The other day, my son expressed some serious boredom at his breakfast options. I can’t say that I was particularly sympathetic to his plight, because there are about 5 different cereals (mostly gluten-free) on the go in our cupboard, and he could always make himself toast (gluten-free) instead. He’s finally at an age where he can get his own breakfast and I love that fact. And he loves making it, sometimes for himself and the two girls as well, so I just let him have at it. But apparently, breakfast-making ennui has already set in and the multiple choices available to him are not enough. I guess the novelty wears off quickly.
Now, I am not the sort of mother to indulge my child’s every whim, but putting something a little more interesting on the breakfast table seems like an easy way to make him happy. Besides, it gave me an opportunity to make something I’d been thinking of for a while. I’d noticed the cocoa almond butter at Trader Joe’s several times and thought it looked mighty tempting. But I knew without even picking up the jar that it would be packed with sugar. Not exactly what I want my kids eating first thing in the morning…or ever. I also knew that making my own would not only be far more healthful, but less expensive and more satisfying. Still, it was one of those things that sat on my to-do list, until my son expressed his breakfast boredom.
It doesn’t take much to whip up your own nut butters. Really it’s just a matter of grinding the nuts, adding a little oil and whatever flavourings you want, perhaps a little sweetener too, and plopping it in a jar. I originally just planned on cocoa powder for the chocolate, but as I taste-tested, I found that it didn’t quite seem chocolatey enough. I could have kept on adding cocoa powder, but that would have made it far more dry. So I figured an ounce or so of melted chocolate would amp up the flavour, and indeed it did.
And my son has a new reason to get up in the morning and make breakfast. He loves the stuff! So do I. It’s hard not to just sit with the jar and a spoon and devour the whole thing!
Chocolate Almond Butter – Low Carb and Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups almonds
- 5 tbsp almond or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener or powdered erythritol
- 1 oz unsweetened chocolate melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 15 drops stevia extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Spread almonds in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Roast 7 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned and more fragrant.
- Transfer almonds to a food processor and process until finely chopped. With processor running, pour oil through spout and continue to process until smooth.
- Add cocoa powder, powdered erythritol, melted chocolate, vanilla, stevia and salt and process until well combined.
