My Guilt-Free Guilty Pleasure!

I have a problem. I am seriously addicted to Red Delicious Apples and Almond Butter! I am salivating now just thinking about that cinnamon apple goodness!


I just can't get enough. With the Anti-inflammatory protocol I follow it is 100% legal. Apples are a great fruit to eat when you are trying to regulate your blood sugar. They are low on the Glycemic Index but still fulfill that need for sweet. I cannot eat have any sweeteners (natural or artificial) so apples have been a lifesaver for me. 

1 Medium Apple is 38
Cashews are 22
Almonds are 0-15 (I found varying numbers from different sources.)

GI's of 55 or below are considered low, and 70 or above are considered high. I think it is really that eating a cup of white rice has the same GI as eating 1 tablespoon of sugar. There are so many things I never knew about before I started this journey. 

Read More about the Glycemic Index Here

I make my own Almond/Cashew Cinnamon Butter

I do it myself so that I can control exactly what is in my Almond butter. I use Raw Almonds. 

Winco is great. I always go to their bulk section for nuts. The Almonds are usually around $6.99 a pound and the cashews are $2.99 a pound. 

Not too shabby as far as nuts are concerned. 
I love The Spice Hunter spices. They are usually pretty straight forward without a lot of additives. 

I keep my nuts in the freezer to keep them from going rancid. Nuts are so expensive, I do not want them going bad!

Step 1: Put your Almonds, Cashews and Cinnamon in the Food Processor. 


I have a cheap Black and Decker Food Processor. It works great. No fancy gadget needed. 

Step 2: Pulse a couple times to get things going then turn on full blast. 





After about 5 minutes it will be chunky little pieces. Use a rubber scraper to pull the sides down. 








The Almond Butter is done when it reaches a creamy consistency. It can take up to 20 minutes of processing before it reaches this point. I like mine a little chunkier and not too smooth. If I am being honest, I almost can't wait long enough for it to get super smooth so I take it chunky! 


Step 3: Cut your apple into wedges. Dip the apple into the Almond Butter and Enjoy. These remind me of Apple Pie! Sooooooooooooo Good! 



You can make any variation of this Almond butter. You can hold the cashews or cinnamon. You can make just a cashew butter. I wonder what it would be like with Cayenne Pepper or a Pumpkin Pie Spice. Get creative.

I have never seen a pistachio butter. I wonder if this is because pistachio nuts are SO expensive. I will have to try it out. I will let you know how it turns out when I do.