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    Home Β» Recipes Β» Dips, Sauces, Spreads, and Spices

    Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter

    Published: Jun 30, 2015 Β· Modified: Jun 20, 2020 by Alyssa Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Vanilla espresso almond butter is so easy to make at home - and cheaper, too! This three-ingredient recipe includes vanilla extract and whole espresso beans for a unique, flavor-packed spread. It's perfect for slathering on toast, pancakes, and waffles, as a dip for pretzels and fruit, and more.

    A small glass jar on a linen napkin filled with almond butter

    Breakfast! It's one of my favorite meals and a source of frustration all at once. I go through mega phases with breakfast. Either I eat the same thing every day for months, or I'm staring into the fridge and/or cabinets each morning wondering what combination of breakfast-friendly foods I feel like that day.

    Healthy baked oatmeal bars have definitely gotten me to settle down with my breakfast jumping, but I'm always on the lookout for ways to shake it up.

    One long-standing supermarket indulgence of mine has been treating myself to a new and exciting flavor of nut butter. Every time I shop there seems to be a new brand or flavor available, and my latest find was a lovely vanilla bean and espresso blend.

    I bought it, I loved it, I devoured it...but it was a little pricey for the volume of almond butter I eat each week. I'm talking having it on toast for breakfast, and then bringing the jar with me to work so I could have it again as an afternoon snack.

    Obviously a homemade version was on my mind.

    A small glass jar of almond butter on a dish towel surrounded by loose almonds and whole espresso beans

    Just three ingredients

    This vanilla espresso almond butter is a breeze to whip up and adds an extra special flavor dimension to a staple. All you need is a food processor and three ingredients:

    • roasted and salted almonds
    • whole espresso beans
    • vanilla extract

    My preference when making homemade almond butters is to use roasted almonds. They bring a deeper flavor than using raw nuts, and the salted nature of them pairs well with the "sweeter" ingredients, like the vanilla extract here.

    If you only have raw almonds, you can roast them and just add in a pinch of salt when you're blending it up.

    To dry roast almonds, add them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or dish. Roast in a 350°F oven for 8-12 minutes, keeping a close eye (well, nose) for when they become fragrant. Remove them right when they've become golden-y brown, then immediately transfer them to a plate to cool. They risk burning if you keep them on the hot pan.

    A spoonful of almond butter being lifted out of the glass jar

    While I love adding instant espresso powder to chocolate desserts, whole espresso beans is what I use here. Reason being that I love the larger espresso flecks they provide in this vanilla espresso almond butter. Instant espresso powder is very fine and would blend too much into the almond butter mixture.

    Five minutes of prep time

    The recipe steps here can be described as follows: add everything to the bowl of a food processor and blend until mostly smooth. Enjoy!

    Stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed to make sure all of the ingredients get broken down. If you're using at-home dry roasted almonds, you may wish to add a pinch of salt along with the other three ingredients to provide that sweet + salty counterbalance.

    If you've never made homemade nut butter, it may not look like it's working at the beginning of the processing. The almonds will first break down into small pieces, and then into even finer pieces that resemble a sandy consistency. Keep it going, as soon the natural oils from the almonds will release and the mixture will become creamy, as we've come to expect.

    A spoonful of almond butter resting on the lid of the glass jar

    Serving suggestions

    I've been eating a tablespoon or two of this vanilla espresso almond butter along with multi-grain crackers as a mid-afternoon snack, and I'm happy to report it holds me over until dinner, which is a rarity for me.

    Otherwise, this is such a great spread for morning toast (hello, little burst of espresso flavor), for dipping fresh fruit or dates, or for simply eating a spoonful topped with mini chocolate chips for dessert. While I wouldn't recommend making this if you don't like the flavor of coffee, the vanilla and espresso flavor pairing is surprisingly versatile with all the foods it goes with.

    For a slightly different but related flavor direction, you may also like espresso cinnamon almond butter. It has all the flavors of a Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte, but in almond butter form!

    An overhead shot of the almond butter blended up in the food processor

    Recipe notes

    • See body of the post above for how to dry roast almonds for this recipe if all you have are raw almonds.
    • Whole bean espresso is my pick here over my usual instant espresso powder as larger, chunky espresso flecks works better than super fine powder.
    A spoon plunged in a small glass jar filled with almond butter

    Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter

    Vanilla espresso almond butter is so easy to make at home - and cheaper, too! This three-ingredient recipe includes vanilla extract and whole espresso beans for a unique, flavor-packed spread. It's perfect for slathering on toast, pancakes, and waffles, as a dip for pretzels and fruit, and more.
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    Course: Dips and Spreads
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 155kcal
    Author: Alyssa

    Ingredients

    • 1 Β½ cups roasted salted almonds (or your preferred variety)
    • 1-2 tablespoon whole espresso beans, or to taste
    • ΒΌ teaspoon vanilla extract
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    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process for 2-3 minutes, occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Mixture will become very finely chopped, to sandy, and then will begin to resemble a creamy almond butter as the oil from the almonds releases. Continue processing until almond butter is a smooth, spreadable consistency.

    Notes

    Espresso flavor: I suggest starting with one tablespoon of espresso beans, processing, and then taste testing. Add additional beans if you'd like a stronger espresso flavor.
    Almonds: Roasted and salted, lightly salted/low-sodium, and dry roasted almonds all work here.
    This recipe yields approximately 8 oz of almond butter.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1oz | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5.7g | Fat: 13.7g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 1.3g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Tried this Recipe?Tag @mysequinedlife - I love to see what you're making!

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

    Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer

     

    Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter | mysequinedlife.com
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    Comments

    1. Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says

      July 02, 2015 at 7:16 am

      This is the most awesome almond butter EVER! Seriously, vanilla AND espresso?? I'm obsessing over here. I'm pretty sure I would end up putting this on like everything. πŸ˜‰ LOVE.

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        July 02, 2015 at 7:48 am

        Haha thanks Sarah! This definitely has been going on everything!

        Reply
    2. Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says

      July 01, 2015 at 8:15 am

      Yes to the almond butter! I had this in Alaska and it was amazing. Nicely done!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        July 02, 2015 at 7:43 am

        Thanks Kristi! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    3. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

      July 01, 2015 at 6:59 am

      Wow does this look good, Alyssa! I just made my own peanut butter, so I can't wait to try this almond butter! Such a great idea!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        July 02, 2015 at 7:42 am

        I've got to make homemade peanut butter soon - I can't believe I haven't already! It amazes me every time how homemade nut butter breaks down and becomes creamy practically on its own. Thanks Gayle!

        Reply
    4. David @ Spiced says

      July 01, 2015 at 6:36 am

      Woah...this flavor combo has me drooling right about now! I've never thought of adding espresso to almond butter, but I can totally see how it would be delicious! And yes, I totally agree with you about whole bean, espresso roasted beans...they are way too hard to find in our local grocery store. Thanks for the Amazon tip!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        July 02, 2015 at 7:40 am

        Thanks David! Those espresso beans are such a neat flavor twist. And Amazon is definitely the way to go! I have a Prime membership and it's one of the most useful things ever!

        Reply
    5. Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      June 30, 2015 at 9:24 pm

      Oh my goodness, does this ever look amazing? I don't know if any would make it onto my toast...straight spoonfuls for this girl πŸ˜‰

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        June 30, 2015 at 10:15 pm

        Haha I definitely give it a 'taste test' before spreading it on toast or dipping crackers in it. Thanks Denise!

        Reply
    6. Danielle says

      June 30, 2015 at 9:21 pm

      I've been loving almond butter lately and this espresso version needs to happen soon! This looks incredible, Alyssa! And perfect on just about everything, I could eat this by the spoonful πŸ˜‰

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        June 30, 2015 at 10:12 pm

        Thanks Danielle! Spoonfuls definitely have been happening. πŸ˜‰

        Reply
    7. marcie says

      June 30, 2015 at 7:28 pm

      Oh yes to adding espresso to almond butter -- best idea ever! I make almond butter weekly, and this I need to try. I'm dying for a big spoonful right about now. πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        July 02, 2015 at 7:36 am

        Thanks Marcie! I'm hooked on homemade almond butter big time now. This batch has disappeared so quickly!

        Reply
    8. Annie @Maebells says

      June 30, 2015 at 1:33 pm

      OMG! omg omg! This looks SO GOOD! I am currently super addicted to almond butter so this is right up my alley!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        June 30, 2015 at 10:11 pm

        Thanks Annie! Almond butter is just too good. This one tasted SO close to the store-bought inspiration - I was pumped!

        Reply
    9. Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says

      June 30, 2015 at 10:39 am

      I'm in a major breakfast rut right now too. Just cereal, cereal and more cereal. I need to mix it up with this delicious almond butter!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        June 30, 2015 at 10:10 pm

        I've definitely been in the cereal rut before, too. I think you would love this almond butter!

        Reply

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