Which of These 8 Nut Butters Are Both Healthy and Delicious?
By Tehrene Firman. Photos by: Alex Lau.
I’m just going to come out and say it: I’m a nut butter fanatic. Sometimes I’m civilized and actually take the time to put some on toast, and other times I’m a total savage and decide that all I need is a spoon and the jar. But when it comes to the ingredients inside those jars, I’m not always paying as much attention as I should.
“When you’re buying a nut butter, try to stick with ones where the only item on the ingredient list is the nut within,” Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It told me. “Skip nut butters that contain excess salt and sugar as well as partially-hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils.”
Okay, fine. But what good are those “pure” nut butters if you don’t want to slather them on everything? In an effort to discover which good-for-you jars also tasted good, I enlisted Bon Appétit food director Carla Lalli Music and Healthyish editor Amanda Shapiro to blind taste-test nine of the healthiest nut butters we could find. Check out which were their favorites—and which nuts totally faked them out.
Peanut
Our pick: Wild Friends’ Classic Creamy Peanut Butter ($20.99, pack of 3)
Good for you: Peanuts, which aren’t actually nuts but legumes, are “a great source of satiating protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, both of which can keep you feeling fuller longer,” Taub-Dix says. “They’re also rich in biotin, which might help sustain brain health."
Tasting Notes: “It seems properly seasoned,” Music says. “It tastes like peanuts,” Shapiro adds. The butter needs a good stir to combine, but afterwards you’re left with a creamy, smooth, and not-at-all-pastey texture. Overall, a tasty addition to your morning smoothie, smeared on a sandwich, or, you know, straight from the jar.
More: 23 Sweet-Salty Peanut Butter Recipes That Aren't Just You and a Spoon
Cashew
Our pick: Dastony’s 100% Stone Ground Organic Raw Cashew Butter ($12.74)
Good for you: Cashews are a great source of protein and zinc, key nutrients for cell growth and repair, says the Mayo Clinic.
Tasting Notes: “It looks like face moisturizer,” Shapiro says. After a quick sniff, Music confirms that it's not. Though they found it a bit lacking in salt, the silky, smooth texture is perfect for puréeing or drizzling on your overnight oats.
Pistachio
Our pick: NutRaw’s Organic Pistachio Butter ($16.99)
Good for you: “Pistachios help in reducing bad (LDL) cholesterol and increase good (HDL) cholesterol, to help reduce the risk of heart disease,” Taub-Dix says. “They also may play a role in reducing risk of diabetes and calming inflammation. And as a rich source of vitamin B6, pistachios may be beneficial in promoting a healthy nervous system.”
Tasting Notes: “I find that very delicious,” Music says of the psychedelic-green paste. “Almost vegetal,” Shapiro adds. The earthy-but-sweet flavor comes from raw pistachios combined with extra virgin coconut oil and vanilla bean. Add it to something savory, like pesto, or whip it into a tropical smoothie.
More: 48 Pistachio Recipes for Every Occasion
Hazelnut
Our pick: Tierra Farms’ Unsalted Hazelnut Butter ($17.73)
Good for you: Looking to up your intake of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium? Hazelnuts will do the trick, says the Mayo Clinic.
Tasting Notes: “Pecan?!” Music says (incorrectly). “It’s, like, naturally sweet,” Shapiro adds. The nuts are lightly roasted and ground with their skin on, leaving the butter coarse, grainy, and delightfully multicolored. A pinch of salt wouldn’t hurt, but “you can add that yourself,” says Music. Sneak some into your next batch of cookies.
Almond
Our pick: Justin’s Almond Butter ($13.99)
Good for you: “Almonds have more calcium than any other nut, plus they’re rich in fiber and vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps fight inflammation,” says Taub-Dix.
Tasting Notes: “Was this left upside down?” Shapiro asks. The butter is very, very thick, and the texture is kind of chalky. The flavor is classic, if a little bland. "Nothing a pinch of Maldon won’t fix,” Music says. The naturally sweet, mild flavor is good for dressings of any kind or slathered on bananas with cinnamon.
Walnut
Our pick: Sun & Seed’s Organic Raw Walnut Butter ($12.72)
Good for you: “While all nuts contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, walnuts have high amounts of alpha-linoleic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in plants,” Taub-Dix says.
Tasting Notes: “Whoa,” Music says as she watches a beige stream drizzle off her spoon. “This one is really loose.” Made from fresh, unroasted nuts slowly dried below 40ºC, it’s basically the definition of natural. The first chew is a delight—buttery, sharp, complex—but the end is so bitter you really do need a spoonful of honey to make the medicine go down. If that's not your vibe, Music suggests trying it stuffed inside some dried figs or whipped into a date shake with almond milk and spices.
More: 25 Cashew Recipes to Shoutout the Chillest Nut in the Bowl
Macadamia
Our pick: Wilderness Poets’ Macadamia Butter ($17.99)
Good for you: Macadamias are full of magnesium and heart-healthy fats, but, along with pecans, they have the most calories in an ounce, says the Mayo Clinic.
Tasting Notes: “It smells like suntan lotion," says Shapiro, "but in a good way." “Tastes like Miami Beach,” Music says. (They were convinced it was coconut butter). The texture is ideal—each decadent, buttery spoonful is delicately crunchy. We like this one drizzled over ice-cream.
Pecan
Our pick: Georgia Grinders Pecan Butter ($15)
Good for you: Pecans might be high in calories, but they also contain beta-sitosterol, a plant steroid that, Taub-Dix says, may help relieve symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlarged prostate.
Tasting Notes: The texture sits right in the middle of chunky peanut butter and water. Similar to the walnut, the roasted nuts have a bitter kick. “You just don’t see that coming,” Shapiro says. Music suggests balancing it with cheese and sweet dried fruit, drizzling it with honey over your oatmeal (hello pecan pie), or subbing for tahini in your favorite hummus.
This story originally appeared on Bon Appetit.
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