Cashew nut butter is a popular nut butter option made from the ever-tasty cashew nut – fun fact, the cashew nut comes out of Brazil, and was found by explorers during the 1500s!
Sunbutter, on the other hand, is a nut-free and plant-based nut butter alternative that’s quickly gaining traction as one of the top spreads made from seeds or for anyone with nut allergies!
Since these two are quite different, it can be hard deciding which one is better, and even harder deciding which one to purchase. We’ll put these two great spreads head-to-head, checking out their nutritional profile, best uses, and more to help you decide which one is best for you!

Let’s jump in!
Comparing cashew butter vs sunbutter
Cashew butter is made from cashews, making tree nuts its allergen, while sunbutter is made from sunflower seeds, giving it no allergens – great for people with nut allergies!
They also have different tastes and textures, which we’ll dive more into later on, but they’re both good for vegan and paleo diets – given that you have the unsweetened versions of both. Cashew butter and sunbutter both have a low glycemic index, making them good options if you’re looking to keep your blood sugar levels from spiking.
Cashew butter | Sunbutter | |
Taste | Mild, nutty, sweet | Intense, earthy, roasted |
Texture | Thick, creamy | Smooth, creamy |
Allergens | Tree nuts | None |
Vegan? | Yes | Yes |
Paleo? | Yes (if unsweetened) | Yes (if unsweetened) |
Keto? | No | No |
Glycemic index (GI) | 1 oz cashews= 25 | Sunflower seed=35 |
What is cashew butter?
Cashew butter is a delicious creamy spread made by grinding roasted or raw cashew nuts into a smooth paste. It’s quite straight-forward, with the only other potential ingredients being oil or salt if you want the flavor and texture enhanced. This means it’s easy to make cashew butter at home, making it much more accessible if you’re having trouble finding it at the store!
As mentioned, you can usually use cashew butter in a paleo diet, but some brands add extra sugar which makes it unusable for paleo recipes – that’s why making it at home might be more practical, since you can choose not to add any sweeteners and don’t have to look through all the labels at the store.
What is sunbutter?
Sunbutter is the creamy spread made by grinding roasted sunflower seeds down into a smooth consistency, without any other ingredients except for a little salt! This makes it an attractive option to anyone looking for a minimal spread without any additives and anyone wanting to make sunbutter at home.
Since many people can’t enjoy nut butters, sunbutter has gained popularity as an alternative to popular spreads like peanut butter and almond butter, and it’s also made a name for itself for having no common food allergens!
Differences between cashew butter and sunbutter
The biggest difference between cashew butter and sunbutter is their flavor.
Cashew butter boasts a more mild and nutty flavor, with slightly sweet tones to it. Sunbutter comes in with a more earthy and roasted flavor thanks to the roasted sunflower seeds it’s made from. These differences in tastes make them quite unique to one another, and open a lot of opportunities for exploring different flavor profiles (we’ll talk about their uses in a second).
Their textures are fairly similar, although cashew butter tends to be a little thicker than sunbutter. Keep in mind the different allergens as well, with cashew butter having tree nuts and sunbutter having none!
How to use cashew butter vs sunbutter
The greatest thing about both cashew butter and sunbutter are their versatility as a spread, having the ability to be used in many different ways!
For example, you could use them in the conventional way of spreading them onto your toast or pancakes, but you could also add them into your bakes to add a twist of flavor – cashew butter’s mild and nutty flavor mixes well with other ingredients, while sunbutter takes over a little more due to its more intense taste.
I personally love adding these types of spreads into my smoothies – the extra creaminess and flavors really add something special! However, if you want to get more creative, you can mix them into your pasta or salads, or even use them to make sauces and dips! And if you want a quick snack, slice up some apples or other vegetables and dip them straight into either spread.
Nutrition: Cashew butter vs sunbutter
Cashew butter is full of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, with a fair amount of protein as well. However, it is quite high in carbs, so look to something like macadamia nut butter for keto diets.
Sunbutter is also too high in carbs for keto recipes, although it is quite a bit lower than cashew butter (4 grams vs 9 grams per serving). It’s also filled with healthy fats and has vitamin E, a great amount of protein, minerals, and magnesium.
However, keep an eye on both of these if you’re buying them from the store – they tend to have sugar added to enhance the taste and textures, so look for the natural versions!
Serving size: 2 tbsp | Cashew butter | Sunbutter |
Calories | 190 | 200 |
Total fat (saturated) | 16 g (3 g) | 17 g (2 g) |
Total carbs | 10 g | 6 g |
Net carbs (fiber) | 9 g (1 g) | 4 g (2 g) |
Total sugars (incl. added) | 3 g (4 g) | 3 g (3 g) |
Protein | 4 g | 7 g |
How to store cashew butter and sunbutter
Cashew butter should be stored in the fridge, especially the natural types since they don’t have added preservatives. Putting it in the refrigerator will help it from going rancid too soon and slow down oil separation.
Sunbutter is fine at room temperature, but you can feel free to put it in the fridge – it may extend its shelf-life a little, and also thicken it up a bit to more of cashew butter’s consistency if you want that!
I know I’m driving this point hard, but make sure to check the labels – not just for the sugar content, but also for any specific storage instructions and best-before dates!
Cashew butter vs sunbutter: Which is better?
Now, which one of these spreads is better?
Well, that depends on a couple of things, most importantly your personal preferences. Cashew butter has a milder taste with a thicker consistency, while sunbutter boasts a creamy and smooth texture with a more earthy and pronounced flavor. In terms of nutrition, they both have decent benefits, although I’d say that sunbutter’s protein, healthy fats, magnesium, vitamin and fiber content are better than cashew butter.
With all that said, I would say that cashew butter has a nicer texture, but sunbutter edges it out with its nutritional profile and allergy-free characteristics.
FAQs
Yes, sunbutter is allergy-free and is made from seeds, not nuts. So, enjoy it!
It really depends on your preferences, especially for taste. Cashew butter has a milder taste while sunbutter has a more pronounced earthy and roasted flavor. Nutritionally, sunbutter edges out cashew butter by just a hair.
Yes and no. It really comes down to your preferences and allergy needs. Seed butters are generally better for people who have nut allergies, but it’s hard to beat the creaminess and versatility of nut butters – although sunbutter has that creaminess similar to traditional peanut butter!
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