixed nut butter
Substitute almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts or pistachios for some of the peanuts.
Peanut Butter Serving Suggestions
I love peanut butter for breakfast. It’s hard to beat peanut butter on toast! To take it to the next level, drizzle it with honey. Stir a dollop of peanut butter into your morning oats to make them more hearty—try my overnight oats, oatmeal, and steel-cut oats.
My toddler’s favorite snack is apple slices with peanut butter dip—simply stir a generous spoonful into some Greek yogurt. Add honey or cinnamon if you’d like.
Turn your peanut butter into something sweet, like Peanut Butter Oat Cookies, Monster Cookies or Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars. You can also use peanut butter to make my Easy No-Bake Granola Bars.
Peanut butter can lean savory, too. Make peanut butter dipping sauce and serve it with spring rolls or drizzle it over these mango burrito bowls. Or make Vegetarian Peanut Soup!
Of course, we can’t forget the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which is a regular in my daughter’s lunch box. You’ll find more uses for peanut butter here.
More Nut Butters to Try
Please let me know how your peanut butter turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Homemade Peanut Butter
This peanut butter recipe is so easy to make in a food processor. Homemade peanut butter tastes fresh, creamy, and irresistibly peanutty. You’re going to love it! Recipe yields 16 ounces peanut butter (about 2 cups).
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (3 cups) unsalted dry roasted peanuts
- Up to ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- Optional flavorings: 2 to 3 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Transfer the peanuts to a food processor. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary, about 10 minutes. The peanuts will go from flour-like clumps to a ball against the side of the food processor, and finally, the mixture will turn lusciously creamy. If the mixture gets hot along the way or your machine seems tired, stop and let it cool for a few minutes.
- If desired, add a pinch or two of salt, honey and/or cinnamon. Blend until well mixed, about 30 seconds, then taste and add more if desired.
- Let the peanut butter cool to room temperature, then transfer the mixture to a mason jar and screw on the lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Notes
Raw peanut option: To roast your own peanuts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread shelled peanuts across a large, rimmed baking sheet and toast the peanuts for 10 to 20 minutes, until nicely fragrant, stirring every 5 minutes. Let the peanuts cool until they’re just warm to the touch (not hot) before blending.
Crunchy peanut butter: Reserve about ¾ cup of the peanuts. Blend the rest as directed, then add the reserved peanuts back to the processor and process just until they are broken into small bits.
Make it vegan: Don’t add honey. Sweeten with maple syrup, if desired.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
in your experience, does homemade peanut butter end up being more expensive than store bought?
Hi Claire, good question! Homemade peanut butter is generally less expensive, but not significantly. I make it for the superior flavor and the fact that I don’t have to stir it up before spreading! I can buy 16 ounces dry-roasted peanuts at Whole Foods (not organic) for $2.79, and one 16-ounce jar of Skippy peanut butter is $2.99. I can buy organic peanuts for $6.42—which is actually more than the 365 brand of organic peanut butter for $4.20, but less than Maranatha for $6.99.
The Peanut Butter video was one of the first I have had the pleasure to watch since you launched your new website and I gotta say….this video has the best music ever. Look forward to dancing around the kitchen while the food processor does the work!
Haha, I love it! Thank you, Davida! Enjoy the peanut butter.
Hi Kate! I love making my own pnut butter and i, too, use dry roasted pnuts. I prefer the salt free ones since I really watch my salt intake. I add a bit of extra virgin olive oil and cinnamon or natural vanilla are two of my favorites. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Having read your recipe I’m determined to give it a go. Up until now I’ve used shop bought peanut butter in my homemade granola and I’ve been frustrated at the lack of the non palm oil varieties available.
Thank you for your suggestion which deserves five stars in its own right.
Thank you, Glen! I hope you love your homemade peanut butter!
I love homemade nut butters. I never thought to add cinnamon or maple syrup. Took my nut butter up to the next level. Love your recipes. Thanks so much
I love peanut butter! Excited to try this. Why does it need refrigeration? Thx.
Hi Victoria! I’m just suggesting the refrigerator out of an abundance of caution. I’ve never had my peanut butter go bad at room temperature if it’s used in a reasonable time frame.
It was perfect at first but my husband thought it needed more honey. After adding honey, the mixture seized like chocolate. What did I do wrong? It tastes really good but I like the softer texture better.
Hi Rebecca, the honey does thicken the mixture quite a bit. I only tested adding up to 1 tablespoon. I hope it softened with time so you could still enjoy it!
Sorry, meant to give it 5 stars!
This was a game changer especially since it’s hard to find peanut butter without added oils lately. My peanut butter came together in half the time at 5 minutes. Thank you for this recipe! I had no idea it could be so easy.
Also, we’ve been making your healthy granola recipe for ourselves and for gifts for years!
Hooray! I’m so happy to hear it. Thanks for letting me know.
I will be trying the peanut butter today – sounds so easy! Please post how long it will remain good (with honey added) and if it should be refrigerated. Many thanks for the great job you do in providing such deliciously, healthy recipes!
I hope you love it! I suggested storing the peanut butter in the fridge out of an abundance of caution, but I think it would be fine at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Kate how long does the peanut butter keep please and can it be stored at room temperature? Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. We have enjoyed so many of them.
Hi Lin, I suggested storing it in the refrigerator out of an abundance of caution, but it is probably fine up to 1 month at room temperature. Obviously, discard it if you see or smell any signs of mold.
Note ~. Please heat up nuts before putting them in the processor. The warmth from the nuts leave a natural oil and brings out the full flavor of the nuts leave in addition to that once you put them in the processor the blending be a little easier for the nuts to blend. Perfect nut butter will be the end result !!!
Thank you for your suggestion! I have found that to be true for all of my other homemade nut butter recipes. Store-bought dry-roasted nuts blended so well (and deliciously) without the heat that I didn’t suggest it here. I couldn’t find raw peanuts!
Wow so simple and tasty.
Thank you, Michelle!
Great recipes for peanut butter and making it ourselves – thank you soooo much
This homemade peanut butter recipe looks amazing! I love how simple and customizable it is. Can’t wait to try it with a touch of cinnamon.
How long witll the recipe last out of the refridgerator?
Once again, Kate makes everything so easy and attainable!!! This peanut butter is AMAZING, and I’m so happy I will no longer be “robbed” by paying $17 a jar anymore!!! Thank you, Kate!!
Hi,
I’m wondering if I could add chia seeds to this mixture!
Je voulais savoir comment est-ce que on peut garantir un beurre de cacahuète de 1 ans de plus
Hi , well I did not read the recipe prior to shopping for the peanuts. I bought a 2 lb bag of elephant peanuts ( the ones that have the outer shell and skin on the peanut) I need help!!!! What should I do????
Lucille Vaudo
Hi Lucille, you can roast and shell those peanuts.
The dry roasted peanuts in the local shops look as though they’ve been roasted to death so I bought pale skin peanuts. Can I roast these in the air fryer and use them once I’ve rubbed the skins off?
Hi Glen, that sounds like it will work.
Do you use a specific brand of peanuts? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Stephanie, just be sure to use unsalted dry roasted peanuts. I have used peanuts from Sprouts, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and they have all been comparable.
I love it!!!