Giving up a plant-based diet for the autoimmune protocol has been one of the most challenging parts of my healing journey. I put it off for months because I couldn’t imagine living without nuts, seeds, legumes and grains. When I finally started to make the transition, I went on a quest to re-invent some of my favourite foods.
I recently discovered tigernuts during a trip to Kensington Market. Contrary to their name, tigernuts are not nuts. They’re actually small vegetable tubers, similar to a plant root. Tigernuts have a ton of nutritional benefits and are considered to be one of nature’s superfoods. They’re high in fibre, healthy fats and contain prebiotics to feed our healthy gut bacteria.
Not only are tigernuts AIP-approved, they also happen to be the base for this deliciously creamy and slightly sweet “nut” butter! This recipe requires only two ingredients and makes a great allergy-friendly alternative to nut and seed butters. I used ground tigernuts, however you can easily make your own tigernut flour in a high speed blender. Tigernut Butter is naturally sweet and pairs well with fresh fruit or vegetable slices.
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup ground tigernuts
- Pinch himalayan or sea salt
- 1 tbsp raw honey (optional)
- Melt coconut oil in a saucepan and measure out ⅓ of a cup.
- Combine all ingredients in a small food processor and blend until a smooth paste forms. Add more coconut oil if required.
- Store in an airtight container and use as desired.
Have you ever tried tigernut butter? I would love to hear what you guys use as nut butter alternatives. Feel free to share in the comments below and let me know if you give this recipe a go!
Thanks Gillian – going to give this a try as it is hard to get hold of (and expensive!) in Vancouver.
Do you think I could substitute Tiger Nut flour for the ground nuts?
Yes, it is essentially the same thing! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
I’m allergic to coconut, and almond ( in case you want to suggest almond as a coconut alternative) . And would be using iodine salt if any. What can I use instead of coconut oil? Would pine or Tigernut oil work? I’m thinking pine might be better due to a fat need that tiger nut oil seams to lack. No!? Please e-mail me once you reply. Thanks allot!
I used coconut oil as it helps give it a thick and spreadable consistency. But you could try avocado or red palm oil. You might have to adjust the ratio, but I don’t think it would affect the taste too much. Let me know how it turns out!
No matter how I try it takes 3 times the oil to get this somewhat spreadable. I had to use olive oil due to not tolerating coconut and blended in Vitamix. What am I doing wrong??
Hi Debbie, have you tried using a high speed food processor rather than a Vitamix? I find it works better for blending nut butters. It could also be that you’re using olive oil instead of coconut oil. I haven’t tried this myself, so I’m not sure what the exact ratio should be!
Love this recipe, so good and easy. I make it at least once a week. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you – glad you like it!