Roasted Pecan Butter Recipe
A delicious homemade roasted pecan butter recipe is the perfect way to use your pecans and create a rich, buttery spread that hints at pecan pie in each bite! Easy to make and ready in about 15 minutes, this pecan butter recipe will leave you wanting to eat it by the spoonful.
vegan • gluten free • oil free • sugar free • dairy free
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Jump to:
- 📝 quick recipe overview
- ❤️ what you'll love about this homemade pecan butter
- 🥣 ingredient notes
- 🔪 equipment notes
- ❗️a note about blender types for pecan butter
- ❓why use a skillet instead of the oven
- 🧑🏽🍳 how to make roasted pecan butter
- Recipe
- 🍽️ how to serve
- 🧊 storage
- ✅ acceptable substitutions and variations
- ♻️ sustainability ideas
- waste
- ❓ frequently asked questions
- ✨ more recipes with nuts
- 🕰️ the latest
Pecans are one of those nostalgic nuts for me. Not just because I worked for a pecan company for years, developing recipes to recommend to customers, organizing holiday gifts, and drowning in pecan nuts from September through December. Good times.
And, if you'd like to clear up the difference between pecan butter and butter pecan, you can check out the article I wrote for Tennessee Valley Pecan Company many years ago.
If you've ever wondered if you can make pecan butter at home, the answer is YES! It's easy and delicious.
📝 quick recipe overview
- Skill level: Easy
- Taste: Rich and nutty
- Waste: Low
- Sustainability: High
- Cleanup: Easy
- Ingredients: Common, easy to source
- Equipment: Common, easy to source
- Time: 15 minutes
- Consistency: Creamy and spreadable
- Kid-friendly: Yes
- Best for: Spread, topping, or mix in
❤️ what you'll love about this homemade pecan butter
No oven required. These pecans are quickly dry roasted in a skillet, which is faster than oven roasting (though, you can absolutely use your oven, if you wish!). Just a few minutes in a skillet and the pecan flavors are enhanced for a delicious butter you'll want to eat by the spoonful.
Easy and ready in just 15 minutes. After roasting the pecans, all you have to do is blend until you have a delicious, spreadable pecan butter.
Versatile. Pecan butter is great for everything from spreading on toast or bagels, to mixing into smoothies, baked goods, or no-bake treats. You can even customize this recipe for fun flavor variations, like this fall-themed apple pecan butter. It becomes its own ingredient!
Oil free and unsweetened. Pecans already have a high oil content, which makes the finished pecan butter naturally creamy without incorporating additional oil. While you're welcome to add sweeteners, this version is completely unsweetened and still wonderful. Note: To make this taste more like pecan pie, consider adding some cinnamon or a little maple syrup.
Small batch pecan nut butter gives you more control over the finished product:
- You control the ingredients
- Opportunity to buy pecans in bulk
- No store-bought packaging to discard
- Great use for imperfect-looking pecans, but discard any that look rancid
- Control the quantity you make
🥣 ingredient notes
Pecans. I recommend organic pecans, if you can afford them. Use shelled pecan halves or pieces. Mammoth or Elliot halves are most common.
Salt. Just a hint of kosher or sea salt will give the pecan butter a little more flavor. Salt is optional.
🔪 equipment notes
- Medium-to-large skillet. I use a 12-inch skillet to create an even layer of pecans across the bottom.
- Food processor or blender.
- Spoon or spatula.
- Measuring cups and spoons.
❗️a note about blender types for pecan butter
I prefer using a food processor to efficiently blend the pecans into a smooth consistency. Here's how blenders might impact the finished product:
- Food processor: Smooth and creamy texture
- Vitamix or high powered blender: Efficient, but may require the use of a tamper
- Average blenders: Texture may not be as consistently smooth and will likely require the use of a tamper
The good news? Regardless of the tool, pecans are relatively easy to blend into a smooth consistency thanks to their oil content.
❓why use a skillet instead of the oven
While you can add fresh pecans to a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, I like the skillet method because it's faster, uses less energy, and doesn't tempt you to pull out parchment paper unnecessarily. Less waste, same tasty result.
🧑🏽🍳 how to make roasted pecan butter
Dry roast pecans. Over medium heat, dry roast pecans in your skillet for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. This gives the pecans a little more depth of flavor. Remove when you notice their fragrant pecan aroma and their golden brown surface looks lightly toasted. Cool briefly so the pecans are warm, but not piping hot when you begin blending.
Blend. Add to the bowl of your food processor and start blending. The pecans will go through different stages as you grind:
- pecan halves
- pecan pieces
- pecan paste
- creamy butter
Pause to scrape down sides. Make sure the pecan paste that forms is incorporated into the butter.
Add salt and finish blending. You just need a pinch of salt to enhance the nutty, pecan flavor. Give the pecan butter one final blend before finishing.
Recipe
Pecan Butter
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add pecans to a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat when they become fragrant and lightly toasted. Cool briefly.2 cups pecans
- To the bowl of your food processor fitted with an s-blade, add the roasted pecans and blend for several minutes. The pecans will go through a few stages as they break down.2 cups pecans
- Once pecans turn to a paste and are getting creamier, pause the food processor to scrape down the sides.
- When creamy, add the pinch of salt and briefly blend to incorporate before transferring to your storage container.pinch salt
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!🍽️ how to serve
Topping or spread: Use as a nutty topping for pancakes or waffles, spread on bagels or toast, and even drizzled over some vegan ice cream.
Mix-in or filling: Add to smoothies, brownies, cookies, whipped cream (as a pie filling), oatmeal, and anything that complements rich, buttery, and nutty flavor.
Savory sauces: Mix with savory ingredients like tamari or soy sauce for dressings and main dish sauces, as a fun twist on more traditional peanut sauce.
🧊 storage
Short-term storage. Add to an airtight container and refrigerate to keep this fresh for several weeks.
Long-term storage. Transfer the pecan butter to a freezer-safe container and store this in the freezer for up to 3 months.
✅ acceptable substitutions and variations
The most common variations include using pecan butter as the base and adding ingredients to create new flavors. Here are a few common options:
- Cinnamon
- Maple syrup
- Ground, dried fruit like apple powder for apple pecan butter
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate or chocolate chips
You can substitute other nuts for pecans, though, each nut will behave a little differently.
- Peanuts: I recommend roasting peanuts in the oven instead of a skillet. Try this delicious blueberry peanut butter if you're in the mood for a fruity twist! Peanuts usually take longer than pecans to blend into a nut butter.
- Walnuts: While you can sub walnuts for pecans in a 1:1 ratio, you may want to consider adding a flavor or sweetener as walnuts are less sweet than pecans.
- Cashews: You can also sub in a 1:1 ratio, but be prepared to add a flavor since cashews have a lighter, more neutral flavor.
♻️ sustainability ideas
sourcing
I recommend organic pecans if you prefer them and they're within your budget. My favorite is Double Q organic pecans from south Georgia. You may also be able to find organic pecan halves at your local grocery store.
Buy in bulk, if possible. You can easily freeze pecans for long-term storage if you aren't ready to use them. Buying in bulk can help reduce packaging waste, especially if you can purchase only what you need or bring your own reusable container.
If your pecans are still fresh, but not pretty enough for other recipes, blend them into this nut butter. Use more, waste less.
waste
Reduce kitchen waste by using the skillet method to roast the pecans. This recipe is already low-waste because you're making your own nut butter with simple ingredients with no extra packaging from a store-bought version!
❓ frequently asked questions
What can I use pecan butter for?
Pecan butter can be used as a topping for baked goods from pancakes to brownies, mixed into pie filling and smoothies, or even combined with umami-packed ingredients for a savory sauce. While pecan butter is delicious as a simple spread, consider using it as an ingredient in other recipes, like pie and brownies. It adds a rich, buttery, and subtly sweet depth of flavor.
What's the difference between pecan butter and butter pecan?
Pecan butter is a simple spread made from grinding pecans into a paste until creamy and spreadable. Butter pecan is a sweet flavor that traditionally combines pecans, butter, and vanilla extract to use as a sweet mix-in to ice cream, sauces, and more. So, think of pecan butter as a simple nut butter and butter pecan as a butter-pecan-vanilla sweet treat.
Should you chop pecans before roasting?
No, keep the pecan halves or pieces whole before roasting. The goal is to briefly heat the pecans to unlock their oils and give them a toasty depth of flavor before processing. You should limit the amount of nut exposed to the pan to prevent uneven toasting and potential burning. Of course, if you need to chop pecans for a recipe, allow them to cool for a few minutes after roasting before chopping.
Will pecan butter separate?
Every minimally-processed nut butter is susceptible to separation, but that is a natural process that's easily handled by stirring the nut butter and oil until completely emulsified once more. Pecan butter typically has less separation than other varieties, like almond butter.
Why isn't my pecan butter creamy?
If your pecan butter isn't creamy, that means you need to give it more time in the food processor or blender. After it becomes a paste, you should notice part of the mixture getting creamier while you blend. Depending upon your machine, this process could take longer than expected. Keep blending until you get a uniform, creamy consistency and pause occasionally to scrape down the sides (and bottom of the bowl) to make sure all of the pecan paste is getting incorporated into the butter.
Do I need to add oil to my pecan butter?
No! You can skip adding oil to this homemade pecan butter. Pecan nuts contain enough natural oils to create a creamy butter when blended. No additional oil necessary.
✨ more recipes with nuts
- 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Date Cookies
- Maple Roasted Cashews
- Walnut Shortbread Cookies
- Homemade Blueberry Peanut Butter
- Apple Pecan Butter
- Peanut Butter Dates
- Triple Chocolate Pecan Butter Spread
