Homemade Walnut Butter

A super easy homemade walnut butter recipe, where your food processor does all the work. Optional and tasty additions include sea salt, honey, and coconut oil.

This homemade walnut butter is wonderful. It is tasty, creamy, and perfect for breakfast or as a healthy snack.

I love nut butters. I have a wide selection of store-bought nut butters at home, including peanut butter, almond butter and sunflower seed butter. But when it comes to walnuts, it’s not so easy to find the butter in stores, so I like to make it at home using this simple and easy recipe.

Can you make walnut butter?

Absolutely! This healthy, paleo recipe couldn’t be any easier. All you need are shelled walnuts, a food processor, and a little patience.

The process takes 10-15 minutes, and the food processor does all the work, as you can see in the video below.

The ingredients you’ll need

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty spread. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:

1. Raw shelled walnuts
2. Optional: sea salt, honey, and coconut oil

How to make walnut butter

It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

1. Start by toasting the walnuts in a 350°F oven for 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. You can skip this step if you prefer a raw butter.
2. Process the walnuts in your food processor until very smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. Stop a few times to scrape the sides and bottom.
3. Add the salt, honey, and coconut oil and process to combine.

Should I toast the walnuts first?

This is purely up to you. You can slightly complicate things by lightly toasting the walnuts prior to processing them. I usually use raw walnuts, because I find they produce the creamiest result.

Toasting the walnuts does enhance their flavor though. The raw butter is very mild. If you prefer a more pronounced flavor, certainly toast the walnuts first. It’s not difficult to do.

What should I add to my homemade walnut butter?

You can add tasty additions such as honey, sea salt, and coconut oil. But you don’t have to. 

I actually don’t add anything, because I really like the natural taste of walnuts. All I want is to produce the taste of walnuts, with a creamy and spreadable consistency.

But as I said, the plain raw butter is very mild. So if you prefer bolder flavors, do feel free to add more ingredients. See the recipe card below for specific suggestions.

How to eat it?

I confess that I love eating it with a spoon! It’s also excellent on a toasted low carb English muffin, or you can spread it on paleo banana bread.

If you don’t mind the carbs, it’s wonderful when you spread it on fresh bananas or apples.

Is walnut butter healthier than peanut butter?

Perhaps. Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid, which seems to have several important health benefits.

Here’s an interesting discussion on what is the healthiest nut butter.

How long do homemade nut butters last?

Several weeks. I recommend keeping this butter for up to 4 weeks, in a sealed glass jar in the fridge. You can probably keep it longer, but I tend to be on the conservative side when it comes to storing food.

Never miss a recipe!

I typically publish a new healthy recipe once or twice per week. Want the new recipes in your inbox? Subscribe!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

4.96 from 67 votes

Walnut Butter Recipe

A super easy walnut butter recipe, where your food processor does all the work. Optional and tasty additions are sea salt, honey and coconut oil. But plain is also very good!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: walnuts

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 258kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups raw shelled walnuts (12 oz)

Optional:

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

• If you’d like to toast the walnuts, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until fragrant, 8-10 minutes. Allow to slightly cool.
• Transfer the walnuts to your food processor. Process on high, stopping 3-4 times to scrape the sides with a spatula and allow the food processor to rest, until smooth and creamy, 10-15 minutes.
• If using the optional additions, now is the time to add the sea salt, honey and coconut oil to the food processor. Process until smooth and fully incorporated, 1-2 more minutes.
• Keep the walnut butter in an airtight container. I keep it on the kitchen counter, but I use a little every day so it only lasts about a week. If you plan to store the walnut butter for longer, I suggest storing it in the fridge. If stored at room temperature, some oil separation will occur – stir before using.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

NOTES

Nutrition for 2 tablespoons (32g) of raw walnut butter with no additions is basically the nutrition info for 32 grams of raw walnuts: Calories 208, Fat 21g, Saturated Fat 2g, Sodium 1mg, Carbs 4g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 1g, Protein 5g.

NUTRITION INFO Nutrition info is approximate and may contain errors. It is calculated using the SparkPeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Please feel free to make your own calculations. Please read the disclaimers in our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Please verify they are before using.

Nutrition Facts

Walnut Butter Recipe

Amount Per Serving (2 tablespoons)

Calories 258 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Sodium 34mg1%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 5g10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! I typically publish a new healthy recipe once or twice per week. Want the new recipes in your inbox? Subscribe!