Preserves & pantry

How to Make Amlou (Argan-Almond Butter)

Amlou is the treasure of southern Morocco — a thick, pourable paste of toasted almonds, honey and the region's famous argan oil, eaten at breakfast with warm bread and msemen. Nutty, sweet, faintly smoky from the roasted argan, it is often called 'Berber Nutella', though it is far older and far better. Making it is straightforward; the quality lives entirely in the ingredients, above all the argan oil.

Difficulty: Easy
Active time: 25 min
Yields: A jar of amlou
Best tool: A food processor or heavy mortar

What you need

Whole almonds (skin-on or blanched)
Culinary (roasted) argan oil — the real thing, not cosmetic argan
Honey, to taste
A pinch of salt (optional)
A food processor, blender, or a large mortar and pestle

Why it matters

Amlou is a showcase for argan oil, one of Morocco's most prized and protected products, pressed from the kernels of the argan tree that grows almost nowhere else on earth but the Souss region around Agadir and Essaouira. Culinary argan oil — pressed from lightly roasted kernels — has a deep, toasty, hazelnut-like aroma completely different from the cold-pressed cosmetic oil, and it is what gives amlou its distinctive fragrance. Use the wrong oil and it is simply not amlou.

Traditionally the almonds and oil were ground together for a long time by hand on a stone quern, the friction slowly turning them into a loose paste. A food processor does the same job in minutes. The technique is really about balance and texture: enough oil to make it pour, enough honey to sweeten without cloying, ground just smooth enough while keeping a little character.

Step-by-step method

1

Toast the almonds

Toast the almonds in a dry pan or a moderate oven until golden and fragrant, watching closely so they do not burn. Toasting deepens their flavour and is what lets them grind into a richer paste. Let them cool.
2

Grind to a rough meal

Grind the cooled almonds in a processor (or mortar) until they break down to a coarse, then fine, meal. Keep going and they will start to clump and release their own oil — that is the beginning of a paste.
3

Stream in the argan oil

With the machine running, pour in culinary argan oil a little at a time until the ground almonds loosen into a thick, glossy, pourable paste. The amount depends on your almonds; add gradually until it flows slowly off a spoon.
4

Sweeten with honey

Add honey to taste and blend again. Honey sweetens and helps bind; start modestly and adjust. A tiny pinch of salt lifts all the flavours, though it is optional.
5

Adjust the texture

Judge the consistency: amlou should be thick but pourable, not stiff like a set nut butter nor thin like a dressing. Loosen with a little more argan oil, or firm it with more ground almond, until it is right.
6

Jar it

Spoon into a clean jar. The natural oils may separate on standing, which is normal — just stir it back together before serving. Store at cool room temperature or in the fridge.
7

Serve the Moroccan way

Serve amlou at breakfast for dipping warm khobz, msemen, harcha or baghrir, alongside mint tea. A drizzle of extra honey and argan oil over the top is traditional.

Common mistakes

Using cosmetic argan oil. Beauty-grade argan oil is cold-pressed and unroasted, and tastes wrong in food. Amlou needs culinary (roasted-kernel) argan oil for its signature toasty aroma.
Burning the almonds. Over-toasted almonds turn bitter and spoil the whole jar. Toast to golden and fragrant, no darker, and watch them closely.
Wrong consistency. Too stiff and it will not pour or dip; too thin and it is a dressing. Add oil and almond gradually to land on a slow-pouring paste.
Over-sweetening. Too much honey buries the nutty, toasty character. Add it gradually and taste — amlou should be nutty first, sweet second.
Expecting a smooth commercial texture. Real amlou has a little grain and its oils separate on standing. Stir it back together; do not judge it by a jar of industrial nut butter.
Cheap, rancid nuts or oil. With so few ingredients, quality shows. Use fresh almonds and good argan oil.

Tips

Buying argan oil from a women's cooperative in the Souss supports the communities that hand-produce it — and the culinary oil there is superb.
A version with peanuts, or a mix of almonds and peanuts, is common and cheaper, though pure-almond amlou is the classic.
Amlou keeps for weeks; the honey and oil help preserve it. Bring it to room temperature before serving so it pours.

Recipes and dishes that use this

Frequently asked questions

What is amlou?

Amlou is a Moroccan spread from the Souss region made of toasted almonds ground with culinary argan oil and honey into a thick, pourable, nutty paste. Often called 'Berber Nutella', it is eaten at breakfast with warm bread, msemen and mint tea.

What kind of argan oil is used in amlou?

Culinary argan oil, pressed from lightly roasted kernels, which has a deep toasty, hazelnut-like aroma. This is different from the unroasted cosmetic argan oil used on skin and hair, which is not right for cooking or for amlou.

How do you serve amlou?

At breakfast, for dipping warm khobz, msemen, harcha or baghrir, usually with a glass of mint tea and often a final drizzle of honey and argan oil on top. It is a sweet, rich start to the day.