Triple Chocolate Almond Butter

With the right tools and ingredients, nut butter is an easy, smart thing to make at home rather than buying in-store. Not only can you create endless flavor combinations, but making nut butter at home can also save you some money! (More left over for shopping spring sales?) If you can find relatively cheap nuts (either by buying in bulk or at a resource like Trader Joe’s) and own a food processor, you’re in business. This recipe for Triple Chocolate Almond Butter is delicious. Eaten with an apple or spooned over oatmeal, it’s like dessert for breakfast!

Triple Chocolate Almond Butter

• 1 1/2 cups raw almonds
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil (optional, canola oil can also be subbed)
• Pure natural cane sugar to taste (regular white sugar can be subbed)

1. Add almonds to food processor. Process for 7-10 minutes until a creamy consistency is reached. Be patient – the almonds will go through several stages while processing.                                                                         
2. Add cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and sunflower oil to the almond mixture. Process until combined.
3. Add sugar to taste. Process until combined.
4. Place almonds in refrigerator or freezer for 10-20 minutes. Alternatively, allow nut butter to cool at room temperature. This is a very important step; if you place chocolate chips directly into the nut butter right after processing, the chips will melt. I pop the food processor container right into the freezer and let sit for 10 minutes.
5. After nut butter has cooled, add semisweet and white chocolate chips to mixture. Pulse in food processor several times until combined.
6. Enjoy. (Maybe with some sliced apples!)