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12 Nut Butter Varieties

Nut butter spread on a slice of pan bread.

Nut butter is a magical ingredient. Its creamy texture may be spread on toast, incorporated into baked products, or eaten by the spoonful when you need a rapid energy boost from its high plant-based protein content.

There are many different kinds of nut butter on the market, ranging from walnut and pistachio to Brazil nut variants. Peanut butter has become just one of several tasty nut spread possibilities.

There is a variety of nut butter that you may create at home or buy at the shop, ranging from walnut butter to cashew butter. You may also make your nut butter by combining a handful of your favorite nuts with water, oil, and a bit of salt to make a delightful spreadable delicacy.

Nut butter is a paste-like spread created by mixing nuts with water until they form a paste. Nut-based spreads come in various textures and flavors and can be used in both sweet and savory applications.

Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter, and pecan butter are all popular nut spreads.

Nut butters are abundant in fiber, protein, and fatty acids, as well as a variety of vitamins and minerals that are good for your health. Nut butters aren’t created from nuts and don’t contain butter, despite their name.

Peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, macadamias, and pistachios are among the most popular items, although they are essentially seeds and fruits. The hazelnut is the lone exception. However, all of the things mentioned above are considered nuts from a culinary standpoint.

Other than using it as a spread, you can use nut butter to substitute animal fat or cheese in a meal or simply as a flavor enhancer. They’re fantastic for adding a nutty taste to a meal or for packing a protein punch.

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It’s an easy two-step method to make nut butter. Simply grab the nuts, toss them in a food processor, and purée until smooth.

Nut Butter Varieties You Should Know About

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is likely the most well-known sort of nut butter, and you’ll note that there are considerably more jars of peanut butter than any other type of nut butter in any grocery shop or supermarket. Peanut butter is typically produced from pulverized dry-roasted peanuts and comes in two textures: smooth and crunchy. It is consumed in large quantities in the United States, with yearly sales exceeding $800 million.

Peanut butter is high in fiber, protein, and vitamins E and B6, among other nutrients. Although some people are concerned about its fat level, most of the fatty content is healthy and is not harmful unless consumed in excess. As a result, it seems unlikely that people’s fondness for peanut butter will wane in the coming years or decades.

Almond Butter

Almond butter, close up shot.

Almond butter is a versatile meal growing in popularity for a long time. It’s high in calcium, potassium, iron, and Vitamin E, and one of its numerous benefits is that those who are allergic to peanuts can use it in place of peanut butter and barely notice the difference in taste.

Almonds are not considered legumes, but peanuts are, which is another reason why so many people are looking for alternate foods. Almonds have a larger fat content than other nuts, but they only have around half the saturated fat, making them a very nutritious item to eat. If you search the Internet for almond butter recipes, you’ll discover hundreds of them, so if you want to make your own, all you have to do is go online.

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Hazelnut Butter

A jar of hazelnut butter mixed with toasted cinnamon.

Crushing and mixing hazelnuts yields hazelnut butter. Although hazelnut butter is more widespread in Europe than in the United States, it can still be tasted in Nutella and other similar items. The hazelnuts usually are roasted or baked first, and the butter is available in both smooth and crunchy varieties. You should always stir hazelnut butter before eating it, and you should always refrigerate it after opening the jar for the first time, whether it’s store-bought or homemade. Raw-foodists prefer unroasted hazelnut butter, claiming that it has a higher nutritional value when made in this manner.

You can substitute hazelnut butter for peanut butter in any recipe that asks for it, and it’s a terrific alternative for folks who enjoy nut butter but are allergic to peanuts.

Walnut Butter

Although walnuts are not actual botanical nuts, they are still classified as nuts for most reasons. They are most frequently made up of both English and Black walnuts, and they are both delicious and nutritious. They are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and are beneficial to one’s general health.

If you want to produce your own walnut butter, simply blend the nuts with the appropriate amount of oil in a food processor until it reaches the desired consistency. This is another nut butter beneficial to persons who are allergic to peanuts, as peanut butter can be fatal to them.

Walnuts have been demonstrated to aid with Type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, inflammation, and even the risk of developing certain cancers. They’re also quite tasty, whether salty, roasted, or plain, and they’ve been shown to help with ageing symptoms.

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Acorn Butter

Acorn butter can be made from any nut that belongs to the oak tree, and they usually consist of a single seed inside a tough shell that is about 2.5 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. The acorn can take up to 24 months to develop, depending on the species of nut, after which it is ready for a variety of uses.

Acorns are highly nutritious and are typically found on white, red, or black oak trees. They’re high in carbs, fiber, and protein, to mention a few nutrients, and nut butter is easy to create. It’s a nutritious, quick-to-make snack that can be used in any way you’d use peanut butter or other forms of butter.

Brazil Nut Butter

These huge, oval-shaped seeds are harvested from trees in Central and South America, and butter prepared from them is normally made organically and without the use of any other ingredients.

Brazil nuts are high in selenium, a mineral that is beneficial for your heart and has proven to help your DNA and immune system. They’re high in the “healthy” kind of fat, and they even have an antioxidant that’s excellent for the brain.

They can also help with thyroid issues, asthma, weight loss, skin issues, and digestion. Brazil nuts are also high in fiber and can help you reduce your cholesterol levels, and they are a true superfood when it comes to your skin, hair, and nails, producing consistently excellent results.

Cashew Butter

A bowl of cashew butter.

Cashew butter has a lot of nutritional benefits, and if you like cashews, you’ll enjoy the taste of cashew butter. This butter is typically created from cashews that have been roasted or baked first, and the end result is creamy and rich. It’s high in Vitamin B, protein, and unsaturated fats, and it was first used by the US military during the Cold War and packaged in metal cans.

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Best of all, cashew butter can be used to dip apple slices, add to porridge or smoothies, and, of course, spread on biscuits or toast. You can also use it as a base for some delicious vegan cashew nut cheese, and if you explore online, you’ll discover a plethora of vegan cashew butter recipes.

Macadamia Nut Butter

Nut butter prepared with macadamia nuts is incredibly easy to create because the nuts are usually the sole component. Macadamia nuts are high in fiber, Vitamin B6, fiber, protein, and iron. However, they have higher fat content and lower protein content than many other nuts.

This isn’t to say that nuts aren’t good for you; they are. It simply implies that it might not be the only type of nut butter you want to eat regularly. Macadamia nuts have been shown to decrease blood pressure, manage blood sugar, and improve irregularity and other digestive issues, so they genuinely have a wide range of health advantages.

Pecan Butter

Even though many people have never heard of pecan butter, it has a distinct flavor driving many people to investigate and love it.

Pecans are native to Northern Mexico and the southern United States, and they’re used in a variety of dishes, including nut butter.

Pecans are high in fiber, protein, iron, and B vitamins, among other nutrients. Pecans also have a number of other health benefits, including the ability to improve cardiovascular health, aid weight loss, reduce inflammation, lower the risk of stroke and high blood pressure, and strengthen the immune system, to name a few. It can also help prevent hair loss and lower the risk of certain malignancies. Thus eating pecan butter is always beneficial.

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Pistachio Butter

Pistachios are a type of cashew that can be found in tens of thousands of recipes for a variety of foods. Pistachios are high in fiber, protein, B vitamins, calcium, and vitamins E and K, among other nutrients. Other advantages include encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in your stomach, high antioxidant levels, increasing the state of your blood vessels, and aiding weight loss.

Pistachios decrease blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and preparing pistachio nut butter is much easier than you might expect. They’re known for being heart-healthy and for delivering a lot of protein in a low-calorie package – up to 6 grams of plant-based fiber in just one ounce.

Coconut Butter

Coconuts, technically a nut, make a nutritious and versatile spread. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and lauric acid are abundant in coconut oil and butter, both of which can help lower bad cholesterol. It’s a terrific butter substitute in baked goods or slathered on toast, and now it’s being blended with other nut butters for added richness and nutrients.

Take, for example, this fantastic RX nut butter packet: For a nutrient-dense snack pack, it combines coconut butter with almond butter (along with its distinctive egg white ingredient).

Mixed Nut Butter

Why limit yourself to just one nut when you can have them all?

Are you ready to branch out from peanut butter and try something new in your nut butter routine? Regardless of the type, Nut butter adds a delightful, nutritious, spreadable, and flexible item to your cupboard, fridge, and meals.