Crunchy Cacao Nib Chocolate Almond Butter
I was inspired to make this Crunchy Cacao Nib Chocolate Almond Butter after seeing a similar jar of chocolate chip peanut butter in the grocery store.
I liked the idea of the "crunch" but wanted to make it healthier by using cacao nibs instead of GMO chocolate chips.
Making almond butter is really easy and you'll follow the same procedure as making homemade almond butter and the only equipment you'll need is a really good food processor.
Store-bought nut butter can be highly processed and contain not only artificial flavors and preservatives but GMO ingredients.
Here is the 12 ingredient list of a popular store-bought brand:
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) PB Crave Choco Choco Premium Peanut Butter Ingredients: Peanuts, Sugar, Palm Oil, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk, Natural Flavor, Salt, Maltodextrin, Soy Lecithin, Honey, Vanilla
It contains refined white sugar and salt, GMO ingredients (dairy, maltodextrin, and soy lecithin).
This version only has 6 clean ingredients and it's raw (depending on what type of sweetener you use), vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly and has no refined sugar.
Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions For Crunchy Cacao Nib Chocolate Almond Butter
Here are some expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:
Tip #1: Soaking your almonds - I buy my almonds in bulk and I had already soaked and dried them (in a dehydrator) before I made this. See my post about "How To Make Homemade Almond Milk" to see how to soak and dry your almonds before using them in recipes.
Tip #2: Cacao nibs are not sweet and can sometimes have a bitter taste to them if you are not used to eating them. If you'd rather a sweeter almond butter, just substitute the cacao nibs with semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. Just keep in mind the recipe would no longer be 100% raw and/or vegan depending on what type of chocolate chips you used.
Tip #3: Because this recipe has coconut oil, if you store it in the refrigerator, it will harden. Just let it sit out on the counter at room temperature to soften it back up or run your glass jar under some warm water.
Want More Healthy Plant-Based Nut Butter Recipes?
Check out these:
- Sweet Tahini and Matcha Spread
- Vanilla Maple Cashew Butter
- How To Make Homemade Almond Butter
- or my CLEAN DESSERTS Cookbook with 72 plant-based vegan + gluten-free no-bake dessert recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
Crunchy Cacao Nib Chocolate Almond Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
For the almond butter:
- 3 cups organic raw unpasteurized almonds
- 3 tablespoons organic coconut oil
For the almond butter add-ins:
- 2 tablespoons organic raw cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon organic ground vanilla bean powder
- 1 pinch Himalayan pink salt
For the cacao nibs add-in:
- ⅓ cup organic raw cacao nibs
Instructions
Prepare the almond butter:
- Add all ingredients for the chocolate almond butter to a food processor and process until it is creamy and smooth, which will take about 5-7 minutes. It will undergo several stages before becoming almond butter (raw almonds, almond flour, thick almond butter, creamy almond butter). Stop every minute or so and scrape the sides and continue processing until it becomes creamy.
Add the almond butter add-ins:
- Add all ingredients for the almond butter add-ins to the food processor and process until they are well combined.
Assembly:
- Transfer the chocolate almond butter from the food processor to a medium-size mixing bowl and stir in the cacao nibs by hand.
- Store in an air-tight BPA-free container at room temperature. It will harden if you put it in the refrigerator but can be softened again by leaving out at room temperature or placing it in a bowl of warm water to soften the coconut oil. Stir well before serving.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The instructions, notes, and photographs for this recipe by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are copyrighted material. This copyrighted work is protected and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and cannot be legally used without my written permission.
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