Oh you guys I am so excited about today’s recipe it’s not even funny.

I want to shout it from the roof tops and jump up and down on the couch all Tom Cruise style I’m that excited about this recipe!!

You guys know how much I adore my nut butters right?!

And it’s certainly no secret that I love, love, love my coffee . . .

Well, a few days ago there I was minding my own business, just quietly drinking my morning coffee along with a cheeky spoonful (or two) of my much loved vanilla almond butter, as you do, and it hit me . . .

Why not combine my two great loves into one delicious jar of creamy, dreamy, vanilla spiked, espresso infused deliciousness?!

Um…… you guys . . . this vanilla-espresso almond butter turned out way better than I ever imagined.

Seriously . . . this is the stuff that dreams are made of!

It’s super quick and easy to prepare made with just 3 ingredients that I bet you have on hand already – almonds, vanilla and instant espresso. Oh and a cheeky little pinch of salt but that’s totally optional.

It also happens to be all natural made with no refined flours or sugars so it’s naturally vegan, dairy free, gluten free and Paleo friendly.

No weird fillers or unpronounceable ingredients in this delicious little pot of gold, just good stuff baby!

Speaking of good stuff did you know that almonds are naturally high in protein and heart healthy fats as well as being rich in magnesium, potassium and vitamin E?!

Well it’s true, they are.

And because we leave the skins on our almonds this delicious little jar of goodness also happens to be high in fiber.

Seriously people, whats not to love?!

It’s light, smooth and just subtly sweet with a nice little hum of vanilla and just a hint of espresso.

The slight bitterness of the espresso seems to somehow enhance the subtle sweetness of the vanilla and that combined with those buttery roasted almonds . . . so unbelievably delicious I can not even tell you!

Honestly the espresso flavor is very mild, feel free to add more to suit your own personal taste but please, please, please do yourself a favor and make yourself a jar of this vanilla-espresso almond butter asap!

In the spirit of the season you might want to make a double batch  because;

One taste of your vanilla-espresso almond butter and you will be so in love with that little jar of deliciousness that you will want to eat it on all of the things so it will disappear in a matter of minutes days and secondly –

Talk about the perfect gift! I mean who doesn’t love a nice little homemade gift?! Answer, no one and healthy, homemade almond butter . . . That’s like the ultimate gift if you ask me! So yes, make a double/triple batch, throw on some festive ribbon and give a jar to someone you love.

So, here’s how we do it –

Start off by giving our nutrient rich, golden, delicious almonds a quick little roast in the oven – this is totally optional but,  toasting our almonds before we blend helps to give our nut butter an incredibly rich and totally decadent depth of flavor so although I say it’s optional, please don’t skip this step. Yes it’s an extra 5-10 minutes but, trust me – it’s absolutely, 100% worth it!

Now, once our almonds are nicely toasted, and your house smells like heaven, all you have to do it toss them into your food processor or blender then blendy, mcblend – you’re pretty much done!

Initially your almonds will get all chunky, then after a minute or two they will break down into a fine looking flour, then the real magic happens, the heat and friction from all that blending will extract the natural oils from our almonds and in mere minutes, you will witness one of the most beautiful transformations of all time as your golden, delicious roasted almonds are whipped into a creamy, dreamy golden, delicious, nutrient rich almond butter right before your pretty little eyes . . .

Next up we add in our instant espresso and a cheeky pinch of salt,

followed by a good splash of vanilla bean extract –

give it one final blitz and boomshaklocka – done!

So easy right?!

And totally customizable.

If you, like me, prefer your nut butter super smooth and extra creamy – just blend for a few extra minutes and you will have yourself some extra creamy, seriously dreamy, velvety smooth almond butter, just the way you like it!

Or, if you prefer to have yourself some extra chunky almond butter, no problem. Simply pulse your almonds for a second or two, then take out a couple of Tablespoons of those extra chunky. crispy, crunchy oven roasted almond pieces and set them aside while you blend, blend, blend the rest of those babies. Then, once you have reached your desired consistency, stir through those chunky monkeys and there you have it! Extra chunky almond butter for the win!

Once your almond butter is ready it will be slightly warm and a little runny from all that blending, you will be tempted to grab a straw and drink up that golden deliciousness, you’re only human after all.

Try to refrain from drinking the entire batch in just one sitting because once it cools, the natural oils will start to solidify and your healthy, home-made, personalized almond butter will firm up and set into that thick and creamy, seriously dreamy, stick to the roof of your mouth, consistency that we all know and love.

Thick, rich, creamy, dreamy, golden, delicious and simply divine!!

Feel free to go ahead and use it as you would, business as usual – dive head first into the jar and eat your way out . . . or you be a little more refined and get yourself a spoon, do what you feel, no judgement here 😉

And I’m not saying that you have to but, I strongly suggest that you do . . . grab yourself a big ol’ block chunk of your fave dark chocolate then add a generous spoonful of your creamy, dreamy, golden, delicious, vanilla scented, espresso infused, oven roasted almond butter . . .

And lose yourself in the deliciousness that you just created.

I mean would you just look at that . . .

One taste and you will feel like all your Christmases have come at once!

All natural, quick and easy, 3 ingredient, healthy, homemade, vanilla spiked, espresso infused creamy, dreamy almond butter  . . .

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.

Vanilla-Espresso Almond Butter {Vegan, Dairy free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes approx 1 1/2 heaping cups of all natural, creamy, dreamy, subtly sweet, espresso infused, vanilla spiked, healthy homemade almond butter

Ingredients –

2 cups of raw almonds

1 Tablespoon of vanilla bean extract

1 teaspoon of instant espresso granules

1/2 teaspoon of salt flakes

Method –

1 – Preheat your oven to 175’C (350’F)

2 – Line a large baking sheet with baking/parchment paper (or a non stick silpat mat) and pour your almonds on, making sure they are spread evenly – aka not crowded.

3 – Roast your almonds for 10 mins, until lightly roasted and slightly golden.

4 – Pour your roasted almonds into the bowl of your food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy (or your desired consistency). Initially the almonds would grind down into a powder, give it a minute or two and the oils will extract and it will become deliciously, thick, rich and creamy. You may need to stop and scrap down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

5 – Once you have blended to your desired consistency, add your salt, espresso and vanilla then process until combined.

6 –  Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly – add a little extra salt or more vanilla/espresso if you feel the need and if you prefer a thinner consistency feel free to add a drizzle of coconut oil to thin it out.

7 – Store in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep well for up to 2 weeks – if it lasts that long! (← seriously, good luck with that 😉 )

Enjoy xoxo

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Question of the day –

Are you a fellow nut butter addict? What’s your fave flavor? Or brand? Or recipe? And your fave way to eat it?! Straight up by the spoonful, with fruit, on toast, on chocolate?! Tell me . . . details please

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make these bliss bites (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to 🙂

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