Honey Cinnamon Walnut Almond Butter

This. Stuff. Is. Amazing. No joke. If you like almond (or any nut) butter, you’re going to LOVE this stuff. It’s ¾ walnut butter and ¼ almond butter, hence I like to call it walmond butter. You can replace the almonds with more walnuts and it’ll be that much more decadent, but I like to cut the costs a little by using almonds, since they’re cheaper. You can play around with the ratios, even half walnuts and half almonds would be delicious. Seriously, make this stuff. You won’t regret it. That’s really all I have to say.

But I guess I’ll say a few more things. This nut butter is smooth, creamy, and rich, with a hint of honey and cinnamon. I can’t even think of any other uses for it besides eating it with a spoon, straight out of the jar. Because that’s what I do. If I really think hard, I guess I could come up with a few other ideas. You could spread it on bananas, mix it into oatmeal, dip apples into it, or put it in smoothies. Actually, no. Don’t put it in smoothies. It’s better off on a spoon. Trust me.

It’s totally worth it if you take the extra time to soak and dehydrate your walnuts first. One reason is for flavour. Soaking walnuts gets rid of that slight bitterness contained within the skin. Once the bitterness is gone, you’re left with a delicious, buttery walnut. The second (and biggest) reason is digestion.

Nuts, seeds, and grains naturally contain anti-nutrients. These include things like tannins, phytic acid, and enzyme inhibitors. The job of these anti-nutrients is a very valuable one. They protect the precious seed from germinating before it encounters ideal growing conditions. They also protect against other dangers such as mold, fungi, and insects. Once the seed becomes sufficiently wet, much of these components are washed away, and the seed can begin growing. The problem with these anti-nutrients are that in the same way they inhibit premature sprouting, they also interfere with proper digestion. If you’ve ever experienced a stomachache or heavy sensation in your belly after eating nuts, you know what I’m talking about. The anti-nutrients bind with your body’s enzymes, interfering with the digestive process. Phytic acid can also chelate minerals, making them unavailable to be absorbed by your body. By soaking nuts, seeds, and grains and removing these anti-nutrients, you can better digest and absorb the nutrients. Adding sea salt to the soaking water further helps the removal process. Note that when soaking grains vs. soaking nuts and seeds, it is best to replace the salt in this process with an acid instead, such as a splash of apple cider vinegar.

For some recipes or just for snacking, you can eat the nuts directly after soaking and rinsing them. For this recipe however, the nuts need to be dehydrated before you can attempt to make butter out of them. It just won’t work otherwise. So what if you don’t have a dehydrator? Well, I suggest you invest in one if you can, if only for the health benefits of soaking nuts, seeds, and grains before eating them. If you’re not quite ready to take that step, you can dry them in the oven. Turn it on the lowest temperature possible, and keep the door open a crack. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. They may not be raw when they’re done, but this recipe will still work. Keep in mind that heating nuts can damage the precious fats contained within, causing them to turn rancid. That’s why I only use raw nuts. But if you make sure to not let them get too hot, it’s an alright solution.

If this process seems daunting to you, know that it’s really not all that bad! You can sometimes find certain things in stores that have already been sprouted, like rice, quinoa, or almonds, but for the higher price, I’d honestly rather do it myself. When I started learning about this, I didn’t tear apart my whole kitchen and soak everything. I just made a mental note that I would start soaking and dehydrating, and started right then with every new thing I brought home. Now it’s a habit to soak any nuts, seeds, or grains I purchase as soon as I bring them home. After soaking, I dehydrate them and store them in jars. Grains are stored at room temperature, nuts and seeds are stored in the fridge. I don’t bother soaking legumes when I bring them home, because I always soak them before cooking anyways. Do yourself a favour and get into this habit as well, you will definitely notice improved digestion and flavour!