How To Choose The Best Food Processor To Make Nut Butter

Enjoy nut butter and want to make your own. You may be curious about the best food processor for making nut butter, and creating nut butter benefits the environment, reducing plastic consumption and waste, your health, and your wallet. 

A food processor is a useful kitchen appliance for making nut butter and hummus, pesto, and cashew cheese, among other foods. You may be wondering which food processor produces the best almond butter. 

I’ve compiled this guide to help you choose the best food processor for making nut butter. See my comparison chart for the top-rated food processor or continue reading for in-depth evaluations of each model. 

Food processor versus blender: which should you purchase? You’ll be able to whip up healthy, plant-based dips in a flash with the help of a quality food processor. If you’re wondering where I stand on the blender versus food processor debate, my response is that a well-stocked kitchen requires both. 

A blender is indispensable for making smoothies, soups, non-dairy milk, and cashew cream. However, a food processor must make cashew cheese, pesto, and hummus. Furthermore, what is the best blender for nut butter? 

What Is A Nut Butter? 

Nut butter is a spreadable food consisting of nuts ground into a paste. Therefore, a food processor is the most appropriate tool for this task. 

Some of the products (such as almonds, pecan, and others) are not actual nuts in the botanical sense, but in the culinary sense, they are nuts and can be used to make delicious, crushed spreads. 

Among nut and seed butter are: 

• Almond butter 
• Almond spread 
• Almond butter 
• Hazelnut butter 
• Macadamia nut butter 
• Peanut butter 
• Pecan butter 
• Pistachio butter 
• Walnut butter 
• Pumpkin seed spread 
• Sesame seed spread (usually called tahini) 
• Soy butter is produced from soynuts (roasted soybeans) 
• Sunflower seed margarine 
• Hummus or chickpea condiment 

Can a food processor be used to grind nuts? 

Most food processors are versatile and can be used for a variety of tasks. However, keep in mind that some are superior at tasks. Consider the best food processors for chopping vegetables, grating cheese, and shredding cabbage. 

You do not need to use your hands to grind nuts if you have a food processor finely. Place the nuts in the bowl of the food processor and pulse them until they are finely chopped. 

Home Vegan Food Processor 

Since food processors are such an integral part of the kitchen and quality is essential for making the best nut butter (and other spreads/dips), I advise you to purchase the most expensive food processor you can afford. In the following comparison chart, I have separated the best food processors by watts (which measure power and strength) and cost. From the best budget food processor to the best high-end model, I’ll assist you in locating the best food processor for the money (whatever your budget). These are the best food processors currently available on the market. 

Why should you make your own nut butter? 

There are numerous benefits to making your own nut butter, including being more eco-friendly, healthier, and cheaper. If searching for the best food processors for nut butter, please refer to the table above or scroll down to the reviews. 

Ethical 

Many popular peanut butter brands contain palm oil, which is responsible for destroying rainforests and orangutan habitats. Some brands are substituting coconut oil for peanut oil in their nut butter, but coconuts are not always produced ethically; monkey-enslaved people harvest some coconuts. When you make your own, you have complete control over the ingredients (or whether to use nuts only). 

The largest peanut butter brand in the United States, Jif, was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1995. Not precisely a moral business. 

Eco-Friendly 

Have you attempted to reduce your waste or plastic usage? Buy your (organic) nuts in bulk or large containers if a majority is unavailable and process them into nut butter yourself to reduce waste. 

As stated, palm oil, present in many brands of peanut butter sold in supermarkets, is not environmentally friendly. However, if you make peanut butter, you can omit palm oil. 

Price 

Once upon a time, the only options available in a store were crunchy or smooth. There is an explosion of nut butter varieties, from cashew to almond to pistachio. However, some non-peanut nut butter is expensive! And natural peanut butter with no added sugar or salt is also costly. You will save a significant amount of money by purchasing nuts in bulk and making your own nut butter. 

Health 

Many peanut butter products contain added salts, sugars, and oils. By making it yourself, you can control the ingredients and quantities. 

A good food processor can also be used to: 

• Hummus \pesto \salsa 
• Additional spreads and dips 
• Banana ‘ice’ cream 
• Cacao-nut cheese (be sure to put the cashews through a coffee grinder first) 
• Chopping nuts 
• Producing breadcrumbs 
• Chopping, slicing and dicing vegetables 
• Mill flour 
• Make pasta or biscuit dough 
• Crush spices 

Choosing the proper nut processor will ensure that your nut butter is always smooth and creamy. On the other hand, you may be curious about a nut processor. Why use a food processor for nut butter instead of a blender? 

Food Processor or Blender for Vegans 

Compare this to a blender, which is more suitable for liquid-based recipes such as: 

• Smoothies  
• Soups 
• Vegan nacho cheese 
• Non-dairy milk 
• Cashew butter 
• Sour cream made of plants 
• Gazpacho and additional cold soups 

What is the best home appliance for making nut butter? 

Unquestionably, it is a food processor. While some blenders (such as Vitamix) advertise their ability to make nut butter, most blenders are unsuitable for this purpose. 

Why is this the case, and what is the distinction between a blender and a food processor? 

The primary distinction lies in the blades and the motor. Blenders are better suited for creating “liquid” foods, whereas food processors are better suited for creating “solid” foods. Blenders have more powerful motors and blades that are blunter. With their high-wattage, high-powered engines, blenders create a silky texture with liquid ingredients (e.g., a smoothie or pureed soup). In contrast, food processors have sharper and typically lower-positioned blades, making them ideal for chopping and creating chunky textures like salsa. Many food processors include attachments that allow you to perform additional tasks, such as shredding. In addition to creating dips and the like, food processors can be used to reduce the amount of time spent chopping and preparing vegetables in the kitchen. 

Food processors can also be used to chop nuts, dough, and vegetables. They typically have a spout in the lid to add ingredients during use. Blenders pulverize and combine ingredients, making them ideal for smoothies, soups, and sauces. 

I believe a well-stocked vegan kitchen should include a blender and a food processor, but if you’re only able to purchase one now, consider what you’ll be preparing with it. It would help if you bought a food processor to make nut butter, sauces, and dips. Alternatively, you can find my blender guide here if you plan to make more smoothies and non-dairy milk and wish to learn more about blenders. And if you’re looking for the best blender for peanut butter, you should know that only a powerful blender like a Vitamix will work as a nut butter blender; otherwise, you’ll need a food processor. 

How to evaluate a food processor 

Understanding what to look for in a food processor can be difficult. I’ve created this guide to purchasing a food processor to assist you. The primary considerations are as follows: 

• Watts: This unit measures the motor’s power. 
• Size/capacity 
• What material does it consist of: plastic, steel, or glass? The most common material is plastic, while glass and stainless steel are uncommon. 
• Features 
• Attachments/Accessories 
• Price 

Watts 

This indicates how powerful the food processor is, and for a full-sized model (9 cups or more), it is recommended to look for 600 watts or higher. 

Size 

The size/capacity can range from a 3-cup mini chopper to a 20-cup professional/restaurant-sized model. For a family of four, you’ll likely need 10 to 14 cups; if you’re cooking for one or preparing small quantities, a 3-cup model may be more appropriate. 

If you plan to keep the food processor on the counter, you should also consider its height (with any attachments such as a feeder tube used to push down vegetables and other ingredients). Ensure that it fits beneath your cupboards. 

Material 

What material does it consist of — glass or plastic? 

If you’re concerned about BPA in plastics and searching for a BPA-free food processor, this may appear to be a straightforward option. In the present day, glass blenders are readily available. You would assume that the best food mixer is also made of glass. Unfortunately, most food processor manufacturers have not yet caught up, and glass food processors are uncommon. A few are made of glass or stainless steel, but this is uncommon, and the majority have stainless steel blades but plastic casings for the edges. However, since you’re unlikely to use a food processor with hot liquids (unlike a blender, which could be used for soups), this may be of less concern. 

To be safe, do not heat or store food in the bowl of the food processor. You can, of course, choose a brushed stainless steel or glass model (I’ve included two options below), although they tend to be less potent than plastic models at this time. 

Features 

Blenders typically have more buttons and speeds than food processors. Choosing a food processor with a “pulse” function is advantageous, as it provides greater control and precision. Using this, you can, for instance, chop nuts rather than always puree them into nut butter. 

It would help if you also considered whether the item is dishwasher safe. 

Attachments/Accessories 

While food processors don’t come with as many bells and whistles as blenders in buttons and modes, they often come with all the bells and whistles in the attachments/accessories department. Numerous models include blades and discs for chopping, slicing, and grating. Some even include interchangeable bowls of varying sizes, depending on the quantity of food being processed. 

Think about what you’ll use the food processor for and whether you’ll use all the accessories. For instance, my parents’ food processor is a Cuisinart with multiple blades and discs, but they rarely use them all. The edge is present 95 percent of the time. 

Price 

Food processors range in price from less than $50 to several hundred dollars. I strongly suggest purchasing the most expensive food processor you can afford. 

It is worthwhile investing in one that will last for many years. My parents have had their Cuisinart for nearly 30 years (they have had to replace a few parts, but in the long run, they have saved money and the environment by not purchasing a new food processor every few years). 

What advantages does a food processor have over a blender? 

Blenders and food processors are both essential kitchen appliances. Blenders use short, rapidly spinning blades to pull ingredients together through the center. 

Because of this, blenders are ideal for smoothies, soups, and dressings. A blender can likely be used if you are preparing something with a liquid consistency. 

While blenders excel at pulverizing these ingredients, nut butter recipes can be complicated for them. Although nut butter is not completely solid, its thickness makes it unsuitable for blenders. Because blender blades are blunt, it is nearly impossible to process nuts efficiently. 

For this reason, a food processor is preferable for nut butter recipes. The sharp, low-positioned blades of a food processor make quick work of any nut.