Maple walnut butter is a creamy spread made with toasted walnuts and a touch of pure maple sugar ~ think of it as your favorite peanut butter, all decked out for fall!

homemade maple walnut butter is a vegan superfood!
This incredible walnut butter is irresistible ~ I put it in the same camp as Nutella, once you dip your spoon into the jar, there’s no turning back. But instead of feeling guilty you can feel good about your choice, homemade nut butter is a healthy indulgence.
Maybe you’ve purchased a small (super pricy) jar of walnut butter and know what I’m raving about. But I bet you haven’t tasted maple walnut butter! The flavors of this classic fall combo just explode in your mouth. THIS is why you come here for your recipes ๐
what you’ll need
- walnuts ~ get yourself some fresh nuts for this, don’t use up an old stash that’s been sitting in the cupboard for months. For the best flavor, I use walnut halves. They’re a little pricier, but so much better than already chopped nuts.
- maple sugar ~ maple sugar is a natural granulated sugar made from pure maple syrup.
- salt ~ just a pinch if needed
let’s make it
- First toast your walnuts: spread them out on a dry baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes at 350F.
- Put the warm walnuts and maple sugar into a high speed blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. This will only take a couple of minutes, depending on your machine. The mixture will start out coarse and grainy, but the longer you process the smoother it will get. It will be silky smooth, warm and runny when it is done.
- Taste and add salt if you like.
- Refrigerate the nut butter, it will firm up as it chills.
homemade walnut nut butter faqs
You don’t have to, but I like to because homemade nut butters tend to separate with a layer of oil forming at the top. I find refrigerating after blending keeps that from happening, and your nut butter will stay nice and thick in the fridge. Nut butters contain oils that can potentially spoil over time, so refrigeration is best.
Homemade nut butter, like natural nut butters, have a naturally runnier consistency because the grinding of the nuts releases their oils. Most store bought nut butter contain added hydrogenated oils, which keeps them firm. Homemade nut butter will firm up after a few days in the fridge, and the longer it is refrigerated, the firmer it gets.
It will last up to a month in the refrigerator but trust me, it will be gone way before then.
Yes, you can freeze it for 3-4 months. Just thaw it in the fridge to avoid condensation.
A high speed blender makes the silkiest nut butter, but yes, you can use your NutriBullet, or food processor for this. Be sure to scrape down the sides as necessary to get everything as smooth as possible. If your machine is not that powerful, it can sometimes be helpful to add a tablespoon or so of a neutral vegetable oil to help the process along.
You can find it in better grocery stores and specialty food markets, (look for it with other sugars, or with the maple syrup.) You can always pick it up online, here, or here. It’s a little more expensive than regular sugar, but totally worth it for fall and winter baking.
Yes, but maple sugar gives fabulous flavor to this butter. Brown sugar will give you a nice ‘walnutty’ butter, but it won’t have quite as nice a flavor.
Yes, pecans would be especially good with maple, and you could also use almonds. For a nut free option, try sunflower seeds.
Yes, that step is important because it brings out the oils and helps the nuts to break down into butter better. Roasting also enhances the flavor of nuts.
Walnuts are a superfood and are the highest of all the nuts in omega-3 fatty acids. They contain heart healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids, anti-oxidants, and have anti-inflammatory properties. The only downside? They’re high in calories, so enjoy in moderation.
Walnut butter is perfect for a keto diet, just omit the maple sugar in this recipe.
For an extra dose of maple flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of good quality pure maple extract. I buy McCormick brand, which is available in larger supermarkets.
how to use your maple walnut butter
This really can be used in all the ways you’d use peanut butter, and then some!
- Sounds like a cliche, but truly, this stuff is awesome just by the spoonful, so start there (fair warning, this is habit forming.)
- Spread it on your morning toast, English muffin, or warm biscuits.
- Dip sliced apples or celery sticks into it, or spread on a cracker for a super healthy snack.
- Swirl it into your morning yogurt or oatmeal.
- Make a maple walnut butter and apple jam sandwich!
can’t get enough maple walnut recipes?
- The BEST Maple Walnut Blondies
- Maple Walnut Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- Maple Walnut Shortbread Cookies
- Maple Walnut Ice Cream
Maple Walnut Butter
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 3 cups walnut halves or pieces, toasted Note: for toasting instructions see notes below.)
- 3 Tbsp maple sugar
- pinch salt
Instructions
- To toast the nuts, lay them out in a single layer on an unlined baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes in a preheated 350ยฐF. oven.
- Put the nuts, sugar, and salt in a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until the nut butter is smooth and creamy. In my Vitamix this took just a minute or two, and I did use the tamper to push the nut mixture down toward the blade to get everything evenly processed. When the nut butter is done it will flow freely in the blender.
- Take a taste of your walnut butter at this point, and add more sugar or salt if you like. If you do adjust any ingredients, blend again briefly to combine.
- Transfer the butter to a jar. It will be warm and quite soft at this point (and utterly delicious so be sure to steal a spoonful for yourself.) Refrigerate it and it will firm up. I like to store it in the fridge, this keeps it fresh and prevents the oil from separating out.
Hi, great recipeโฆโฆ. but for those of us in Europe
who cannot source maple sugar
โฆ would Vermont or another maple syrup work as a substitute..thanks??
You could try using maple syrup, but the flavor won’t be as pronounced. You could also use brown sugar and maple extract to get that maple vibe, if you can get your hands on that.
You can make maple sugar from maple syrup, the process is simple and you can find it easily on the internet.
Hi Sue, I have to say right from the start, IDONโT LIKE SALADS!!! I never bother with a dressing , so maybe thatโs the reason. Anyway, something about your Pear & Walnut Salad made me look at the recipe & I decided to have a go, dressing & all!!
OH MY GOODNESS ME!! It was delicious!! So CONGRATULATIONS you have converted me!!
Thank you so much, regards June
Haha, I guess I’ve done my job right, then ๐
I donโt like either, but now I need to find this recipe.!