A delicious, Vegan one ingredient homemade Brazil nut butter recipe with flavoured Brazil nut butter options, health benefits of Brazil nuts and Brazil nut butter uses!
Brazil nuts have always been a Christmas nut for me because that’s the time of year I eat them the most. I’m not sure why I don’t utilise them more to be honest since they are delicious.
The thing that I love about Brazil nuts is their texture. When you bite into a Brazil nut, it’s got a different texture to most other nuts/seeds. It’s almost like I’m more aware of the Brazil nut oil content and it has an almost buttery consistency – in the best way possible. Which brings me to this delicious homemade Brazil nut butter recipe, as well as the health benefits of Brazil nuts. I’ve even thrown in a couple of cheeky sections for flavoured brazil nut butter options, and Brazil nut butter uses.
As with all homemade nut and seed butter recipes, this Brazil nut butter recipe is not only more cost-efficient then store-bought versions, it is also made up of just ONE ingredient – 100% Brazil nuts unlike many store-bought versions. Now, like promised above – I will include some options for flavoured Brazil nut butters, but also feel free to experiment! I always make sure to make flavoured batches in small quantities as the additional ingredients will affect the shelf life of the nut butter.
Bonus tip – for any leftovers you have after making homemade Brazil nut butter, dip them in dark chocolate with a sprinkle of sea salt. You won’t be disappointed! Such a simple, delicious snack!
This recipe is, of course, oil-free too! I know that many nut butter recipes include some oil to yield super-smooth results. However, I omit this and spend a little extra time blending them, for the healthiest version.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BRAZIL NUTS
Firstly, did you know that Brazil nuts are technically a seed and not a nut?! – I’ll thank FRIENDS and ‘Doctor Boring’ for giving me that bit of information ( side note – hazelnuts are also a seed !)
Getting back to the point though, Brazil nuts are super nutritious and energy-dense.
- They are the most concentrated dietary source of Selenium ( which is essential for thyroid function as well as your immune system and anti-inflammatory), as well as being rich in magnesium, copper and zinc.
- An excellent source of healthy fats, to benefit heart health
- Brazil Nuts are a great source of antioxidants, combating damage caused by free radicals with anti-inflammatory properties.
- Brazil nuts are rich in antioxidants, which are substances that help keep your cells healthy. They do this by combating damage caused by reactive molecules called free radicals.
- Due to the healthy fats and antioxidants, Hazelnuts have been found to reduce bad LDL cholesterol, while increasing levels of good HDL cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease.
All of the above means that Brazil nuts overall can benefit your health in various ways, including thyroid health and heart, brain and immune system function.
On the flip side, it’s worth noting that you should eat Brazil nuts in moderation, as a portion size of 50 or more can lead to selenium toxicity, which can cause various serious health issues. I don’t know enough about it to give all the details. However, don’t fear as you definitely won’t ever be eating a portion anywhere near as 50 brazil nuts in one serving with this nut butter, unless you try to eat an entire jar in one sitting ( which I wouldn’t recommend with any nut butter!).
Now, for the homemade Brazil nut recipe, flavoured Brazil nut combinations and its uses…
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BRAZIL NUT BUTTER
To begin, roast the raw brazil nuts in the oven at 165ºC (fan assisted) for 15 minutes and then leave till cool-to-touch.
The Brazil nuts are now ready to be blended. Place them in a food processor or blender and blend till smooth. This is best done in intervals, so the nuts ( or the machine) don’t overheat. The longer they are blended, the runnier consistency the homemade hazelnut butter will be.
As these nuts are that delicious buttery texture, these take less time to blend than many other nuts. Five minutes is more than enough for a deliciously smooth homemade Brazil nut butter.
I suggest using a high-speed blender if possible. Otherwise, the process can take quite a bit longer. However, if you do have a relatively mid-level powered food processor/blender, don’t fret! Simply give the nuts longer time to blend, giving the machine a break every couple of minutes.
Once the homemade Brazil nut butter is ready, transfer it to an airtight glass container (scraping down the sides) and keep this in the fridge for 2-3 months. It can also be frozen, for longer.
SOME FLAVOURED BRAZIL NUT COMBINATIONS YOU COULD TRY INCLUDE
Whenever I make large batches of any nut butter, I tend to avoid adding any additional ingredients, and they will affect the shelf-life. If I want to flavour any, I will make sure only to flavour a small portion of it, so none goes to waste. If you want some flavoured brazil nut butter inspiration:
- A simple, sweet modification would be to add some homemade Vanilla extract or Vanilla Powder.
- Since brazil nuts remind me of Autumn/Winter, I would suggest experimenting with seasonal flavours such as with pumpkin spice mix, Cinnamon, or even Christmas pudding style one.
- For a simple, sweet version add your favourite natural syrup of choice.
- As with all my homemade nut butter recipes, I have to suggest adding some cocoa powder for a delicious chocolatey version because everything is better with chocolate!
- You could also try making an espresso version with ground coffee
HOW TO USE BRAZIL NUT BUTTER/BRAZIL NUT BUTTER USES
I still have quite a bit of experimentation to do regarding using this delicious nut butter more. However, here are a few suggestions for you!
As with all nut & seed butters, this homemade brazil nut butter works well as a simple spread, within smoothies, stirred into or drizzled over oats, a yoghurt parfait, pancakes and ice-cream. You can also use it to make fun alternatives to these homemade Vegan peanut butter cups. As well as for homemade energy balls, protein bars and other raw treats swap about whatever nut butter you usually use for Brazil nut butter instead.
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