Homemade peanut butter recipe

Last Updated on November 26, 2025 by Michelle

When I read about PFAS in peanut butter, I knew I was never going back to store-bought options.

But I don’t know why I ever would, honestly, once I realized just how easy this recipe is for homemade peanut butter. In fact, it couldn’t be any easier.

I’ve been making all our peanut butter for 5 or 6 years now. I’ve learned a lot and perfected the recipe along the way and today I’m sharing it with you, so you don’t need to sweat the details.

Because, it turns out, choosy mothers do NOT choose forever chemicals… and I got your back.

The best part about homemade peanut butter?

Homemade peanut butter is the easiest snack to make, can lead to dozens of other delicious snacks-in-the-making, but maybe the best part? You can easily make it exactly the way your family likes it!

• Chunky peanut butter? Yep, just blend it a little less.
• Super creamy peanut butter? Definitely, just blend it a little more.
• Maple peanut butter? Now you’re talking my love language. Just added a few tablespoons of maple syrup to every quart of peanut butter.

The best way to enjoy homemade peanut butter?

I have a few all-time favorite afternoon snacks, and for one of them creamy homemade peanut butter is definitely the star of the show:

I mix a scoop of protein powder (my favorites are here) into about a cup of homemade peanut butter. Then I cut up an apple and shamelessly double- or triple-dip each piece into my peanut butter. My favorite is Salted Caramel protein peanut butter… SO good!

Does store-bought peanut butter really have forever chemicals in it?

I’m sorry to say, peanut butter you pick up at the store can definitely be contaminated with PFAS (“forever chemicals”). The reasons are many… the soil and water used to grow the peanuts could be farmed with chemicals and the manufacturing equipment and packaging can include chemicals that leach into the peanut butter. Sadly, studies have found indications PFAS in organic peanut butter brands as well, because the USDA organic certification does not prohibit PFAS in food manufacturing. Sad, but true.

How long does homemade peanut butter last?

best to eat it within 1–2 months, especially in warmer conditions.

How to make peanut butter without a food processor

In my experience, it can be a little tricky doing this without the right equipment. You can read more about what I experienced with a lower-quality food processor and also with a blender, in this Maple Peanut Butter recipe I wrote almost a decade ago.

But once I started using my favorite-every food processor, well, I’m never doing this any other way. Seriously perfect, smooth, creamy results easily every. single. time.

But, if you don’t have a great food processor, you could try adding sunflower lecithin (use code SOULYRESTED to save $$ on orders of $125 or more with my favorite food distributor). Lecithin will help bond the peanuts to any natural oils that may be released while you’re blending them. It will also help bond the peanuts to any added oil if you decide to try adding any.

Add lecithin directly to the nuts in a ratio of 0.25% – 0.5% of the total weight of the nuts before blending.

Homemade Peanut Butter Recipe

Ingredients

8 cups organic unsalted peanuts (The ones I use are linked below.)

2 tsp salt (The only one I’ll ever use is linked below.)

3-4 TB maple syrup (How to make your own maple syrup.)

Directions

1. Place peanuts and salt in food processor (the only one I’ve used over the years that gives fantastic results every time is linked below).
2. Mix on high until the consistency is what you’re family loves. Be patient and go ahead and scrape down the sides once or twice to speed things up.
3. Once peanut better is the consistency you want, add maple syrup to taste. (Adding a sweetener is totally optional. It’s delicious plain as well.)
4. Store peanut butter in a mason jar or other container with a well-sealed lid, like the one I link below. (This recipe should fill a quart jar.) 
5. After I’ve scraped out most of the peanut butter I like to reuse my food processor before stacking it in the dishwasher to clean. This Cacao Smoothie, with peanut butter, is one of my favorite ways to use the peanut-butter laden machine. Somebody’s gotta do the hard things, right?