Best Blender for Making Nut Butter (For Almond Butter, Peanuts and Seeds)

Sick of spending your money on store-bought nut butter? Below you’ll find the top options for grinding nuts and seeds to make peanut butter, almond butter, and more right in the comfort of your own home.

Don’t have time to read? Here are our top 5 options below for making almond, peanut, and other nut butter! Click the links to check current prices.

Fresh nut butter can save you money, but homemade nut butter contains nothing that you don’t add yourself. This assures you are getting clean preservative and additive-free healthy nut butter and allows you to make your creations by blending nuts of different types or adding other healthy ingredients.

Almond butter with a touch of stevia and cinnamon is a new experience that you should consider trying.

Yes, making homemade nut butter offers many advantages and is easier than you would probably ever believe. Your journey to making nut butter begins with finding the best blender for nut butter, and for that, we are here to help.

In this article, we’ll get into…

• Our 5 best blender picks for nut butter.
• What makes a good nut butter blender in the first place?
• Which optional design features are particularly helpful.
• The differences between the models we’ve selected.
• A detailed comparison of all of our blender picks complete with pros and cons.

Best Blenders For Nut Butter

Ninja Mega Kitchen System

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The Ninja brand is becoming fast-known in the blending industry as a great, affordable alternative to Blendtec and Vitamix.

Their creations are powerful, cheap, and able to do all sorts of things – including making nut butter, in the case of the Ninja Mega Kitchen System. The Mega Kitchen System has three set speeds.

It comes with a normal 72-oz blending container and a 64-oz processing bowl, the only model on the list to do so, which is an even better shape for blending nut butter and will undoubtedly make the process easier.

Like many others in the Ninja range, this model requires the use of different accessories to perform various functions.

This can be a hassle, depending on your outlook and tolerance for plastic accessories in your kitchen. Still, it could also be considered a fair exchange for usually being the cheapest blender.

It also only has a one-year warranty which may vary by the retailer (see manufacturer website for full warranty details), which is concerning if you plan to put your blender through heavy strain by creating nut butter regularly.

Pros

• It comes with a blender bowl
• Dishwasher safe
• Affordable for most families

Cons

• One year warranty
• Accessories are better for different functions such as chopping.

Vitamix Explorian E310

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The Explorian is slightly less powerful than the 750, but it carries a lower MSRP and is perfect for a single individual or people with a small kitchen.

If you don’t have the budget, you don’t need to get a high-end Vitamix for nut butter.

It’s simply not necessary. Because it’s smaller, it’s easy to store and won’t take up as much room on the counter.

Ideal if you have an apartment or small kitchen that doesn’t have the space for a Vitamix. Although the warranty is shorter, The Explorian is a great offering from Vitamix released recently to make their top blenders more accessible to the general public.

Read Also: Best Blender for Banana Ice Cream

Pros

• Cheaper and more affordable than most Vitamix models
• It still makes great nut butter
• Small and easy to store
• Simplified interface and design

Cons

• Not as powerful as the other Vitamix on this list
• Shorter warranty

Vitamix 5200

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If you want a simple but powerful blender, this option is your best bet. It has a streamlined three-button control method that allows you to power through nuts and creates different tasty nut butter.

It has a self-cleaning design that makes it simple to integrate into just about any kitchen. So if you’re a newbie to making butter, this blender is the best option for you.

Pros

• A straightforward design that should work for most people
• An attractive and easy to use a jar
• Minimal extra work is necessary

Cons

• It might seem a bit expensive for high-priced models
• Some stores may not stock it

Vitamix A2300

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You can’t beat a Vitamix blender for making nut butter. With exceptionally strong motors and drive systems, do quick work creating healthy nut butter from even the hardest to grind nuts, and the unique stainless steel blades will never dull due to normal use, whether blending frozen fruits or hard nuts.

The A2300 is not an inexpensive blender for nut butter but its performance, versatility, and durability; we consider it an affordable blender. Its minimalist design makes it easy for even novice chefs to use and leaves very little chance.

With a full 10-year warranty, you can rest assured that the blender you invest in today will still be helping you create smooth and creamy spreads with your desired consistency for years to come.

Pros

• A highly versatile blender for making nut butter, general blending, and juicing
• 2.2 hp motor with the power to spare
• Full 10-year warranty
• Simple and easy to use
• BPA-free plastic blender jars

Cons

• More expensive than most other blenders
• Some buyers have complained of it being overly noisy, even for a Vitamix

Ninja Compact Kitchen System

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The Ninja compact kitchen system takes the idea of a multipurpose blender for nut butter to a whole new level. It comes with four different blade assemblies, a 5-cup Precision Processor Bowl, an 18-oz. single-serve cup, and a 72-ounce Total Crushing Pitcher with a 64-ounce liquid capacity.

Naturally, if you want to create creamy butter, you will need plenty of power. The Ninja Compact Kitchen System comes with a 1,200-watt motor and ball bearing drive assembly to help assure you of smooth, trouble-free operations for years to come. Like all Ninja blenders, the Compact Kitchen System comes with a limited 1-year warranty.

Pros

• A versatile system that offers a variety of blending, food processing, and chopping options
• Ideal for making smooth nut butter from whole nuts
• One of the cheaper blenders at this performance levels
• Three blending jars of different sizes
• The best blender for nut butter at this price point

Cons

• Not as durable as some higher-priced models or professional countertop blenders for nut butter
• No thermal protection for the motor.

Common Questions

Can I Grind Nuts and Seeds in a Blender?

You absolutely can. As long as your blender is powerful enough (all of the ones we have here are), you can make any sort of creamy nut creation you’d like including…

• Peanut butter
• Almond butter
• Macadamia nut butter
• Cashew butter
• Chocolate peanut butter
• Sunflower butter
• Walnut butter

…And much more!

How Do I Make Almond Butter?

There are several different ways to make nut butter in a blender, and it all comes down to the nut butter blender you’re using. However, the basic premise is as follows…

• Add 2-4 cups of nuts (preferably roasted for easier blending to your blender)
• Add 1/8 – 1/4 cups of oil to the blender (optional, but it makes the blending easier)
• Slowly turn up the speed on the blender from low to high so that all the nuts catch in the blades.
• Use any optional accessories such as a tamper or Blendtec Twister Jar to make sure the nuts stay in a vortex and become creamy.

Below you’ll see this process done in several different top blender models, including Blendtec, Vitamix, Ninja, and Breville…

Blendtec with Twister Jar

As you can see in the video above, the Blendtec with Twister Jar is one of the best ways to make nut butter. Even though the jar is smaller, the twisting motion makes it extremely easy to bring the nuts to the blades and quickly turn them into creamy nut butter.

Vitamix

Here’s how the Vitamix blender makes nut butter. Using the tamper, you constantly push the nuts into the blades until everything is broken down and silken.

Ninja Blender Cycle

The tiered blade system of the Ninja makes it super easy to make peanut butter. You don’t have to worry about tamping, a separate jar, or anything like that.

The multi-level Ninja blender blades are great at this task because they are like a food processor. If you want to look at the alternatives, take a look at our guide on the best blender food processor combo options.

Breville Boss

The Breville Boss works similar to the Vitamix blender when you make nut butter.

Since it has a tamper, you can either keep pushing into the blades or use a little bit of oil.

Related Article: Top 10+ Best Blender Food Processor Combo Options

What Speed Do I Need for Making Nut Butter?

We recommend no particular speed for making nut butter, but a good rule of thumb is that you’ll want a blender with enough horsepower. Generally speaking, above 2-horsepower is enough to do the job. This will put enough power behind the blades to prevent a good blender from overheating and getting stuck.

Do I Need a Specific Setting for Nut Butters?

There’s no need to have a special setting on your blender to make your almond butter smooth and delicious. But you will want to do it on the highest setting your nut butter blender has. 

Again, be sure to start on LOW and then move up to HIGH gradually; otherwise, the blades will shoot up the nuts away from them and not draw them into a vortex.

ATTRIBUTES TO LOOK FOR

Horsepower

A couple of factors determine whether a blender will be good for nut butter. It’s primarily a question of power – you need a machine that can grind nuts into a smooth paste without getting stuck, overheating, or leaving little chunks of nuts behind.

While it’s generally easy for your average blender to make a smoothie, you need an especially powerful one to make nut butter.

All the machines listed here have above 2-peak horsepower, so you know they’re strong enough to do the job.

Container Design

But that only weeds out the machines that can’t do the job – what characteristics do top blender picks that are good at making nut butter have?

Ideally, a machine you’re using to make nut butter will have a wide, flat container with lots of room at the bottom, like a food processor.

This way, the nuts are properly exposed to the blades and won’t pile up around the sides of the container.

That same container would also ideally have flat sides so that the butter can be scraped off easily, rather than fiddle around with grooves or curved sides that can trap your mixture.

Again, all the models listed here have easy-to-access containers to some degree – some of them are undoubtedly better than others. Still, the overall shape is the same, and they primarily have short and squat containers instead of tall, slim ones.

Tamper Tool

A tamper makes a huge difference when it comes to making nut butter. While it is not required, it does make it a lot easier.

Blendtec units don’t typically come with tampers but do have enough power and control to get the job done.

Read Also: Best Blenders with Tampers

At Thrive Cuisine, we’ve used Blendtec’s for nut butter before, and it does work fine, but having a unit with a tamper such as a Vitamix does make the process go slightly smoother opinion.

Finally, a blender that’s good at making nut butter has to have good manual control – ideally variable speed control, but a pulse function. If you’ve ever made nut butter, you know that it’s important to be able to control the process entirely so that you can stop at just the right consistency.

There’s nothing beneficial about having a machine that takes all the control away from you – so all the models here have a dedicated pulse function, and most have variable speed control too.

Should I Use a Food Processor Instead?

Generally speaking, a food processor will always be better at making nut butter.

The wider containers, bigger blades, and overall design just make the process slightly easier. But keep in mind that there are many things that a food processor can’t do that a good blender can. If you want to make smoothies, soups, or sauces, then you won’t be able to do it in a food processor.

Plus, food processors are generally bulky and heavy. A nut butter blender serves as a superior all-in-one kitchen appliance over a food processor.

That’s why we love the Ninja Mega Kitchen System. You get a food processor and a blender all in one!

Check out our Nutribullet vs Ninja comparison for more information on blender options. If you wanna learn more about detailed comparisons of nutribullets, you can read my reviews for the best nutribullet options.

Why Do Nuts Get Stuck to the Side?

The main reason why your nuts get stuck to the side of your blender is that you’re turning up the speed too quickly.

What happens is that the blender blades will push the nuts off and away to the side instead of dragging them towards the middle. Then, you need to scrape them off of the side and start the cycle again.

Using a tamper or Twister Jar is not much of an issue, but be sure to start slow and slowly turn up the speed to avoid it.

Can You Make Nut Butter in a Hand or Stick Blender?

It is possible to make nut butter in a handheld immersion blender, but man, is it a pain. It requires a lot of elbow grease and will take WAY longer than any of the blenders on this list. You’ll also need a contained vessel so that the nuts don’t fly everywhere. While many of the top handheld blenders come with one, it’s just simply not worth it for this application.

What is the Best Way to Store Nut Butter?

The best way to store nut butter of any type is to keep them in the refrigerator. If that is not possible, they should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

You will likely notice two things when storing natural nut butter: how the oil pools on the surface. This is nothing to be concerned with. You can simply stir the oil back into the nut butter, or you can pour it off if you prefer a thicker spread.

If you store your nut butter in the fridge, they get very thick. Again this is normal. You can use them as is or allow them to warm up and soften.

A little trick you can use is adding extra oil to your nut butter when you make them if you like your nut butter on the thinner side. Coconut oil works well as it is a low temp medium-chain fatty acid.

Wrap Up Best Blender for Blending Nut Butters

Making peanut butter, almond butter, or other non-peanut butter at home is a wonderful way to reduce food costs and the number of preservatives and additives you and your family take in. It is also much easier to do than you probably realize.

Making nut butter requires no special skills and can be accomplished with equipment as simple as a bullet blender. For truly stunning results that will be smooth as silk, you will need a blender with a bit more power.

Whether you are grinding freshly roasted peanuts or making almond butter, it takes a blender that can stand up to grinding hard materials. That means a large enough motor, rugged drive train, and properly designed and constructed blades.

All models on our list fit these criteria and can blend nuts into delicious nut butter. The best one for you will depend on your personal preferences and lifestyle. Our best advice is to consider your requirements, what other uses you will use your blender for other than making your nut butter, and buy accordingly.

Joey Bruno

Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!