Toasted Macadamia Coconut Butter

I talked all about my love for peant butter in my last post, but not only does peanut butter make me happy, other nut butters do as well.  A scoop of almond butter, cashew, or sunflower seed butter is pretty amazing to me as well, and when I want something a little rich but don't want dessert it does just the trick!

I have been seeing all of these fabulous flavored nut butters lately, and they sound wonderful so I thought I would try making my own.  That way I could control the amount of sweetener that went into it, and create a flavor I hadn't seen on a shelf somewhere. 

I looked through all of the nuts in my fridge and the macadamias caught my eye.  I knew their buttery texture would be amazing!  I decided that some coconut would be perfect paired with them for a slightly sweet butter that did not need too much extra sweetener.  A pinch of sea salt, a tablespoon of maple syrup and a touch of vanilla since I couldn't resist and voila! 

It was amazing! Seriously, when eating nut butter like that I feel like everything is right in the world no matter what is really going on.  I have a feeling I will be buying much less nut butter in the future.

Toasted Macadamia Coconut Butter
Makes about 2 cups

2 cups raw macadamia nuts
2 cups dried unsweetened finely shredded coconut
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)
1/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spread macadamia nuts out on one sheet pan and the coconut on another.  Place in the oven and roast the nuts for about 10-15 minutes until golden, and the coconut for about 5-7 (watch it closely as it burns quick).  Remove from oven and let cool.  Place nuts, coconut, vanilla, maple syrup, and sea salt in a food processor and process until smooth.  Pour into a container and let cool.  Store in the fridge for about a month.