How to Make Walnut Butter (Easy! + 10 Ways to Use It)

Name: How to Make Walnut Butter (Easy! + 10 Ways to Use It)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 23 min
Ingredients: 3 cups raw walnuts (halves or pieces) (organic if possible); 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional); 2-3 teaspoons date syrup, or maple syrup (optional); IMPORTANT: add any of the following (especially liquids) AFTER processing, NOT during, such as:agave nectar/syrup, coconut/brown sugar, vanilla extract, toasted coconut flakes, cinnamon/nutmeg, cocoa powder, hemp seeds, ground flax seeds

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Making your own walnut butter is so EASY; you only need a food processor and 1 ingredient…walnuts! (+ your favorite additions). Toasting the walnuts releases their natural oils, making it super simple to blend up your very own blend of make-it-yourself nut butter.

A closeup image of a glass jar filled with walnut butter, with coarse sea salt on top.

If you’ve ever thought that making homemade walnut butter would be too complicated, expensive, or time consuming…think again!

When you make it yourself, you’ll not only know exactly what’s in it (no weird preservatives/ingredients you can’t pronounce), but you’ll also have FUN doing it.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS Walnut Butter:

It’s easy! This recipe requires only 1 ingredient- walnuts– plus any other fun additions you want to try (chocolate anyone?). After toasting the walnuts, just add them to the food processor and blend it all up. That’s it! It seems crazy easy, but roasting walnuts releases the natural oil from the nuts and turns it into a butter.
It’s versatile. This is a great base recipe. After you process the walnuts into a butter, you can make it as sweet as you like it, add chocolate for a decadent treat (our favorite), or experiment with different flavors and combos.
It’s healthy! Walnuts have SO many health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants, an incredible source of Omega-3’s, can lower heart disease, decreases inflammation, promotes a healthy gut, and so much more. What’s not to love?

A wide shot of a jar of walnut butter with walnuts in the background.

What You’ll Need:

You won’t need much to make this healthy walnut butter:

Walnuts– raw walnuts are recommended for this recipe (organic, if possible), but you can also buy pre-toasted and skip the toasting step. Just be sure to use enough walnuts to cover the blade of your food processor (we use at least 3 cups).
Optional Additions- get creative! Our favorite combo is cocoa powder, maple syrup (or Date Paste) and sea salt. So good! But you can also try agave nectar, coconut or brown sugar, vanilla extract, toasted coconut flakes, cinnamon/nutmeg, melted chocolate, hemp seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, and more.

IMPORTANT NOTE: *Just be sure to add any of these above additions AFTER processing or it will seize up and won’t blend well, and also note that any liquids will make the walnut butter thicken up a bit. The liquid is pretty runny, so it’s not a huge deal if it thickens a little, but just something to be aware of.

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Toast the Walnuts.

First, preheat your oven to 350 F. Then add the raw walnuts to a medium baking sheet in an even layer (see below). Toast the walnuts at 350 F for 7-8 minutes.

Watch very carefully when it gets to that 7-minute mark so they don’t burn, and remove from the oven immediately. Note: If using pre-toasted nuts, you can skip this step.

An overhead shot of a baking sheet covered in walnuts.

2. Process into a butter.

Carefully transfer the toasted walnuts to a food processor (they do not need to cool).

Then secure the top of the food processor and start blending. This entire process will take roughly 5-10 minutes, stopping periodically to scrape down the sides and re-blend as necessary.

As seen in the photos below, the mixture will form into a dry, crumbly mixture, then into a thick paste, then like magic!, the natural oils from the walnuts will release and it will become more of a smooth, thick liquid. Keep processing until you reach this smooth, liquid state.

6 images showing the process of making walnut butter in a food processor.

3. Add Optional Ingredients:

At this point, you can remove the blade and add any of the additional ingredients directly to the food processor and stir, OR transfer to a bowl to mix.

If you want to experiment with different flavors, add only a little of the walnut butter to a small bowl and experiment (a better option than messing up an entire batch).

Storage Instructions:

This recipe makes 1 cup walnut butter. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 months or in your pantry for about a month.

EXPERT TIPS & FAQ’S:

Do I need to soak the walnuts first?

Soaking is not necessary for this recipe, but it will make the walnuts slightly less bitter.

What kind of food processor should I use?

For this recipe, we use a Cuisinart 14-cup food processor, but a smaller size will also work. Make sure the blade is sharp and that there are enough walnuts to cover the blade entirely before blending.

Aren’t walnuts more bitter than other nuts?

Yes, walnuts are naturally more bitter than other nuts, so yes, this walnut butter will be a little bitter on its own. You can use it as-is for adding to recipes, or add sweetener/additional ingredients listed in the recipe below. If you still find walnut butter a little too bitter for your taste, you can also experiment by mixing different types of nuts together, such as 1/2 walnuts and 1/2 cashews.

A closeup of a glass jar of walnut butter on a wooden backdrop with walnuts in the background.

How to Use This Walnut Butter:

Spread onto toasted English muffins, toast, crumpets, etc. Top with toasted coconut flakes or ground cinnamon.
Add a spoonful to your morning smoothie.
Add some cocoa powder and maple syrup to your walnut butter, and mix in with oatmeal. Try this recipe for Instant Pot Oatmeal for a super easy way to make steel-cut oats.
Fill some walnut butter inside medjool dates, and top with unsweetened coconut or goji berries for a quick sweet snack.
Add some to energy balls. Check out this recipe for Chocolate Nut Butter Protein Balls (which calls for 1/4 cup of walnut butter). OR, try it in the place of almond butter in these Cinnamon Almond Date Bites (and rename them to Cinnamon Walnut Date Bites). =)
Add it to cookies, cakes, brownies, muffins, or any baked good you can think of. Or spread on warm cinnamon rolls.
Make a dressing or sauce. Or use it in place of peanut butter in this Miso Peanut Dressing.
Make a Walnut Butter and Jelly sandwich. Eat it cold or grilled!
Add to soup, such as this Instant Pot Pumpkin Curry Soup, or Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup.
Add some walnut butter to a baked sweet potato.

An overhead shot of a small bowl of walnut butter with a small spoon in side and sea salt, walnuts, and extra butter on the side.

If you make this Walnut Butter recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your photo with #veggie__chick on Instagram. We love to see our recipes being made in YOUR kitchen!