I don’t know what took me so long. You know I love my marcona almonds. Their flavor is distinct and incomparable.
A Spanish almond roasted in olive oil and salted, Marconas have a smooth texture and amazing flavor. They offer the same nutritional benefit as regular almonds, including cholesterol lowering phytosterols and a good amount of fiber and protein.
and now they make up my favorite nut butter.
marcona almond butter
makes about 1 1/2 cups
2 cups Marcona almonds (reserve 1/4 cup)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
pinch sea salt (optional)
In food processor or high powered blender, process 1 3/4 cups almonds until creamy, stopping to scrape sides, about 9-12 minutes total. Add oil as needed (I did not need to). Chop 1/4 cup almonds and mix in for a crunchy nut butter. Store in fridge in sealed container.
Flavor options:
chocolate (add 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate)
salted maple (add 1/4 cup maple syrup)
Safe to say this is my new favorite nut butter. “Plain” flavor is amazing – salty creamy amazing. The dark chocolate flavor is like a grown up peanut butter cup, and the salted maple is like buttery caramel. I now have three jars in my fridge. I’ve been enjoying marcona butter on celery, on homemade juice pulp crackers, on a spoon…
Have you tasted Marcona almonds? What is your favorite nut?
{ 107 comments… read them below or add one }
This is just all sorts of fabulousness! That is amazingly simple and the flavor combinations!? You rock!
thanks, Krista!
I just keep walking by the fridge with my spoon…
OMG – yum. I love marcona almonds. I could eat them until I was just sick. And they go well with a variety of olives if you are an olive fan.
yes – no matter WHAT I am serving at a party or whatever, I almost always have dishes of Marconas and olives… Mmm…
I’ve been toying with making my own nut butter but for some reason thought it would be way more complicated than it is! This looks and sounds amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever tried a marcona almond before. Hmm, must look for some!
nope – so easy! this is barely a recipe…
the only thing I’d say is don’t give up – at some point you think it’s not working, just keep going – it WILL get there!! 
holy delicious! I’ve only had marcona almonds once but I remember loving them. Why haven’t I picked them up again? Good question. Need to remedy that soon!
we almost always have Marconas around here… I can’t eat as many as I can regular almonds (too salty – they make a PERFECT salad topper!), but I do love them.
I love Marcona almonds and never thought to make almond butter from them! As soon as my jar of almond butter runs out, I’m trying this.
I know, as soon as I thought of this, my immediate thought was WHY have I not made this before!? so good.
I am crossing my fingers and thinking of you, just so you know!!!!
This looks divine, never ever have heard of those almonds!
Happy Weekend!! xoxo <3
THANK YOU!!
whenever something happens, I’ll let everyone know!
if you come across a Marcona almond, TRY IT! they are so good… happy weekend to you too, Katie!
What a great idea! I just had marcona almonds for the first time the other day and they were so rich and tasty. Now I wish I hadn’t eaten them all!
aren’t they delicious?? I remember the first time I had them… incredible!
You KNOW I have to make this, right?? We are obsessed with marconas in this household. I want to go back to Spain rightthisminute and eat them by the bucketful.
I know!! of course I thought of you, my friend – I know you share the love of Marconas…
have a beautiful weekend – enjoy Salutation Nation!! <3
That looks so decadent! I would drizzle that over a ripe fig with honey.
that combination sounds amazing, Alayna! I doubt I’ll be able to get it out of my head until I do it…
I have never tried marcona almonds (that I know of at least!). But almonds roasted in olive oil with salt sounds amazing to me!
Favorite nut: I love cashews and pistachios!
I think my favorite is a cashew too, Holly! and we had a lot of pistachios this summer too… if you like pistachios (the salty part?) you’d probably like marconas too!
Wow that sounds tasty! I never knew there were different kinds of almonds! Makes sense of course, now that I think about it. LOL!
oh there are MANY kinds of almonds! these are fantastic!
Oh yum! Nope – never had a Marcona. Where did you buy them?
I get mine at my regular market, in the “specialty” or gourmet section – where the fancy cheese is, the olives, etc. I hope you can find them!!
better your ear drums than mine with the food proc
it looks awesome!
ha! my current processor isn’t too bad (I think quieter than my Lady Vita…), but I had bought a different one initially and it was SO loud – Basil would run from the room. as much as I use it, I had to get a better one!
hope you enjoyed your weekend, Averie!
believe it or not, i dont own a food proc! i had a 19.99 one that was like 10 yrs old and when i got my vita about 5 yrs ago, i donated the el cheapo
I have toyed w/ getting a 10 or 12c cuisinart but not sure if i really need it. if you have one you adore, lmk!
the LOUD one I had was a Cuisinart, I think it’s loud because it was small – motor not as hefty?
I have the 12 cup kitchen aid in PINK 
and I LOVE it!! It’s BIG, and has a second smaller bowl for smaller jobs, as well as a bunch of blades and cool pieces. it’s really quiet. I use mine a lot, for me it’s easier to get stuff out of that bowl than the blender… I know how too many appliances can get, though, and since you DO have a vita… you may not need one. if you ever do, though, I LOVE the kitchen aid!! 2 years now, LOTS of use, runs perfectly (knock knock…)
and look how CUTE it is –> Komen
thanks for all the info…cuisinart vs. kitchen aid and your thoughts…very helpful!
I’ve never had marcona almonds, but it makes me think of the Macarena song (and dance). Is that just me?
oh, gosh, I never did before but I probably will NOW!
OOOH….I’ve never heard of marcona almonds, but after reading this post, I’m officially on the lookout for them! Have a great Friday.
Roz you’ll have to let me know how you like them – they are one of my favorites! have a great week!
This is beautiful!
I have never had marcona almonds, but they are on my list now to try
yes, Lisa! I hope they are not too hard to find – I never have a problem finding them… the normal store I go to has them in the “gourmet” section – where the fancy cheese is, the olives…
I’ve never had marcona almonds before and now I have a huge hankering for it.
oh, Kiran if you like salty wonderful deliciousness, you should look for them…
Oh, holy mother of everything, it’s official: the first two things I’ll make when I’m home again are a jalapeno popper sandwich and some homemade PB cups. Just reading that the chocolate almonds tasted like a “grown-up version” has me fantasising… mmm!
I know, I really want to make a pb cup with this!! I need to revisit the jalapeno sandwich soon, too…
That sounds amazing. I love sweet and salty combinations. My only fear is that I would have no willpower with the chocolate version! I have been known to eat peanut butter by the spoon…
yep, by the spoon is my normal way of eating nut butters too. if I’m on my way to workout and don’t want to eat anything, I’ll have a big scoop of peanut butter before I go!
Not a fan of any nut butter except peanut
I’m traditional, what can I say?!? 
I’ve had chocolate covered Marconas that were like crack. LOVE those!!!
oooh, I need to find the chocolate covered marcona. or make one myself! hope you’re out enjoying more beautiful Oregon! <3
those are my favorite almonds. like buttah! and of course you make almond buttah! Jason must have been happy.
like buttah! it’s funny you say that about Jason – since our juice fast and him eating cleaner in general, he notices ANY amount of added salt… very sensitive now.
I’ve never heard of Marcona almonds! I love the regular ones, though. I can say that almonds are totally my favorite kinds of nuts!
marconas are the ones I usually add to salads, you may have seen them here before? they have a different flavor than regular almonds, and the salt adds another level of yum too.
Well this looks pretty freakin’ fabulous.
My favorite nut is probably pistachio but it’s a tough choice. Almonds aren’t so bad either, I looooove almond butter!
we LOVE pistachios and have been enjoying them a lot lately! I made a pistachio butter a few months ago – SO good!
Oh how I adore marcona almonds! I love macadamia nuts and hazelnuts. Those two are my all time favorite! I love most nuts except i was never crazy about brazil nuts. Mainly cause they are like the size of a kiwi.
PS, when I are you giving a photography tutorial???
I don’t know if I’ve ever even HAD a brazil nut? I used to love macadamias, but I ate too many on a trip to Hawaii when I was 8 – have not been able to eat them since! Oregon produces 99% of the nation’s hazelnut supply – get yourself up here!
I have a few people ask for a tutorial… hmm… I’ll try to wrap my head around how I could do that here on the blog… I seem to learn better by DOING rather than by reading, so… I’m probably the same in “teaching” – showing in person, you know? which we can just plan for!
I’ve never heard of marcona almonds, is that brand name, the type of almonds of how they are prepared (ie olive oil and salt). I love nut butters too on pieces of fruit. I have them daily
I think it refers to the way they are prepared? it’s a Spanish almond, so they look and taste different already. I’m going to have to look into that now, actually, good question, Robyn!
okay! a Marcona almond is a variety of almond! I found this on Wikipedia:
The Marcona variety of almond, which is shorter, rounder, sweeter, and more delicate in texture than other varieties, originated in Spain and is becoming popular in North America and other parts of the world.[23] Marcona almonds are traditionally served after being lightly fried in oil, and are also used by Spanish chefs to prepare a dessert called turrón.
This sounds awesome, I love marconas.
Dark chocolate or salted maple?! You should probably start your own almond butter company. I’ve never had marcona almonds – wonder how easily I can find them without a WF near me…
Liz, I like the way you think! you probably have a market with a specialty area, like where they might have premium cheeses, olives, gourmet items? worth the look, or ask!
I’ve never heard of those kinds of almonds before… yum! That almond butter looks super creamy. And the best way to eat it is either off the spoon or on apples. You got it.
you should look for them, Lori… they aren’t really an almond I would want to eat a BUNCH of, like I do with the raw ones, but I love to snack on them, add them to salads (so good!) and this butter makes me happy
Oh my WOW!!!!!!! Ok, where has this been all my life??? You know how nice this would be on toast…SWOOON!!!!
In granola bars!!! In granola!!! Swoon
xxoo
Mmm, a marcona granola bar. YES.
Never bought macrona almonds before, but i’ll be on the lookout now that you mentioned them
You’re almond butter looks to die for and i’m sure tastes that way, too! 
hi Emilia! they should be sorta easy to find? if you have a Whole Foods close by, or another store with a specialty section (like where special cheeses, olives are?). I hope you find them soon – SO good!
Oh my goodness, this looks fantastic! What great flavor combinations!
thank you!
just made another good one today – a different and WOW good flavor… I can’t stop!
I need to treat myself to Marcona almonds WAY more often. I love the idea of making Marcona almond butter!
we usually have some in the fridge, even just to eat one or two every few days
and as much as I love nut butter, I can’t believe I’ve not made this one before! 
Wow I’ve never heard of Marcona almonds. I must try this! Also I was thinking of making up a bunch of nut butters (all kinds of flavors!) for Christmas presents this year so I’ll put this one on the list!
marconas are SO good… this would be a great addition to the holiday lineup!
I LOVE MARCONAS. I’m thinking the same thing, WHY have you not made this before!!??
right?!
Looks yummy! Where can you get these almonds? I’ve never heard of them before.
I usually get mine in my regular market – in the section with the specialty cheeses and olives. if you have a Whole Foods in your area, they most likely carry them, or ask at your regular market? I hope you find them, Neyal!
ahh, genius. it looks so creamy. marcona almonds have such a declicious flavor. if only they were so expensive!
agreed – marconas are definitely a special indulgence
I’ve not heard of these before, where do you find marconas?
the “gourmet” section of my regular market – where the specialty cheeses and olive bar is. Whole Foods probably carries them, and I just heard Trader Joes does too.
I don’t have trader joes or whole foods. I guess I won’t get to try your “gourmet” pretentious butter LOL. thanks anyways!!
wow. truly didn’t mean to come off that way.
this sounds amazing!! I love almonds, I love marconas and valencias, have you had those? I am definitely trying this soon, the salted maple sounds so good!
thanks, Gret-chen! the salted maple is a good one – I hope you love it!
Now why have I never thought of that…absolutely fabulous idea!
thank you, Barbara!! exactly what I keep saying (as I eat this by the spoonful…) WHY have I not made this sooner?!
I love marcona almonds in a criminal way, and was unspeakably excited when I saw marcona almond butter at my favorite cheese shop. Surprisingly, though, I actually prefer regular old almond butter – and to save the marconas for snacking in their original form.
I know, it is an indulgence… I seem to be “saving” it for special uses!
and I have to agree, Alyse, my love for marcona borders on the criminal…
I’ve never tried a marcona almond before but I have seen them at Trader Joe’s…guess I’ll have to pick some up the next time I’m there. Hmm, favorite nut? I wanna say pecans, but brazil nuts are slowly trying to push their way to the top!
I’ve never had a Brazil nut!! I need to try one so I know what they taste like… I love a pecan, though!
Oh they’re the best! When I went to Cafe Gratitude in Santa Cruz, they had this Brazil nut “parmesan” that was amazing!
I feel like I live in Vegan Mecca, but I am SO jealous of your Cafe Gratitude visit!
This is beautiful. I love the idea of using marcona almonds for a butter. You could make it a savory snack with a chunk of Manchego and a granny smith apple, maybe over a slice of toasted sourdough. yumm! Thanks for sharing this.
you’re welcome! and your idea sounds fantastic – I could go for something like that right now…
this sounds awesome!! great thinking using marcona types, the flavour must be wonderful.
this sounds incredible. must. make. today.
my friend told me about your website – she just made this almond butter and can’t stop raving. suppose I need to find these almonds now.
thank you – your site and pics are GORGEOUS
I love Marcona almonds!! genius to think of this, I cannot wait to try!
this sounds great – very creative!
great idea!! I suppose it is delicious.
simply genius! I love marconis!!
Genius. You.
hee! thanks, girl
this looks amazing! I can’t wait to try myself, YUMMO!
GENIUS, I love these almonds and never think of them in relation to nut butter. you are creative!
I love Marcona! never thought to make this type of butter, can’t wait to make this it must be amazing!!
made this yesterday, my myconas must have been very oily, as the butter was… very… oily!! ! was yours?
my favorite almonds I can only imagine how good this butter is. thanks for the idea!!
I just found some marconas today, boy was that the best thing I could ever buy! these suckers are good, and the marcona butter, thank you for THAT awesome idea!!
oh, I know, Laura! I remember the first time I tasted one, I was thinking WHAT IS THIS?? so good. glad you could find them, glad you like the nut butter!
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