Whether you need to chop, puree, blend, slice, or grind, a food processor can pretty much do it all. A food processor takes the kitchen jobs you like least – dicing onions, mincing garlic, shredding cabbage, etc. – and does them for you at top speeds! From sweet to savory and everything in between, there are so many things you can do with them. That, of course, made it really hard for me to make this list. I had to leave some of my favorites off to make room for other favorites, and I kept remembering more excellent recipes. In essence, what started as a “Top 10” list turned into a “15 Best” list and then morphed again into a “20 Fantastic” list. I finally made myself stop there. So, here are my picks for 20 fantastic food processor recipes.
1. Hummus
If you’re an avid consumer of homemade hummus, you should invest in a food processor right now. There is no easier way to make it. All you’ll have to do by hand is soak and peel the chickpeas. After that, you can finish everything else in the processor. From start to finish, it takes 20 minutes or less before you’ll enjoy the smoothest, creamiest hummus you’ve ever had.
2. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Energy Bars
These chewy, flavorful energy bars are healthy, filling, and beyond simple to make. Just add all your ingredients to the food processor and blend. It only takes about 15 minutes to make them, but they need to sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours, so you’re better off making these the day before you want to serve them. With peanut butter, raisins, dried fruit, and more, these bars are an all-natural, gluten-free snack that’s ideal for a mid-day pick-me-up.
3. Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Whipped sweet potatoes have never been easier to make than they are using this recipe. You’ll need seven everyday pantry staples, your food processor, and approximately 30-35 minutes. When sweet potatoes are this easy to make, why wait until Thanksgiving to cook them?! Make them a year-round treat.
4. Shortcrust Pastry
Tender, flaky, and requiring only five ingredients, shortcrust pastry is one of my favorite pie and tart crusts. It has the most wonderful texture after you bake it, and it turns a lovely shade of golden-brown. It’ll take your pies up to a whole new level, both in taste and appearance.
5. Baba Ganoush
If you’ve never had it, baba ganoush is a lot like hummus; only you’ll make it with eggplant instead of chickpeas. Plus, with your food processor at the ready, it’s just as quick and easy to make as hummus, too. (It takes a little more time, though, because you’ll have to cook your eggplant first.)
6. Toasted Breadcrumbs
I don’t know if it’s the added crunch or the extra carbs, but for some reason, breadcrumbs make everything taste better. Once you learn to make your own, you’ll like them even more because you can add the exact herbs and spices you need to suit your tastes. Once you’ve seasoned them (or not, if you prefer them plain), you’ll stick your bread slices in the oven and bake them until they’re extra crispy. Then you’ll toss them in the processor and let it do its thing. Voila! You’ll have perfectly seasoned, perfectly crunchy breadcrumbs.
7. Cranberry Sauce
This four-ingredient, no-cook cranberry sauce is so rich and tasty that you’ll eat it straight from the bowl. It’s sweet and tangy and has that delightful cranberry taste that’s totally unique and hard to describe. You can make it in 15 minutes or so, but it needs to chill for a few hours before serving, so it’s best if you make it a day ahead of time.
8. Homemade Bisquick Substitute
It’s happened to all of us at some point: We wake up with a craving for pancakes, homemade biscuits, or waffles. However, when we open the cupboard, there’s no Bisquick in sight. It’s a terrible thing to be craving something you can’t make. With this easy-to-make Bisquick substitute recipe, you can ensure that never happens to you again – or at least that it’ll happen less often. All you’ll need is flour, baking powder, salt, and butter. Simply combine and mix them.
9. Tomato Sauce
Whether you want it for pasta, a dipping sauce, or something else entirely, it’s hard to beat homemade tomato sauce, especially when it’s this robust. It takes around 40 minutes to make, but it’s insanely delicious and worth every second you spend on it. Plus, you can always make extra and can it for later use. It’ll also keep in a non-canning-sealed container in the fridge for several days.
10. Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
If you’re on a low-carb or keto diet, rice isn’t an option – unless it’s cauliflower rice, of course! I know… I know… You’re probably thinking cauliflower rice just isn’t as good as rice. It can be, though. You’ll simply need to find the right ingredients. For me, they are almonds, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, sea salt, lemon juice, parsley, and pepper. It may sound like a lot of work, but honestly, if you have a food processor, it shouldn’t take much more than 30 minutes to prepare and cook.
11. Latkes
I love latkes, but I hate cutting and preparing the potatoes and onions to make them. With this recipe, I don’t have to do much more than wash them and cut them in half. The processor does all the rest. It cuts the prep time down to nothing, and the texture of the veggies is precisely the same as when I do all the cutting and grating by hand. Then you’ll combine the other ingredients, form and fry the latkes, and enjoy them with a big scoop of sour cream and chives on top.
12. Strawberry Puree
Literally, all you’ll have to do to make this delectable strawberry puree is wash your strawberries and blend them until they’re smooth. That’s it. You’re done. Enjoy!
13. Easy Cheese Dip
This dip’s name is highly accurate. It doesn’t get much easier than this 5-minute dip. Fluff the cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream with your food processor. Then add the cheddar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Keep blending until the dip is smooth. Then stick it in the fridge for an hour or so. Even though it uses seven ingredients, it’s just as easy to make as the strawberry puree!
14. Gazpacho
If you love nothing more than a cool, full-flavored gazpacho on a warm summer’s day, this recipe is the one for you. The ingredients list may look a bit long, but it’s primarily herbs and seasonings. Don’t let the 2 hours and 15 minutes total time scare you off, either. It only takes 15 minutes or so to make. The extra 2 hours is chill time to get it nice and cold.
15. Mojo
If you’ve never had mojo sauce, you’re in for a treat. This serrano pepper-based sauce is somehow fresh and spicy all at once. It’s also a lovely green that adds a splash of color to your food. It requires seven ingredients – serrano peppers, garlic cloves, cilantro leaves, lime juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil – and takes 1 minute to make. Toss everything into the food processor and pulse until it’s a well-blended, chunky sauce. Then add it to your main dishes, or serve it with tortilla chips or sandwiches.
16. Food Processor Guacamole
This smooth and creamy guacamole combines all your favorite guac flavors – avocado, cilantro, onions, jalapenos, and more – into one lovely, easy-to-make bowl of yumminess. It takes 5, maybe 10, minutes to make and is as delicious and lovely as any guacamole you’ve had from a Mexican restaurant.
17. Coleslaw
I enjoy the sweet tanginess of coleslaw, but I hate shredding the cabbage and veggies to make it. Of course, with a food processor, I don’t have to do any of that. Instead, I let the processor do all the work; I just add the mayo, salt, and vinegar and mix it up. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
18. Chocolate Truffles
Why go out and spend money on chocolate truffles when you can make more than a dozen of them at home in 10 minutes? Naturally sweetened with dates and vanilla extract, these truffles are rich, chocolatey, and melt-in-your-mouth good. They’re a bit healthier than most truffles you can find in a confectionary, too.
19. Sugar Cookies
Who doesn’t love light, soft, buttery sugar cookies? I certainly do! It’s hard to beat their simple sweetness and slight vanilla flavor. They’re even better when I don’t have to fight with the dough. Instead, I just make it in the food processor. They still take about 40 minutes to make – excluding chill time – but of all the ways to make sugar cookies, this one is the easiest I’ve found.
20. Oat Flour
To make oat flour, all you’ll need are two cups of rolled oats, a food processor, and approximately 2 minutes. Blend the oats until they become fine and powder-like. Then store them in a cool, dry place for use in your next cookie, cake, or muffin recipe. It’s easy-peasy! Click on a star to rate it!
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