Almonds are the more nutritious choice when picking a nut butter or spread. They are loaded with manganese, vitamin E, magnesium, tryptophan (an essential amino acid for the human body) copper, vitamin B, and phosphorus. Almonds are also heart-healthy; they contain monounsaturated fats which have been found to lower the risk of heart disease and cholesterol levels.
Even better, this superfood can also help you lose weight! Almonds increase your energy level and help to fill you up, because they are nutrient-dense and protein-packed, keeping you satisfied longer.
Why buy manufactured almond butter when you can make your own in minutes? You can control what’s going into it and guarantee there are no extra additives or preservatives. So grab your food processor and a bag of raw almonds and start mixing. These two almond butter recipes below –chocolate and vanilla–will help keep you energized, and serve as a great post workout boost!
Ingredients:
Chocolate Almond Butter:
- 2 cups of raw organic almonds
- 1/3 cup of cacao powder
- pinch of sea salt
Vanilla Almond Butter:
- 2 cups of raw organic almonds
- 2 vanilla beans
- 1 Tablespoon of organic brown sugar
- pinch of sea salt
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Roast almonds for 5-7 minutes and remove from pan. Place in a food processor and mix for 5-6 minutes until the oils begin to release. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all of the almond meal is being mixed. Continue to mix for an additional 4 minutes until a creamy consistency begins to form. Add the cacao powder and salt, mix until smooth and creamy!
For the vanilla almond butter follow the directions above, but remove beans from vanilla beans and add when creamy consistency begins. Add your brown sugar at that time and sea salt, and mix again. It will take about 12-13 minutes of continuous mixing to create a creamy almond butter. Eat straight out of the jar, with apples, or on a delicious almond butter and jelly sandwich!
