Pea-can? Pa-cahn? D-licious. Here’s a recipe for nut butter with a nice twist on what you can find commercially available. And what to do with it..besides inhaling it out of the jar with a spoon? We’ve got you covered there as well. Ants on a Leaf…a fall flavored rendition of your favorite marching insect snack.
Ingredients
- ½ c raw almonds
- 1 ½ C raw pecans
- 2 pitted dates (we used medjool)
- 2 t salt
- ½ orange, zested
- ¼ c almond oil (might take a little more)
- a few tart apples, my favorite is Pink Lady
- dried cranberries or dark chocolate chips
Method
Place the almond and pecans on a baking sheet. Roast on 300ºF for 10-15 minutes, until pecans have darkened and the almonds begin to crack a little. Let the nuts cool. Add the nuts to the food processor, along with the dates, orange zest, salt and almond oil. Blend until smooth. You may have to take off the food processor lid and scrape the sides a few times to incorporate all the nuts.
If your butter looks a little crumbly, add more oil, a little at a time, until it comes together. Once the butter begins to reach a smooth consistency, just let the food processor run a wee bit longer, until it’s as smooth as you’d like it.
Ants on a Leaf
Slice your apples and smear on the butter, or for a more portable way of consumption: fill a sandwich/snack bag with the butter. Cut off the tip of the bag and squeeze the butter onto your apples as you see fit. Sprinkle the dried cranberries and/or chocolate chips so that they stick on the butter.
22 Comments
Bridget
December 7, 2011 at 6:25 pmThese are so good! It was the perfect after school snack today for the kids. Thanks for the recipe!
megan keatley
December 20, 2011 at 10:22 amso glad you all enjoyed. thanks bridget!
Erin
December 8, 2011 at 10:10 amI have to say, as someone who logs enough hours to make Paleo research and recipe hunting a second job, your blog is one of the best out there. It’s my favorite by far :o). Each new recipe is innovative, delicious, and not the typical run on meat/veg/egg/sweet potato that, don’t get me wrong, is tasty but gets redundant after a while. I’ve made several of your recipes and each one absolutely delicious. Your recipes make me run out to the store immediately and pick up some of the items that seem to be lacking in my Paleo cabinet!
On that note, off to find Almond Oil :o). Keep ’em comin’!
megan keatley
December 20, 2011 at 10:23 amoh my gosh. thank you so much erin!
amazon has everything…
Andrea
December 8, 2011 at 1:29 pmI eat almond butter on apples regularly (which means pretty much everyday!)…I love this variation with the pecan pie butter…I will definitely be making this !!! Thanks for sharing!
megan keatley
December 20, 2011 at 10:24 amhope you enjoy, andrea.
Juli
December 10, 2011 at 10:24 amEvery time I come to your website, I fall in love with you two more and more. Is that creepy? For sure. Got any paleo food loving single friends you want to send to CO? Male preferably. I’d be totally cool with that. Then I could eat pecan pie butter with them daily instead of by myself.
Keep up the great work guys 🙂
megan keatley
December 20, 2011 at 10:26 amcreepy, no–i feel it’s completely normal. and i will keep my eyes peeled for ya.
Shay
December 11, 2011 at 4:51 pmTurned out great. I even ate it with pink ladies, as they are my favorite too. didn’t have almond oil so used half walnut oil and half grape seed oil, which may not be totally paleo but it’s what I had.
Juli
December 14, 2011 at 9:37 amMade it. Loved it. Thanks for the recipe :):)
Tonja Pizzo
December 17, 2011 at 7:36 amJust found your blog (via Nom Nom)–LOVE IT!!! My kids love ant on a leaf, log, boulder….can’t wait to try out this almond butter.
megan keatley
December 20, 2011 at 10:31 amthanks tonja!
Andrea
December 28, 2011 at 3:48 pmOMG!!! I got a new KitchenAid 13-cup Food Processor (lovingly nicknamed “the beast”) for Christmas and I just whipped up this Pecan Pie Butter, it is SO good! I did have to add 2 T of almond oil in addition to the 1/4 cup…I also added a tsp of vanilla. Yumm…
megan keatley
December 29, 2011 at 12:05 pmmerry christmas to you! what an awesome gift. one of the BEST kitchen tools around. glad you enjoyed andrea!
Chrissy
January 13, 2012 at 11:42 amYES! These are totally Whole 30 friendly! Making this today!! Will letcha know how it is. 🙂
Chrissy
January 14, 2012 at 5:09 pmBEST NUT BUTTER EVER. So buttery. So perfect. & really does taste like pecan pie!! Another home run, y’all! Lovvve it!
megan keatley
January 17, 2012 at 7:58 pmoh my gosh, thank you chrissy! what a compliment.
Mary Hone
January 17, 2012 at 6:52 pmThis is so delicious!! I’m hooked. Never mind store bought almond butter. Thanks for all the great recipes.
megan keatley
January 17, 2012 at 7:49 pmhahaha, word! so glad you enjoyed this mary. you’re very welcome!
Lydia McD
February 3, 2012 at 4:36 pmLooks like another few of my favorite things. Think I’m off to make this tonight…
Jen
December 2, 2012 at 10:00 pmLooking forward to trying this…am off to buy some almond oil 🙂 How long would this keep in the fridge do you reckon?
kristy
July 16, 2013 at 11:58 pmI have macadamia nut oil. Could that be used instead of the almond oil?