You may or may not have heard of flaxseed butter – I think it’s criminally underrated! It’s one of those nut-free spreads that does a lot of things well, making itself a top alternative to some of the most popular nut butters!
We’ll check out why it’s so great in just a bit, but we’ll also compare it to tahini, which is another nut-free spread that you might know as an ingredient in hummus – which is unfortunate, because it can be so much more than that!
But not to worry, we’ll cover everything you need about these two spreads all while making them compete against each other in taste, texture, culinary uses, nutritional profiles and more! And then, you’ll know the answer to which one is better!
Let’s jump in!
Comparing flaxseed butter vs tahini
Flaxseed butter and tahini are both nut-free spreads with thin textures and mild flavor profiles. They share a mildly nutty taste, but are different in other ways that we’ll discuss soon!
They’re also both great choices for vegan, paleo, and keto diets!
Both flaxseed butter and tahini are in the low range of glycemic indexes, which is great for preventing your blood sugar levels from spiking – please talk to a physician if you have any concerns with that!
| Flaxseed butter | Tahini (sesame seed butter) | |
| Taste | Mild, nutty, earthy | Mildly nutty, toasty, slightly bitter |
| Texture | Thin, grainy | Thin, creamy |
| Allergens | None | Sesame |
| Vegan? | Yes | Yes |
| Paleo? | Yes | Yes |
| Keto? | Yes | Yes |
| Glycemic index (GI) | Flaxseed=35 | 40 |
What is flaxseed butter?
Flaxseed butter is a delicious thin and grainy paste that is quite similar to almond butter in texture. It has a mild, nutty, and earthy taste that comes from grinding flax seeds down into a delicious spread that has no allergens in it!
You can also make flaxseed butter at home, which gives you more control in what additional ingredients are added if you prefer that from the store!
What is tahini?
Tahini is a Middle Eastern spread that’s used to make hummus. It’s made by grinding sesame seeds into a smooth and creamy paste that boasts a mild, slightly nutty, toasty, and slightly bitter flavor profile.
You can also make tahini at home quite easily, which is great if you don’t like the store bought versions!
Differences between flaxseed butter and tahini
The biggest differences between flaxseed butter and tahini are their tastes and textures.
Flaxseed butter boasts a mildly nutty and earthy taste, while tahini has a mild taste as well but sports a toasty and slightly bitter flavor profile.
The textures are a bit different – they share a thinness to them, but flaxseed butter is grainy while tahini is creamy.
They have some differences in their nutritional profiles as well, which we’ll check out in just a bit!
How to use flaxseed butter vs tahini
Both spreads can be enjoyed either as a spread on your bakes, toast, pancakes, waffles, and anything else you’d like. You could also mix them into your oatmeal and smoothies, or even use them as ingredients for baking!
Tahini can also be used to make hummus, of course, but I encourage you to try it out as a spread or in different ways that we talked about, like mixing it into different dishes or drizzling it over different bakes for a mildly nutty and toasty twist.
Flaxseed butter does really well combined with sweet desserts, as its nutty and earthy flavor really brings out the best flavors!
Nutrition: Flaxseed butter vs tahini
Flaxseed butter is an awesome source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are really good for heart and brain health. It also has one of the highest fiber contents out of all nut and seed butters, with 9 grams per serving! This isn’t just great for digestion, but also brings the net carbs down to 0 grams per serving. You’ll also enjoy 8 grams of protein per serving, with no sugar!
Tahini has a wonderful source of healthy fats, with a solid 5 grams of protein per serving. It has 3 grams of fiber, with 3 grams of net carbs per serving. It also has 176 calories per serving as compared to flaxseed butter’s 190. Tahini also has no sugar!
| Serving size: 2 tbsp | Flaxseed butter | Tahini (sesame seed butter) |
| Calories | 190 | 176 |
| Total fat (saturated) | 13 g (1.5 g) | 16 g (2 g) |
| Total carbs | 9 g | 6 g |
| Net carbs (fiber) | 0 g (9 g) | 3 g (3 g) |
| Total sugars (incl. added) | 0 g | 0 g |
| Protein | 8 g | 5 g |
How to store flaxseed butter and tahini
Flaxseed butter is prone to oxidation, which basically means that it’ll go rancid if you don’t store it properly. Put it in the fridge to extend its shelf-life, which can vary from brand-to-brand, so make sure to always check the label!
Tahini should also be stored in the fridge to extend its shelf-life. It’ll also thicken up a little, making its runny texture a little easier to handle!
Flaxseed butter vs tahini: Which is better?
Both spreads offer some unique pros and cons, being quite different from one another…
Flaxseed butter has some solid omega-3 fatty acids and protein content while offering a nut-free experience.
On the other hand, tahini is also nut-free, boasting a unique taste with a consistency that’s perfect for drizzling over things!
Now, I definitely recommend you try tahini outside of making hummus with it, but the overall win goes to flaxseed butter for a better nutritional profile, a flavor that’s easier to combine with different dishes, and for being closer to nut butter (it’s quite similar in texture to almond butter).
FAQs
No, that would be almond butter, but flaxseed butter has some awesome health benefits like a lot of protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Bodybuilders eat flaxseed because it has a really good protein content with healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids which help lower inflammation – great for recovery!
Yes! Flaxseeds aren’t nuts, and there are no other allergens in flaxseed butter so it’s a great choice!
Tahini is said to be a decently healthy choice because of the healthy fats, protein, low calories, and vitamins.
Tahini is made from sesame seeds, and has no nuts in it at all!
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