I’ve been using my Thermomix for over 5 years now, but I only started making condiments in the last year or so.  One of the many things I love about my Thermomix is that I can make so many things from scratch, instead of buying them.  I avoid additives & preservatives, save a lot of money & the taste just doesn’t compare.  When I first started making peanut butter however, my kids were less than impressed with the taste.  I didn’t mind it, but I think for the kids it lacked the taste of the commercial product.  Then one of my colleagues (thanks Melinda!) passed on a great tip – add a little honey & salt to replicate the commercial taste.

Since then, I haven’t bought any more from the supermarket & just made my own.  The kids are happy & so am I!  In terms of savings, a 375g jar of Kraft peanut butter costs over $4.50.  I buy my peanuts in bulk & buy 1kg bag for $5.95 which makes over 3 jars.  The other major benefit of making your own is avoiding additive #320 Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) which is found in many commercial peanut butters, including Kraft.   I won’t go into details of BHA reactions, but trust me, it’s quite scary.

Ingredients:
300g unsalted peanuts
handful of macadamias
10g honey
1/4 tsp salt
5-10g macadamia oil

Method:
1) Add nuts to TM bowl, chop 20 seconds/speed 7.
2) Add honey, salt & 5g oil to start. Chop further 20 seconds/speed 7. Check the consistency of the peanut butter & add more oil if needed (best to add in small amounts at a time).
3) Spoon mixture into a sterilized jar.  Store in the pantry or in the fridge.

 Notes:

 I prefer to use unsalted peanuts & then add salt myself, so I can control the amount of salt added.

If you prefer a chunky peanut butter, add the peanuts to the TM bowl (before step 1 above) & turbo for 1 second.  Set a portion of these nuts aside & then proceed with the recipe.  At the end of step 2, add the reserved nuts back to the TM bowl & mix on reverse for 20 seconds/speed 5.

I add macadamias to my recipe, as they are quite oily.  If you’d rather not add the oil, that’s OK.  I add it, so that my peanut butter is a spreadable consistency.  If you don’t add the oil, chop the nuts for longer, as the longer they’re chopped the more oil is released from them.

Peanut butter can be stored in the pantry or the fridge.  I prefer mine in the pantry, so it’s easier to spread.  I found mine lasts up to 2 months in the pantry.