April 18, 2017
(updated May 20, 2020)
Let’s talk NUTS. So many great properties, like healthy fats, omegas and protein… but there’s a bit more to it than that.
While nuts have these great benefits, they also have phytic acid which can prohibit some vitamin absorption and sometimes cause an inflammatory response. If you have issues digesting nuts or have an autoimmune disease, it’s recommended to eat them this way especially. The action of soaking or sprouting them (even though you won’t see sprouts, that process starts upon soaking them inside the nut which is why you have to dry them out), greatly reduces the phytic acid so you can really enjoy the benefits while having an easier time digesting them. Plus, I think they taste even better this way!
To make the nuts, follow this basic template below – you’ll only need 2 cups of the nuts for the almond butter.
Ingredients & Directions:
4 cups almonds
Filtered water to cover
2 Tbsp salt
—————–
Let almonds soak for 7-12 hours in the salt water. Rinse and drain. Then dry out in one of the below ways:
To dehydrate: add nuts to dehydrator for 12-24 hours or an oven on 150f degrees (or lowest setting) for 12-24 hours or until crisp.
OR to roast: add nuts over a parchment-lined baking sheet to the oven on 275f degrees for 20-30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes until fragrant.
Store nuts in an airtight container in the fridge. Use 2 cups of these for almond butter, and store the rest for snacking or making milk with.
This same logic applies to grains, seeds and legumes (beans) as well.
By first soaking almonds and drying them, we greatly reduce the phytic acid which can inhibit nutrient absorption and sometimes cause an inflammatory response. The deliciously creamy taste and texture is well worth the extra steps for optimal digestion and health benefits.
Contributed by Alison Marras from Foodbymars.com
Published: April 18, 2017
Yields: 6-8 oz.
Total time:
Ingredients:
Instructions:
(serving: 1 Tbsp)
Tags: GAPS almond butter, soaked almond butter, sprouted almond butter, healthy almond butter, homemade almond butter
I had fun with some Avery labels and made my own branded almond butter! This makes a great gift too.
Food Matters | Wellness Mama | Mommypotamus (including a seed/nut chart with soak times)
———————————————–
Hope you enjoy!
Would love to have your feedback below and remember to follow me on
Instagram, Bloglovin’, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook for the latest and greatest.
Use #foodbymars to tag your FBM inspired creations! I’d love to see!
**Alison
———————————————–
Subscribe to my newsletter, and you’ll receive the latest recipes and my best wellness tips to make this a lifestyle!
join the conversation
3 comments
Is it required to soak only raw nuts?
I made this recipe but wasn’t patient enough to dry them first. I blended my soaked almonds while they were still wet. My almond butter turned out sort of “spongy”. Has anyone else done this? It’s yummy but definitely not the same consistency as smooth almond butter. Do you think it will get smoother if I blend it longer or is this just how it turns out? Next time I’ll dry them out first in the oven! On that subject, has anyone found if it makes a difference to use a dehydrator vs oven? I don’t have a dehydrator, wondering if it’s something I want to invest in.
Blending time more will definitely give you greater results. And there is some point I want to clear. If almonds are dried in oven then it will give you roasted flavor. But if almonds are dehydrated at 68℃ for 12 hr then butter taste will like raw almonds. For smooth and very fine texture it is necessary to grind it for at least 6hr, otherwise it will be look like paste.