WARNING: PROCEED WITH CAUTION. This nut butter is deadly.
Leap year comes only once every four years, and this nut butter is not any less special.
This is nut butter like no other.
This is nut butter that takes you on a trip to Candy Land.
This is nut butter that is a candy bar.
An Almond Joy Candy Bar.
Lay the almonds onto a dry baking sheet and toast in the oven for at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant. Let cool on the sheet. (I find this step helps the almonds turn to butter faster.)
Pour almonds into blender, add salt, and BLEND THEM UP!
At this step, you may or may not need to add more oil depending on the strength of your blender/food processor. I didn’t use oil with my first batch and just allowed my BlendTec to do its thing. I did use it the second time and the oil helped the nuts become cheetahs and speed into buttah!
When the base is ready, it should be smooth and creamy. If you want a thick nut butter, then this is the stage you want it at/what you want to see. If you want a more runny-ish nut butter then continue blending and/or add a little more oil.
Chop up your dates and add them to the party. Process until they are thoroughly combined and pureed into the entire batch.
Add the coconut and chocolate chips and fold/pulse them in.
Note: when using the chocolate chips, the almond butter may turn a chocolaty-color, as the chocolate may melt if the nut butter is warm. (This won’t occur if you use cacao nibs.)
Pour/spoon into a glass container and store in the fridge. This has never lasted me more than a week as I just eat it up that quickly, but I’m sure it’d last in the fridge for a few weeks with a tightly screwed lid.
OR SKIP THAT AND JUST TAKE A SPOON TO IT!
‘Almond Joy’ Almond Butter!
The Candy-Bar Nut Butter
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup almonds, dry roasted
- ¼ tsp salt
- up to 1 ½ tbsp. oil (canola or coconut)
- 5 dates, chopped
- handful(s) of finely shredded coconut (I used unsweetened)
- handful(s) of mini chocolate chips
See notes.
Directions
- Lay the almonds onto a dry baking sheet and toast in the oven for at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant. Let cool on the sheet. (I find this step helps the almonds turn to butter faster.) SEE NOTES FOR A RAW-OPTION.
- Pour almonds into blender, add salt, and BLEND THEM UP! At this step, you may or may not need to add more oil depending on the strength of your blender/food processor. I didn’t use oil with my first batch and just allowed my BlendTec to do its thing. I did use it the second time and the oil helped the nuts become cheetahs and speed into buttah! When the base is ready, it should be creamy. If you want a thick nut butter, then this is the stage you want it at/what you want to see. If you want a more runny-ish nut butter then continue blending and/or add a little more oil.
- Chop up your dates and add them to the party. Process until they are thoroughly combined and pureed into the entire batch. Add the coconut and chocolate chips and pulse them in. (You can also just fold them in with a spoon – excuse to lick the spoon afterwards.
) Now, add the coconut and chocolate chips and fold/pulse them in.
- Pour/spoon into a glass container and store in the fridge. (OR SKIP THIS AND JUST TAKE A SPOON TO IT!) This has never lasted me more than a week as I just eat it up that quickly, but I’m sure it’d last in the fridge for a few weeks with a tightly screwed lid.
- When using the chocolate chips that the almond butter may turn a chocolaty-color, as the chocolate may melt if the nut butter is warm. (This won’t occur if you use cacao nibs.) I personally love the effect the melted chocolate gives to the overall flavor.
Notes:
- To make raw, skip the roasting step and use raw coconut oil instead of the canola, medjool dates, and raw cacao nibs in place of the chocolate chips.
- You may or may not need more oil depending on the strength of your blender/food processor. The first batch I made I didn’t use oil and it turned out beautifully; I used it the second time and it did help it go a little faster. If you don’t have a powerful blender and/or food processor, you could just buy an 8oz (or 16oz; if 16oz, double the amount of the add-ins) jar of nut butter and stir in these lovely add-ins! The chocolate chips would stay solid instead of melting if you do that.
- If you don’t have dates, you can use stevia to taste or even a couple spoonfuls of regular sugar. You can even use date purée (which I’ve heard works nicely – just make sure to stir it in completely). If you use sweetened coconut, you may or may not need the dates. But either way, it’s to taste – if the buttah needs more sweetness, add a couple more dates to the party (or a little more stevia or sugar: your preference).
- To measure the coconut and chocolate chips, I just stuck my hand into the bags, grabbed a nice big handful (the amount fit in my hand when I closed my hand around each), added the amount to the batter and folded it in. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and unsweetened coconut.
The final product turns out like this:
(It turns a more chocolaty-color because the chocolate melts into it if the nut butter is warm.)
And the raw version turns out like this:
(Its normal color, as cacao nibs don’t melt easily.)
This is a gift from the gods.
This nut butter lionizes with every spoonful.
It’s deadly.
It’s addicting.
It’s candy-bar nut butter! 
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Did you ever play Candy Land as a child? Ha-ha, I still play it when I have the opportunity.
How did you celebrate your leap-day? I made this. Enough said.
Favorite Candy Bar? Nut Butter? Almond Joys (along with Reese’s and Butterfingers) and almond butter are definitely my favorites.
xoxox,
P.S. I use both my pictures for my regular version and my raw version throughout this post – they are intertwined.
