Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large tray with parchment paper. Arrange the pecans in a single layer and bake for 5 minutes. Then remove from the oven.
Transfer the toasted pecans to your food processor and begin processing. Stop to scrape down the sides, as needed and give your machine a 30-60 second break to prevent overheating. The pecans will go from whole, to crumbly, to flour, to clumps and eventually creamy pecan butter. Depending on your appliance, this will take anywhere from 2-6 minutes.
Once smooth, add any or all of the optional fill ins (if using) and pulse until combined.
Store in a clean and dry glass jar or container, and use as desired.
Notes
Give your machine small breaks in between processing to prevent overheating. Turn off your food processor for 30-60 seconds at a time, as needed, and then continue. Use that break to scrape down the sides.For sugar free, skip the optional coconut sugar, or if you have a sweet tooth, you may increase to two tablespoons, instead. (Try it with one first)Your homemade nut butter will go through many stages. It goes from whole pecans, to broken down pieces, to flour, to small clumps, then larger clumps, and finally creamy nut butter. (See process shots above for a visual.)You may use a high speed blender, such as a Vitamix for faster results, but I find it easier to remove the butter from a food processor.Keep at room temperature for up to 1 week, or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. You may also freeze, air tight in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.