How to Make Peanut Butter
by Sommer Collier — last updated on May 28, 2025 
Learn the easy steps and top tips for how to make perfectly smooth and luscious Homemade Peanut Butter Recipe from scratch with only 1 ingredient. (Hint: It’s peanuts!)
Why We Love Homemade Peanut Butter
Few pantry staples are as versatile, wholesome, and delicious as good ‘ol peanut butter. It can be used in any number of sweet or savory recipes, or just eaten by the spoonful straight from the jar. It’s one of those must-haves that we actually must have in our kitchen at all times.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Thankfully, making peanut butter at home in 10 minutes is so easy, there’s no excuse to ever run out. You only need a good food processor (or a high-powered blender) and peanuts. Really!
Of course, you can customize this simple homemade peanut butter recipe a bit with a few add-ins. However, you choose to blend up a batch, here are the best tips and suggestions for using peanut butter in all kinds of tasty ways.
1 Ingredient You Need + Optional Add-Ins
Choose your favorite: Roasted Peanuts, salted, or Honey Roasted Peanuts.
Want to add some oomph of flavor? Try sprinkling in a light dash of any of these optional peanut butter add-ins:
- Sea salt
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Apple pie spice
- Cayenne pepper
- Cocoa powder
Note: If you want to maintain your desired consistency, do not add liquid sweeteners.
How to Make Peanut Butter Step-By-Step
- Place the peanuts in the jar of a high-powered food processor or blender, and lock the lid into place.
- Turn the food processor on and let it purée the peanuts for a full 5 to 7 minutes. In this time, the peanuts will turn into crumbs, then go through a dough-like stage, then be slightly creamy with chunky pieces, and then – finally – very smooth, liquid peanut butter. Stay patient, and keep letting the processor work its magic! Every few minutes, turn off the food processor and scrape the sides of the jar down with a rubber spatula. Then, lock the lid back in place and continue blending.
- Once it reaches the perfect creamy consistency, taste the peanut butter and add salt if desired.
Pro Tip: Refrigerate the peanut butter to give it a very smooth but slightly thicker consistency. Or you can leave the jar at room temperature to have super pourable peanut butter to use in sauces or other recipes.
Best Tips to Make Peanut Butter From Scratch
- You need a very good food processor or high-speed blender to make creamy peanut butter at home. However, the only ingredient you need is salted, dry-roasted peanuts.
- The peanut butter will go through several stages as it’s puréeing… Don’t panic if it doesn’t look quite right the first few minutes. Continue processing until it has reached your desired consistency. I like mine to be very smooth, so this usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes of processing.
- It’s best that you do not put any liquid ingredients in the peanut butter. When you add liquid sweeteners like honey or maple syrup,p they create a slightly gunky texture. However, salt or dried spices can be added like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cayenne pepper.
- If you want sweetened peanut butter, start with honey roasted peanuts that are already sweetened for you. You’ll still end up with the same marvelous, silky smooth texture.
- Want some crunchiness in there? Make crunchy peanut butter by adding a handful of peanuts in the last minute or so of pureeing, once the bulk of the nut butter is already smooth.
Ways to Use Peanut Butter
Spoon this golden-brown goodness onto English muffins or other baked goods, add it to a smoothie, use it for dunking in crackers and pretzels… Or just lick it right off of that spoon!
And, of course, homemade peanut butter is perfect for making PB and jelly sandwiches. Try them with strawberry rhubarb jam, peach preserves, or whatever jam is your jam!
Here are a few of our favorite sweet and savory recipes to make with homemade peanut butter…
Sweet Recipes with Peanut Butter –
- Chocolate and Peanut Butter Candy
- Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
- Peanut Butter Potato Candy
- Fluffernutter Pie
- Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
- Peanut Butter Air Fryer Cookies
- Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Monster Cookies
- No Bake Buckeyes (Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy)
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars with Chocolate
And, of course, the BEST Peanut Butter Cookies recipe!
Savory Recipes with Peanut Butter –
- Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
- African Peanut Soup (Maafe)
- Panang-Style Tofu Curry
- Thai Panang Chicken Curry
- Chicken Pad Thai
- Dan Dan Noodles
Frequently Asked Questions
If you like your PB to stay on the thin and runny side, you want to store it at room temperature in an airtight container.
For a firmer, scoopable peanut butter, keep the sealed jar in the refrigerator. When ready to use, just give it a good stir.
It will keep well in the pantry for up to a month, and stays good in the fridge for up to 3 months.
That really depends on the quality of the peanuts you are using and the price of store-bought PB you usually buy…
Both a jar of peanut butter and a container of roasted peanuts can each cost anywhere from $2-10 at the store, depending on the ingredients and brand. If you are used to purchasing a pricey $8 jar of PB from the store but find quality roasted nuts for less than $5, boom, you’ve saved some cash.
But what we’re really going for here is a homemade PB that is simple and allows you to control exactly what goes into it. Some might say that sort of wholesome deliciousness is priceless!
You need either a high-powered blender or a food processor to make PB from scratch. There really are no other options if you want a smooth and creamy nut butter.
Sure, you can! Try this recipe with dry-roast almonds, pecans, walnuts, or cashew nuts.
Looking for More Easy How To Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
How to Make Peanut Butter (1-Ingredient!)
Instructions
- Set out a large high-powered food processor. Place the salted dry roasted peanuts in the food processor and lock the lid into place.
- Turn the food processor on and let it purée the peanuts for 5 to 7 minutes. In this time, the peanuts will turn into crumbs, then go through a dough-like stage, then be slightly creamy with chunky pieces, and then finally very smooth liquidy peanut butter.
- Taste the peanut butter and add additional salt if desired. You can add in dried spices at this time like cinnamon or even cayenne pepper! If you want to keep your desired consistency do not add liquid sweeteners.
- Move the liquid peanut butter into an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. The peanut butter will firm up in the refrigerator giving it a very smooth but slightly thicker consistency.
Notes
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- Sea salt
-
- Cinnamon
-
- Pumpkin pie spice
-
- Apple pie spice
-
- Cayenne pepper
-
- Cocoa powder
I wish I knew I knew it was this easy to make my own peanut butter. This was so creamy and delicious! My kids loved it.
Wow so simple this was great!
I don’t like sugar in my peanut butter but couldn’t find any without sugar at the store. I decided to give this recipe a try and it was perfect! Thank you.