Foodist Approved: Maple Pecan Nut Butter

maple pecan nut butter
I have an affinity for nut butters. My freshman year of college, when I was running an insane amount of miles and living in the dismal dorms, I used to keep a jar of peanut butter by my bed. My roommate, to this day, still teases me about my by-the-spoonful, middle-of-the-night peanut butter snacking habit.
Years later when I worked in Geneva, Switzerland I kept a jar of almond butter in my desk drawer at work. Once again my nut butter snacking habit provided much entertainment. My co-workers thought it was hilariously odd that I ate almond butter imported from the US slathered on apples. Lucky for me, I never had to share, and they had no idea what they were missing out on.
Despite the ridicule over the years, nut butter spread on fruit or swirled into yogurt remains my beloved afternoon snack. After discovering that I could make a better butter at home, I’ve been experimenting with endless flavor combinations.
Compared to store-bought ones homemade nut butters have a richer nuttiness and deeper flavor, all of which adds up to some serious snacking satisfaction.
This Maple Pecan Nut Butter of mine is my new love. It only takes a small amount of maple syrup to bring to life the innate sweetness of the pecans. Adding almonds to the mix saves on cost without taking away from the butter’s better-than-pie goodness.
Serve it anyway you like: mash into a baked yam (trust me on this one!), swirl into whole milk yogurt, serve on top of baked apples or poached pears or simply slather on bananas, apple slices or thick slices of toast.
Homemade is more perishable than store-bought, so it’s best to make in small batches. Or better yet, make a large batch and freeze any amount that you can salvage from immediate consumption.
Maple Pecan Nut Butter
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1 cup [120 g] raw pecans
- 1/2 cup [85 g] raw almonds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F [175 °C]. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet, keeping the almonds and pecans on separate sides. Roast in the center of the oven for 6-8 minutes, being careful not to scorch the nuts.
Allow the nuts to cool for a few minutes, then place the almonds and salt in the work bowl of a food processor and process on high speed for one minute. Add in the pecans and process for an additional minute, or until the desired consistency is reached, stopping as needed to scrap down the sides with a rubber spatula.
Add in the maple syrup and cinnamon. Process again briefly just until combined.
Transfer to an 8-ounce glass mason jar with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Elyse Kopechy is a food writer, recipe developer, whole foods advocate, and marketing consultant. After 10 years working for Nike and EA Sports, Elyse decided to pursue her passion for talking about and writing about food. She went to NYC to study culinary nutrition at the Natural Gourmet Institute and has taken cooking classes throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. Follow Elyse’s adventures in the kitchen @ElyseKopecky.
I’ve used Mark Bittman’s approach for “fruit-and-nut butters” with good results (for instance, 1 cup of pecans and 2 cups of (thawed) frozen peaches. Toasting the nuts sounds like the next progressive step. Thanks!
I’ll have to try that combo. Thanks James! Yes roasting the nuts definitely brings out the flavor.
this sounds amazing!
I’ll definitly Cook this butter when coming home tonight!
It’s fun reading that you were eating almond butter on Apples at work in Geneva: I do the same (working at the University of Geneva) and my colleagues are also puzzled to ses how much I enjoy it 😉