This is your sign to make peanut butter from scratch

Homemade > store-bought. Always.

The concept of nut butters may still be an exotic breed in their own right, but peanut butter has been unassumingly ruling the roost as an undisputed favourite.

This is your sign to make your peanut butter from scratch (Photo: Oregonian Recipes)

Lick a spoonful clean as a pre-workout boost, add four more to the mix to make the mushiest PB&J of your life, make it the base for some spicy and creamy Thai noodles or reach for the jar at 2AM for a quick post-binge pick me up - peanut butter just doesn't disappoint. Except for maybe the hidden ingredients nestled away in the jar of goodness you're picking off store shelves and grocery apps.

This Peanut Butter Day then, ditch the labels and churn your own. And trust us, it's way easier than whatever you think it's going to be. Follow the recipe below.

Homemade peanut butter

Ingredients: Unsalted dry roasted peanuts - 3 cups, fine salt - upto 1/4tsp, optional flavourings - 2 to 3tsps maple syrup, 1/2tsp ground cinnamon

Homemade peanut butter, slathered on toast with honey and chopped almonds (Photo: Cookie and Kate)

Method: #1 Add the peanuts to a blender (or a food processor if you have one) and blend until smooth and creamy, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. This should take about 10 minutes total in the food processor, while the blender should halve that time - though a paced out churning of the peanuts maintains a more authentic texture for the nut butter in the making.

#2 The peanuts will first break down into a coarse, flour-like texture, then clump together, form a ball, and eventually transform into a rich, creamy butter. If the processor or mixture starts to heat up, pause and allow it to cool for a few minutes before continuing.

#3 If you like your peanut butter slightly salty, add a pinch or two of salt for some depth of flavour. If a slightly more complex taste is what you're out to create, honey, and cinnamon make for great additions. Pulse this for about 30 seconds until fully incorporated, then taste and adjust as needed.

#4 Allow the peanut butter to cool to room temperature, then spoon it into a jar with a tight lid and refrigerate. This homemade batch keeps well for up to a month.

(recipe from Cookie and Kate)

Once you take out an hour or so of your day and whip up your very own batch of homemade peanut butter - we promise you, there's no going back to those overprocessed jars off store shelves. Happy churning!