Make plain or flavored peanut butter at home using a food processor.
Pour 4 cups of peanuts into the bowl of a food processor if using a large 11 to 14-cup food processor.
Use 3 cups of peanuts in 7-10 cup processors and 2 cups of nuts in smaller processors.
Turn the processor on and allow the nuts to spin in the bowl. The nuts will get crushed into small pieces and then form a thick ball.
If your food processor struggles with this process, turn it off and let it rest for a few minutes.
Continue to process the peanuts, scraping down the bowl as needed, until you have a slightly crunchy or smooth and creamy peanut butter. Depending on your food processor, this will take 4-10 minutes.
If you want to add a pinch of salt and/or a tablespoon or two of sugar, you can add it to the bowl with the whole peanuts.
If desired, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of honey, agave nectar, Dulce de Leche, or maple syrup once the peanut butter is slightly chunky. Pulse just until combined.
To make chocolate cherry peanut butter, add ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips once the peanuts are chopped into small pieces. Puree until the chocolate melts and the peanut butter is slightly chunky. Then add ¼ cup more semi-sweet chocolate chips, ½ cup white chocolate chips, and ¾ cup dried cherries and puree until crunchy or smooth.
For trail mix peanut butter, add 8 ounces of your favorite trail mix once the peanut butter is slightly chunky and pulse until the desired consistency.
You can also add ½-1 cup of chopped cookies, candy bars, butterscotch chips, dried fruit, and more to your peanut butter.
Pour your peanut butter into an airtight glass jar or plastic container. Store at room temperature for up to a month. To increase the shelf life, you can refrigerate your peanut butter for up to 3 months or freeze it for up to 6 months.
I suggest you keep what you will use within a few weeks on your counter, and chill the rest. This will keep your peanut butter fresh and delicious. I fill jars and then freeze them and then take them out as needed.
The calories are calculated for 1 ounce of plain peanut butter made with cocktail peanuts.
Homemade Peanut Butter https://hungryhappenings.com/how-to-make-peanut-butter/