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Chocolate Coconut Almond Butter – Savory Style

If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself. Or… if you want to enjoy a delicious treat that you see in the store only to find out that it “may contain traces of [insert food you’re allergic to here],” then you’ve got to make it yourself.

This is the story of my life. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve picked up up a box or bag of tasty-looking cookies/chocolates/ice cream/etc. only to have to put it back down because it “may contain traces of peanuts” — a phrase that has easily become the bane of my allergy-ridden existence. And if you’ve ever taken a glance at the ingredients lists of various packages, then you’ve probably noticed that peanut warnings are everywhere… even on things like vitamins and shampoos!

I’m not complaining, though. I’m really not. I grew up thinking that I was allergic to all nuts, so finding out it was just peanuts was a real blessing. And if you’re wondering how I went 24 years living under false pretenses, it’s because my parents told me that my allergy encompassed all nuts so that my little 4 year old kindergarden self wouldn’t get confused and accidentally end up in the ER. Avoid all nuts, they said. So I did.

They meant well so I can’t exactly hold it against them, but I really wish they told me the truth sooner… saaaaaay around the age of 10 when I was probably old enough to comfortably make the distinction between peanuts and other nuts. 12 max. Instead, I was 24. And when I asked them why they had waited so long, they told me they just wanted to keep me safe and had honestly started believing it themselves. Okay. Can’t argue with that.

Either way, I’ve been making up for lost time with a serious love affair with almond butter that’s been going strong for a few years now.

The only problem — and this is where we go back to what I said in the beginning — is that most store bought almond butters are produced in the same facilities as peanut butters, meaning they’re off-limits for this girl. This fact used to irk me to no end (especially when I saw all the delicious flavours out there like vanilla, maple, and chocolate), until I learned how easy it was to make almond butter at home.

Seriously! All you need are some almonds and a food processor. That’s it! Well, that’s it if you just want a basic old no-fuss almond butter. But why stop there when you can have chocolate coconut almond butter…

Oh.my.word. Can we just take a moment to appreciate the beauty that is chocolate, coconut, and almonds? Because it really is a match made in tastebud heaven. And not only that, but the combination is textural perfection as well.

Almond butter can be a little bit tricky to make since it requires some processing time before the almonds release their oils and get smooth, so adding that spoonful of coconut oil really helps move things along more quickly, in addition to adding a nice and subtle coconut flavour. I like using roasted almonds in this recipe because their more robust flavour really compliments the cocoa, but you could easily use raw almonds if that’s all you have on hand.

And if you’ve never tried making your own almond butter before then I really recommend that you give it a go! Not only is it a lot more cost effective than buying the fancy jars from the store, but it let’s you experiment with some pretty awesome flavour combinations. Like this one…

 
Chocolate Coconut Almond Butter

  • 2 cups roasted salted almonds
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  1. Add the almonds to your food processor and pulse to begin breaking them down. Add coconut oil and continue processing until the almonds turn into a grainy paste and eventually a smooth butter, about 10-15 minutes.
  2. When almonds become creamy and desired consistency has been reached, add cocoa powder and honey. Process for an additional minute or two until everything becomes fully combined.
  3. Transfer the almond butter to a jar or an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to 3 months. If oil separation occurs, stir lightly before use.