Can A Ninja Blender Grind Nuts?

Ninja blenders can do a lot of things, but can a ninja blender grind nuts? That’s what we’re going to discuss here.

First though, let’s discuss just what we mean when we use the phrase “grind nuts”.

Before we go into more details, here’s the type of Ninja blender I reccomend. You can read the reviews on Amazon, but I’d stick with this model.

Grind Nuts? What Does That Mean

Let’s first define terms. Grinding nuts. That’s different than making nut butter. I have a whole blog post on using a blender to make nut butter. I even go over the best blender for making nut butter.

But grinding nuts? That’s a bit different. When you grind nuts, you’re not going to the stage where they become nut butter.

You could use a stand alone spice/nut grinder. If you want to do that (if you’re not interesed in making smooties and want to also save space) I suggest a good brand like Cusiniart.

People who want to grind nuts do this for a different reason. They might want to do an almond or pecan crust on fish (vegans and vegetarians might want a almond crust on eggplant!).

Or you might want to grind nuts to sprinkle on your salad.

Either way, you’re dealing with a different texture.

How Do You Grind Nuts Normally?

Normally you would grind nuts by hand with a knife. That is the classic kitchen method of grinding nuts. Some people use different methods such as using a food processor.

Normally, blenders do not come up during the discussion of grinding nuts. But can you grind nuts with a blender? We will see below.

So, to recap, when you are grinding nuts with a food processor, you fill the bowl and then pulse the food processor. Honestly, if you do own a food processor (even a mini food processor) then I would suggest using this to grind nuts.

The other method, which you can see on most cooking shows, is to take a chef knife (a large knife) and chop the nuts on a cutting board. This gives you the most control over the size and the texture of the nuts. I’ve used this style myself when chopping walnuts for a salads. I don’t like chopping almonds with a knife as almonds are hard and the knife can slip and cause harm. So, use caution when chopping nuts with a knife. I advise against using a knife to try and grind nuts.

 

Can A Ninja Blender Grind Nuts?

Sure. I’ve even used a Ninja blender to make nut butter. But as far as grinding nuts? Yes, certainly doable.

The main thing to understand is that when you are grinding nuts, you want it to keep a watch on the blender.

You should never just set and forget the blender. That will end up with a chunky mess…and eventually a nut butter.

You want to use the pulse function if your blender has one, or if not, you will want to do short rapid fire bursts. This creates ground nuts.

It’s a similar method to the food processor, the only difference being that a blender is tall and narrow, whereas a food processor is low and wide which makes it easier for the nuts to be ground.

When using a Ninja to grind nuts, make sure that you do not over fill the blending jar. That will cause the nuts to not be properly ground up. So, if you’re using almonds for instance, don’t add a whole cup. Start with a half a cup.

How Do You Grind Nuts In A Ninja Blender?

Simple. Take a small measuring cup and then place the nuts into the blender. Do not add any liquid to the mixture. If you add liquid to the mixture, then you’re going to end up with something like a nut butter. That’s more liquid on the bottom of the blender when you are making nut butter.

If you add too many nuts to the blender, then what happens is that they won’t blend up. They will bunch up. It is best to just add a small amount of the nuts (I would max out at a 1/3 of a cup).

The length of time that you grind the nuts in the blender is going to vary depending upon the type of nuts:

Almonds: These require the most amount of time to grind. Almonds are hard. If you soak them they are easier to grind, but remember that the texture and often times the flavor of ground almonds. 20-30 seconds.

Pecans: These are soft nuts and they grind up much easier than other nuts. Pulse them very shortly and then you’ll have a nice texture of ground. 10 seconds.

Peanuts: Peanuts are a bit tricky. If you over grind them you’re going to end up with peanut butter. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not ground nuts. So, pulse shortly. Perhaps 10 or 20 seconds. Keep the blender on short bursts so that you can keep an eye on the texture.

Walnuts: I really like to process and grind walnuts because they grind up super fast and easy. I’ve actually used Walnuts to make a walnut butter and it does taste pretty good, but if you only pulse the walnuts in the blender for a short amount of time then you are going to be able to get a really nice grind. 10-15 seconds works great.

Peanuts, Almonds, Pecans: Does It Matter the Nut?

No, not really. You can grind any nut you like in a blender. An important thing to note is that you will want to know how long it takes to grind each.

You should not grind different nuts together. That can cause a problem because different nuts will grind at different speeds.

Obviously an almond takes longer to grind than a pecan….so don’t mix the two nuts together when you are making ground nuts.

I will take two separate nuts and if I want to grind them, I will grind them individually. It’s not a great idea to mix even soft nuts like pecan’s and walnuts in the blender. It’s better to grind each separately.

 

Which Ninja Blender Can Grind Nuts?

The ninja blender in general is a strong blender and all of their models basically can grind nuts.

I’ve covered the main points about Ninja Blenders elsewhere on this blog. Things such as whether or not Ninja blenders are dishwasher safe, and a large post that compares and contrasts Ninja Blenders vs Vitamix.

But when it comes to “grinding nuts” as opposed to grinding coffee beans in a blender, it’s actually a simpler process.

All of the Ninja Blenders you can get are going to be able to chop and grind nuts really well.

If you own a Ninja blender….you can use it to grind nuts. Doesn’t matter how large it is or how small.

If you’re thinking of buying a Ninja blender and want to use it to grind nuts, then what I’d suggest is that you tailor it to your other needs:

Do you want to make Green Smoothies? Crush Ice? or Blend Frozen Fruit Smoothies?

That would be the decision maker. Pick a blender based upon what you’re going to do with is besides grind nuts, and then go with that model.