Different varieties of nut butter seem to be all the rage these days. Turns out, nut butters are not that hard to make at home as long as you have a quality food processor. The fun part is that you can make endless varieties while saving some money too!

In our recent blog “How The Foods You Eat Affect Your Sleep” we talked about various foods that provide melatonin, the sleep hormone that promotes restful sleep. With walnuts being one of the foods that provides melatonin, I decided to make this Cinnamon-Maple Roasted Walnut Butter as part of an evening snack.

Slather a bit of this nut butter on a fig cookie, graham cracker, slices of banana or apple, a fresh date, or some cubed roasted sweet potato. The walnuts, carbs, healthy fats, and bit of protein make for an excellent combo for a sleep-promoting evening snack!

The key with making nut butters at home is to roast the nuts prior to grinding them in your food processor. This helps them release their oils, which makes processing them into a smooth butter a breeze—without having to add oil. Definitely don’t skip this step!

Cinnamon-Maple Roasted Walnut Butter

Makes about 1 cup

• 2 cups raw walnuts
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• 1. Preheat oven to 300˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with oil. Toss walnuts with maple syrup on baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing half way through.
• 2. Remove walnuts from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
• 3. Transfer walnuts to a food processor (7 cups in size is perfect for this amount of nuts). Turn on food processor and let run for 5-10 minutes until a smooth butter forms, scraping down the sides as necessary.
• 4. Add cinnamon and sea salt and let process for 1-2 more minutes until combined.
• 5. Transfer to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

This protein- and melatonin-rich food is ideal for a bedtime snack.  Remember to avoid sugary foods, alcohol and caffeine too late in the day if you’ve got sleep problems.

And remember, sometimes your brain can use a natural sleep remedy to get back into its natural sleep patterns.