In the YumUniverse book I share my easy recipe for homemade Toasted Almond Butter, and I now want to share with YU another delicious discovery—Toasted Maple-Pecan Butter. Use it to make a delicious non-dairy milk, spread it on some gluten-free toast, swirl it into homemade yogurt, or chia pudding (maybe a chocolate one). And yes, eating it by the spoonful is quite divine, too. I won’t judge. Been there done that.
Tools:
Food processor or high-powered blender
Baking sheet
Unbleached parchment paper
Ingredients:
2 cups raw pecans
2–3 tbsp grade B maple syrup to taste (you can use any kind you like but B has the most trace minerals)
Fine-ground sea salt
Let’s get started.
This is an optional step that you can skip, but for optimal nutrient assimilation (whenever I say something like those last three words, my sweetie repeats them back to me in a robot voice), it’s best to soak the pecans. Read the why and how here.
You can then either dry them at the lowest temp in the oven until no water remains (3–5 hrs) or dehydrate them for 8–12 hours. They should snap between your teeth when completely free of water. Remember, if there’s water in them and you store them, it can attract mold. For taste, I love the oven—it brings out a comforting toastiness in the pecans.
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment.
2. Sprinkle pecans out onto the sheet 1-pecan deep and sprinkle with a few pinches of sea salt. Bake for 7 minutes.
3. Transfer to the food processor fitted with the S-blade and add maple syrup. Turn on processor and blend the pecans until they break down into butter. Give it time, they will break down. If you need to, stop processor and keep scraping down the sides. Season with more salt if necessary and sweeten with more maple syrup if you like.
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for months.
Try:
1. Add 2 tbsp of cocao powder for a chocolate version. I bet a pinch of cayenne and some cinnamon would be scrumptious as well.
2. Add spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom—wow.
Now, I want to hear from YU. What will you try pecan butter with? Tell us with a comment below.