Nut butter is vegan around 99% of the time (there are some exceptions, but they are rare). Do any nut (and seed) butters prevail as being especially good for vegans, though?
While most nut butters are perfectly suitable for vegans, there are a few nut butters that can be considered the best choices for vegans, and they include:
- Almond butter
- Chia seed butter
- Flaxseed butter
- Hazelnut butter
- Pine nut butter
- Pumpkin seed butter
What makes these six some of the best nut butters for vegans? We’ll explain in this article!
Is nut butter vegan?
The good news is that most types of nut and seed butters are vegan! Unless they have added ingredients like honey or whey protein (such as with high-protein nut butter), nut and seed butters only contain plant-based ingredients.
Nut butter is a good source of protein and calories, which some vegan diets are deficient in. Some types of nut and seed butters contain other important nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and iron, which can be more difficult to obtain on a plant-based diet compared to an omnivorous diet.
6 of the best nut butters for vegans
Almond butter
Because vegans don’t consume dairy products (one of the richest sources of calcium), it can be trickier to get calcium on a vegan diet. Calcium is not only important for bone and teeth health, but it also plays a role in heart and muscle function.
Not only is almond butter easy to find (it’s up there with peanut butter in terms of popularity), but it’s also one of the better sources of calcium. One serving of almond butter provides around 6% of the daily value for calcium, whereas peanut butter only provides around 2%.
Chia seed butter
Chia seeds are among the richest plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Because vegans don’t eat salmon (arguably the best source of omega-3s), getting it from chia seed butter and other plant-based sources is essential.
Why are omega-3 fatty acids important, you might be asking? They play a role in brain function as well as heart health – AND they can help thwart inflammation.
Flaxseed butter
Along with chia seed butter, flaxseed butter is a natural source of plant-based omega 3-’s. It’s also loaded with fiber, making it free of net carbs – a bonus if you’re a low-carb vegan dieter.
Hazelnut butter
Hazelnut butter is one of the better sources of iron compared to other nut and seed butters.
The most absorbable form of iron comes from meat (especially red meat), which is obviously not vegan-friendly, so getting iron from plant sources (or taking a supplement) is essential for a vegan diet
Pine nut butter
Like hazelnut butter, pine nut butter is also rich in iron with one serving providing around 10% of the daily value. It’s a bit pricey compared to other types of nut and seed butters on this list, though!
Pumpkin seed butter
Pumpkin seeds are notorious for being one of the best sources of plant-based iron, so pumpkin seed butter is no exception! One serving of pumpkin seed butter (two tablespoons) provides an impressive 15% of the daily value for iron!
Nutritional comparison of best nut butters for vegans
| Serving size: 2 tbsp. | Calories | Total fat (saturated) | Total carbs | Net carbs (fiber) | Total sugars (incl. added) | Protein |
| Almond butter | 190 | 17 g (2 g) | 7 g | 3 g (4 g) | 1 g (0 g) | 7 g |
| Chia seed butter | 164 | 14 g (0 g) | 12 g | 2 g (10 g) | 0 g | 2 g |
| Flaxseed butter | 190 | 13 g (1.5 g) | 9 g | 0 g (9 g) | 0 g | 8 g |
| Hazelnut butter | 210 | 20 g (2 g) | 6 g | 3 g (3 g) | 2 g (0 g) | 5 g |
| Pine nut butter | 190 | 19 g (1.5 g) | 4 g | 4 g (<1 g) | <1 g (0 g) | 4 g |
| Pumpkin seed butter | 180 | 14 g (4 g) | 4 g | 1 g (3 g) | 1 g (0 g) | 9 g |
FAQs:
The overwhelming majority of nut butters are vegan because they only contain plant-based ingredients. You’ll need to check the ingredient label to ensure there aren’t any added non-vegan ingredients among different brands and types, though.
Chocolate-flavored hazelnut butter (Nutella brand) isn’t vegan because it contains skim milk. Any nut butters flavored with honey or with the addition of milk-based ingredients aren’t vegan, either.
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