Pecan Butter - yes really!

Since one of my goals for 2015 is to eat healthier, one of the ways I plan on doing this is by cooking more at home, which we've been doing a good job of the past few months, but also cutting out a little bit more of the artificial ingredients and chemicals in our diet. I'm not going full-boar on this, but just trying to keep it in mind when buying products.

Which is why I am still so excited about receiving a food processor for Christmas. We eat peanut butter like it's going out of style, so I wanted to try my hand at making some of my own nut butters. Last week, I made pecan butter.

No, not peanut butter. PECAN butter. Remember how I said I was craving all things pecans? Well, that has not gone away, so I whipped some of this stuff up after finding the recipe on a blog called Ari's Menu.

The recipe is really simple:

Gingerbread Pecan Butter
3 cups toasted pecans
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cloves

Pre-step: toast your pecans in the oven at 350 degrees by spreading them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and baking for 6-10 minutes, stirring them around once about half-way through. You should be able to smell them; that's when they're done.

1. Blend pecans in food processor until smooth. About 3-5 minutes.
2. Add all the other ingredients, blend for another minute or so.
3. Using spatula, spoon into some kind of container. Store in fridge for 3-4 weeks.

This stuff is so good! It's also getting better by the day. I think next time I'll add a bit more of the spices, but the flavors are really great. It's perfect on a piece of toast, or on apple slices. OMG, is it ever yummy on apple slices. You must try that.

I'm also excited to try almond coconut butter, and will definitely try making peanut butter.

Do you make your own nut butters? Do you have a good recipe for me to try?