If you love nut butter and sweet spreads, you’ll love Amlou, a classic Moroccan treat made of delicious roasted almonds and fine argan oil.

Also known as “the trees of life”, argan trees grow only in the South of Morocco, making the precious nuts and the oil obtained from them a natural luxury.

Packed with vitamins and of ecological relevance for its native environment, this oil is a sought-after skincare ingredient for both cosmetics brands and exquisite DIY projects alike. Whether raw or roasted, argan oil is a delicious cooking oil with rich, nutty flavours that add a savoury note to dips, soups, salads and hummus. It is also a beautiful dessert ingredient – Amlou, a sweet dip of almonds, honey and argan oil, is a classic Moroccan dish. The only piece of kitchen gear you need to make it is a food processor.  

While the original recipe calls for an even amount of each of the three ingredients, and creates a runny dip-like texture (perfect for pancakes), you can absolutely go for a texture closer to that of a nut butter spread, like with this recipe:

Amlou Recipe Ingredients

Unpeeled roasted almonds 200 gr
Virgin Argan oil 80 ml
Liquid honey 80 ml
Sea salt to taste 

If you can, get the best or organic quality ingredients for optimal taste and actual health benefits. For this recipe, I use Comptoirs et Compagnies Manuka honey, as well as Rapunzel almonds and virgin argan oil from a sustainable small scale farm in Morocco (via Ölmühle Solling).

Method

Gently grind roasted almonds (unpeeled!) in a food processor to obtain a finely grained mixture. Next, gradually stir in 80 ml Argan oil. Once the mixture is even and smooth, not before, stir in 80 ml liquid honey and season with a pinch of sea salt.   

Amlou works best as a topping or spread for bread, crêpes, buckwheat galettes or pancakes – naturally with a sip of sweet Nana mint tea. 

Once you’ve figured out your favourite almonds to oil to honey ratio of thickness and sweetness, and your favourite level of coarse or fine blending, your delicious Amlou is bound to become a beloved breakfast staple.

© Photo via Beautycalypse