Cinnamon Coconut Pecan Butter

When I was little and wasn't feeling good, my mom used to make me peanut butter toast. I don't know how, but a warm slice solved all of the world's problems.  Unfortunately, peanuts are legumes, which happens to be something that my body reacts negatively to. When I found this out, I was devastated. I would no longer be able to  relish in the sweet, sweet taste of peanut butter. Fortunately, this opened my eyes to the beautiful world of nut butters.

Almond butter is one of the most common types of nut butter that you'll find in stores, but there are a whole bunch of options out there. Cashew, walnut, pistachio and pecan (a personal favorite of mine) are all among the choices you have. The downfall of nut butters is that they're typically more expensive than peanut butter. It's not always financially feasible to pick up a jar at the store each time you run out, especially with how quick we go through it in  house. Instead, we frequently make our own nut butters. This allows us to keep the cost down, guarantee the quality of ingredients AND play with new, fun flavors. 

The next time you need something sweet to top your fruit or when you just want a healthy snack, grab a bag of nuts and bust out your food processor!

---

Cinnamon Coconut Pecan Butter

Inactive Time: 15 mins Time: 10-15 mins Yields: 2-2 ½ cups Ingredients: 3 cups raw pecans 2 tbs coconut oil, melted 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1 tbs maple syrup* *Optional

Steps:

1. Add all ingredients but coconut into your food processor.
2. Process on high until smooth 5-15 minutes depending on the strength of your blender. Stop as needed to scrape down the edges with a spatular.
3. Once smooth add in the shredded coconut and process another 30 secs-1 min to mix the coconut throughout.

Notes: If you prefer a thinner nut butter, you can add an additional 1-2 tbs of melted coconut oil.

---