Forget regular peanut butter: How to make a sweet spread with beans

What is beanut butter?

The name beanut butter comes from the words "bean" and "peanut butter." The spread is made with cooked or canned beans, which are blended with peanuts or peanut powder until smooth and creamy.

Fitness blogger Chris Sanford shared one version of the recipe on TikTok. He described the spread as a way to add more fiber to your diet.

Users on social media later began making their own versions.

At first glance, the combination of beans and peanuts may seem unusual, since beans are more commonly used in savory dishes. However, white beans have a fairly neutral flavor, so once you add peanuts and a sweetener, the peanut notes become the dominant flavor.

How to make beanut butter

The creator of the Luxury of Legumes culinary project, who blogs as Bean Supporter, has her own version of the dish. She specializes in legume-based recipes and has previously experimented with combining beans and peanut butter.

Her version differs from the recipe that went viral on TikTok. Instead of powdered peanut butter, the blogger uses regular peanut butter. She explains that she prefers whole foods.

For a homemade version, you will need:

• Cooked or canned beans
• Natural peanut butter
• Sweetener to taste.

Rinse the beans and drain them thoroughly. Transfer them to a blender or food processor, add the peanut butter, and blend until as smooth and creamy as possible. Then adjust the sweetness to taste.

Storage is also important. Unlike regular peanut butter, beanut butter contains cooked beans, so it needs to be refrigerated. The recipe's creator specifically warns against leaving the spread at room temperature for long.

What recipe does Food & Wine recommend?

Food & Wine writer Merlyn Miller tried making the spread in her own kitchen. She described the finished product as creamy and rich, noting that the peanut flavor dominates. At the same time, a subtle bean flavor remains. She found the combination particularly good on toast with honey.

For this version, you need canned white beans, peanut powder, and a sweetener such as honey or maple syrup. You can also add protein powder if desired, although the author recommends skipping it after her own experiment because it can affect the flavor.

First, drain and rinse the beans thoroughly. Then add a few tablespoons of peanut powder and blend everything until smooth.

Then adjust the amount of peanut powder and sweetener to taste. If the spread is too thick and the blender struggles to process it, you can add a small amount of water or applesauce.

Finally, taste the spread and add a pinch of salt if needed. However, do not add too much too quickly, as canned beans may already contain enough salt.

How to add variety to flavor

You can easily adapt the basic recipe to suit your preferred flavor. Food & Wine suggests adding cinnamon or cocoa powder to the spread. The latter will give it a more chocolatey flavor.

The idea has also inspired a variation called beantella—a legume-based spread with a chocolate-hazelnut flavor. In its recipe catalog, Bean Supporter also lists both beanut butter and beantella.

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