Nut Butter: Everything You Need to Know

What Is Nut Butter?

Don’t you just love the ooey-gooey goodness of peanut butter? But what happens if you are allergic to peanuts? Lucky for you, you don’t have to miss out. Enter nut butter! Nut butter is an excellent alternative if you are allergic to peanuts. It’s delicious, but won’t cause you to swell up. There are plenty of healthy and gluten-free nut butter options to choose from, including almond, cashew, pecan, hazelnut, coconut, walnut, soy nut, sunflower seed, tahini, chia seed, and pistachio butter, to name a few.

Most of us think of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as our parents’ go-to for a quick and healthy lunch. And let’s not forget ants on a log with raisins, peanut butter, and celery sticks. Peanut butter has been a lunchtime companion that never loses its appeal.

Peanut butter and nut butters are quickly replacing cream cheese, mayonnaise, and other spreads as our population becomes more health-conscious and adventurous. This trend is increasing because nut butter is exceptionally healthy.  It contains a mix of nutrients like protein, vitamin B, fiber, phosphorous, vitamin E, and zinc. Nut butter is also loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. These good fats help increase HDL cholesterol while keeping LDL cholesterol, the bad fats, in check.

Nut butter has anywhere from 80-100 calories per tablespoon and 7-10 grams of unsaturated fat. This, along with the protein and fiber, helps you feel fuller longer, which allows you to eat less. 

Which Nut Butter Is Healthier?

With so many different nut butter options to choose from, it can be challenging to decide which one is the best. You will want to consider taste and which is healthiest, especially since some of those big box brands have added sugar or extra oils. Those little sneaking additives can really do a number on your overall health.

But have no fear! Crazy Richard’s has got your back! You can rest at ease that what you’re eating is all-natural, 100% nuts. That’s it. Now you can spend your time enjoying the heavenly,  nutty taste of peanuts, almonds, and cashews. 

Most Popular Nut Butters:

• Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is one of the least expensive nut butter options, and the best bang for your buck, with the highest amount of protein per serving (about 8 grams). Peanut butter is also high in antioxidants. This gooey goodness is delicious when dipped with apples, bananas, or celery. You can also use peanut butter to create delicious sauces, cookies, bread, and more.
• Almond Butter: Almond butter is similar in thickness and texture to peanut butter, making it an excellent choice if you want to expand your taste horizons beyond peanut butter as a staple. Roasted almonds and almond butter are lower in sugar than peanut butter and contain a bit more calcium, making it pack a little more of a nutritional punch. Our almond butter is perfect for stirring into oatmeal or ice cream with some maple syrup or honey or used in a muffin, cookie, or cake batter recipe.  I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
• Cashew Butter: Cashew butter is one of the creamiest nut butter options on the market. With it being so creamy, it is a perfect substitute for dairy in recipes that call for milk or cream. With only two tablespoons, cashew butter also gives you about 10% of your daily iron intake. Cashew butter is lower in fat and protein than peanut butter but can be higher in sugar if sugar is an added ingredient (at least with other brands, Crazy Richard’s would never do that to you).  You can rest assured that every jar of our cashew butter is 100% nutritious, with no additional ingredients. Cashew butter is delicious to dab on Chinese noodles, chicken, or broccoli, for an extra zing.

Other Nut Butters Worth Checking Out:

• Hazelnut Butter: Hazelnut butter is probably one of the sweetest of the homemade nut butter options – because usually a lot of sugar or chocolate is added! It naturally contains a little more sugar than peanut butter, and some contain fatty palm oil or rich chocolate flavoring. Hazelnut butter and spreads should be treated like decadent, calorie-filled desserts, delicious, but eaten sparingly.
• Walnut Butter: Walnut butter is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for your brain health. Walnut butter is slightly higher in fat than any other nut butter, and it is somewhat lower in protein. This helps lower LDL cholesterol, increase HDL cholesterol, and reduce inflammation. It is an excellent base for smoothies or as a spread on cranberry walnut toast, as a healthy, energizing breakfast. However it is difficult to find a pure walnut butter as most are filled with sugars, salts or other sweeteners. This is because walnut butter on its own does not have a great flavor and needs enhancers to make it palatable. Plus the price point is extremely high so be prepared to splurge.
• Soy Nut Butter: Soy nut butter is a fantastic choice if you are allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. It’s perfect for your kid’s lunchbox if their school is peanut-free. It is made with lightly roasted soy nuts, making soy nut butter similar to peanut butter in texture and usage. However, if you do not have an allergy – soy nut butter is not preferable from a flavor or nutritional standpoint. Nothing beats a true PB & J! 
• Sunflower Seed Butter: Sunflower seed butter is another excellent choice if you have a tree nut allergy. It is pretty smooth, so it is easy to spread. Sunflower seeds are high in fiber, protein, zinc, iron, and low in saturated fat. Sunflower butter is quite tasty to drizzle on pancakes or waffles with some chocolate chips or add a spoonful in your oatmeal or smoothie.
• Tahini Butter: Tahini butter is made from sesame seeds and ground into a thin paste. It is a staple in Middle Eastern cooking and is used in recipes like hummus, baba ganoush, or can be thinned with water to make a creamy sauce for sandwiches, salads, or vegetable dip. It is an excellent source of copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, vitamin B1, zinc, selenium, and fiber. Be careful when eating tahini butter, since if you are allergic to peanuts, you may also be allergic to sesame seeds and tahini.

As you can see, there are plenty of tasty nut butter options that will compliment your recipe perfectly. With Crazy Richard’s peanut butter and nut butter alternatives, you can rest assured that every bite is 100% healthy and delicious. Our tasty peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, and peanut butter powder are easy to buy on Walmart.com, Amazon.com, or on our website. So go on and try a jar or two. We promise once you’ve tried it, you’ll never want to go back.