Next to chocolate, there is one other food that I could not even THINK about doing without…peanut butter. If I don’t know what else to eat, I’ll have peanut butter on something. It might be a sandwich, an apple, a banana, crackers, pancakes, toast, oatmeal, stirred into Greek yogurt…the list goes on and on.

A while ago, I decided I needed to cut some of the extra sugar and salt out of our diets. I figure it’s not healthy, and the more “natural” a product is, the better it is for us. So, I started looking for ways to make homemade peanut butter without added sugar. It is SO MUCH EASIER than I thought! Honestly, I’m not sure why I didn’t look into this earlier. The true flavor of the peanuts shines through. Now when I eat purchased peanut butter, all I taste is the sugar! Clean eating is the way to go!!!

I searched around the internet and found ideas here and there on how to make peanut butter. This is my approach. However, you will need a food processor. But in terms of ingredients, there’s only two: unsalted peanuts and coconut oil.

First, get out your food processor and its biggest bowl. Dump in your peanuts and process a few minutes until it looks like finely ground peanuts. (see picture below)

Process this for a couple more minutes until it starts to build a “butter” layer on the bottom of the bowl. Then, add your coconut oil. I only use a teaspoon, but you can add more if your peanuts seem to be too dry after mixing for a while. Pulse this mixture until it is smooth and creamy. For me, the entire process takes about 10 minutes.

If you like super creamy peanut butter, process this longer. I like somewhere between crunchy and smooth, so this blend works for me. I also place this into a well sealed container and refrigerate the finished product. Interestingly enough, unlike other “natural” peanut butters I’ve purchased, you do not have to stir this prior to use. The oil does not separate, leaving a layer of grease.

Now is the fun part! Deciding how you are going to use this little bit of heaven. Where will you choose to spread it first? My personal favorite is a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich. However, a close second is stirring it into Greek yogurt. I have this in my lunch all the time. It tastes like peanut butter cream cheese frosting! So rich! Plus, it keeps me full…my stomach isn’t growling by 2:30 when school gets out. 🙂

With this recipe, you are only limited by your imagination. I feel good about my kids eating this peanut butter, and they absolutely love to take it in their lunches. If you are working on adding less sugar and salt to your diet, but you also want to include a good source of protein, consider this recipe. In less time than it takes to drive to the store, you can have fresh, nutty, peanut butter that tastes good and is good for you. 🙂

To make a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich: Spread butter on the outside of two pieces of bread. Place one piece of bread butter side down in a skillet over medium low heat. Add a layer of peanut butter and sliced bananas. Top with remaining piece of bread, butter side up. Cook until bread reaches desired doneness. Flip carefully to grill other side of sandwich. Watch closely, as the second side tends to cook faster than the first! When your bread is golden brown, remove from the skillet and enjoy!