Quick & Delicious Roasted Carrot Butter

You know everything there is to know about peanut butter and you’ve enjoyed it in all the usual places: spread on toast under jam, on bananas, over crackers, stirred into oatmeal, and off the spoon straight from the jar. But what do you know about carrot butter? 

Roasted carrots blended with creamy macadamia nuts and a few extras make a sweet and savory alternative to your typical nut butter. Plus, using carrots adds a little color, flavor and a whole lot of healthy nutrients to your regular old toast routine. Try spreading carrot butter on toast, dolloping it on top of salads, in rice bowls, oatmeal and over spring pastas. You can even serve it with crackers and cheese.

Chances are you already have most of the ingredients you’ll need to make this. Choose the freshest, most crisp, sweet carrots you can find, then roast, blend and enjoy.

Quick & Delicious Roasted Carrot Butter

Makes one 12-ounce jar

Ingredients

• 5–6 large carrots, roasted w/ stems cut off and chopped
• 3/4 cup macadamia nuts (preferably raw) or raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for roasting
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Fine-grain sea salt to taste (roughly 1/2 teaspoon)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and toss the raw carrots with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and place on the prepared sheet, baking bake until soft with some charred spots. Let cool slightly. You can also do this the night before you make the butter.

Next, puree the macadamia nuts and oil in a food processor or blender until a butter is formed. You’re looking for a nice smooth mixture with no large chunks (a few little ones are OK). This will take longer than you think; be patient. (If you’re using a Vitamix, you can skip this step and puree all the ingredients together once the carrots are done.)

Once the carrots are cooled, toss them in the food processor with the macadamia nut butter. Add maple syrup and vanilla and puree until a smooth, whipped texture is achieved, stopping to scrape down the sides with a knife as necessary. Salt to taste. Allow to cool before serving, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 12  |  Serving Size: 2 tablespoons

Per serving: Calories: 102; Total Fat: 9g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 118mg; Carbohydrate: 6g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 1g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 134mg; Iron: 3%; Vitamin A: 100%; Vitamin C: 3%; Calcium: 2%

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