After an absolutely amazing morning with some really extraordinary friends and a workout….ahem….deep water pool run…I decided to come home today and make a comfort food.  For me, this is always a favorite, and mixing in some sweet spices was just the icing on the cake.  This is a way to get a little sweet treat alongside a little protein.

Roasted Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Almond Butter

2 Cups of raw almonds roasted

1 Vanilla Bean, sliced and scraped

1 tsp of unrefined sugar  I used organic cane sugar

1/2 tsp course sea salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon (you can add more to taste.  I like just a hint)

Sweet vanilla bean mixed with course sea salt.

Preheat oven to 350 and spread almonds on cookie sheet making sure they aren’t overlapping.  Roast them for 10-12 minutes.

Remove and allow nuts to cool.  They will heat up in the processor, so I allow them to cool about 30 minutes.

Look at that gorgeous roasted color

Place almonds into food processor and process until a smooth butter starts to form. (This could take 10-15 minutes depending on your processor)  

Add in sugar (optional) vanilla bean, sea salt and cinnamon.  Process until butter is smooth and creamy.

*Store in an airtight container.