Coconut Almond Butter
Hello! Happy Monday 🙂
We are 1 week in to our Whole30 and, aside from my nightly chocolate cravings, so far, so good! Last week when we started the Whole30 I also started listening to “It Starts With Food“, a book written by the creators of the Whole30 about the program. I am just about done and it has cleared up a lot of questions I had on “why” certain foods are not allowed.
Peanuts were one food I was particularly interested in. They are banned from the Whole30 because they are a legume not a nut. I was aware of this, but why not legumes? Beans, soybeans, garbanzos and peanuts are examples of legumes. They are off limits during the Whole30 program primarily because of their high carbohydrates content. Beans and peanuts are always advertised as “high in protein”, but what the Whole30 creators are saying is that the protein content is essentially outweighed by the carbohydrate content making lean meat and vegetables (especially green, leafy ones) a much better source of protein. Peanuts, specifically, can also cause systemic inflammation (one of the conditions the Whole30 program focuses heavily on reducing or eliminating) because they contain lectin, a protein that can be disruptive to digestion.
So, with peanut butter out of the question, I started experimenting with other nut butters 🙂 Today I am sharing my recipe for Coconut Almond Butter!
Let’s make it!
Dry roast almonds for 15 minutes at 350°F. Allow to cool.
Combine almonds, unsweetened coconut, coconut oil and sea salt in a food processor.
Process on high until smooth.
Store at room temperature.
…assuming you have any left to store 😉
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Coconut Almond Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw almonds
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°
- Spread almonds on a baking sheet
- Put in oven, dry roast for 15 minutes, tossing once halfway through
- Cool almonds
- Put roasted almonds, coconut oil, coconut and sea salt in the food processor
- Process on high until smooth
- Store at room temperature
The rich, nutty flavor of the almonds is complimented by the lighter coconut flavor making it an irresistible combination! My favorite way to eat it is on a banana, I’ve also spread it on sweet potatoes and of course just on its own by the spoonful 😉
If you would like to read more about why legumes are banned from the Whole30 you can do so here!