Nut butter is generally a decent source of protein, making it a staple for plant-based diets or a quick protein-rich snack. Did you know that not all nut and seed butters are high in protein, though?
Tiger nut butter is the lowest in protein among nut and seed butters with one gram of protein per two-tablespoon serving.
What other nut and seed butters are low in protein? We’ll review five of the lowest-protein ones next!

Protein refresher
Protein is one of the three main nutrients (also called macronutrients) you get from food. Your body uses these nutrients for energy to fuel everything from breathing to brain function, as well as movement through muscle contraction.
Protein is especially vital for things like muscle growth and wound healing, but it’s also essential for many more functions in your body. Protein can help make you feel full when you eat it since it takes longer to digest compared to carbohydrates, which can aid in weight management.
You can find protein in most types of animal products like meat, eggs, and cheese, but it’s also in plant foods like nuts and seeds- which means that most types of nut and seed butters contain protein. As you’ll soon see, not ALL nut and seed butters are protein-rich, though!
5 lowest-protein nut & seed butters
While many types of nut and seed butters are high in protein, we’ll look at five of the lowest-protein nut and seed butters below (protein listed is per two-tablespoon serving)!
Tiger nut butter – 1 gram
Tiger nut butter isn’t made from true nuts, which explains its low protein content. Tiger nuts are tubers (like potatoes) of the yellow nutsedge plant.
Tiger nuts aren’t high in protein, but they are rich in fiber and heart-healthy fat. Their fat content is what makes tiger nut butter a popular nut butter alternative that is also paleo-friendly.
Chia seed butter – 2 grams
Chia seed butter is LOADED with fiber, but its protein content isn’t its shining feature. Despite that, chia seed butter is a good source of plant-based fat, especially heart-healthy omega-3’s!
In case you were wondering, chia seed butter is vegan-, paleo-, and keto-friendly!
Coconut butter – 2 grams
This one isn’t surprising since coconut butter is more similar to coconut oil than nut butter. What’s the difference between coconut butter and coconut oil?
Coconut oil is pure fat without any of the fibrous parts of the coconut. Coconut BUTTER contains some of the fibrous coconut flesh mixed in with the oil, making it higher in fiber.
Nutella – 2 grams
Nutella is chocolate-flavored hazelnut butter with added ingredients like skim milk and palm oil. It’s the highest-sugar nut butter, but it’s lacking in the protein department.
Regular hazelnut butter is higher in protein (5 grams per serving), so our hunch is that the addition of skim milk and other oils reduces the protein content compared to pure hazelnut butter.
Pecan butter – 2 grams
Pecans are some of the highest-calorie and highest-fat nuts, but they aren’t super high in protein. For comparison – one ounce of pecans (not pecan butter) contains around three grams of protein, while one ounce of almonds contains six grams of protein.
Nutritional comparison of low-protein nut & seed butters
Serving size: 2 tbsp. | Calories | Total fat (saturated) | Total carbs | Net carbs (fiber) | Total sugars (incl. added) | Protein |
Tiger nut butter | 180 | 13 g (5 g) | 14 g | 7 g (7 g) | 4 g (0 g) | 1 g |
Chia seed butter | 164 | 14 g (0 g) | 12 g | 2 g (10 g) | 0 g | 2 g |
Coconut butter | 197 | 19 g (17 g) | 7 g | 2 g (5 g) | 2 g (0 g) | 2 g |
Nutella | 200 | 12 g (4 g) | 23 g | 22 g (1 g) | 21 g (19 g) | 2 g |
Pecan butter | 200 | 18 g (2 g) | 6 g | (4 g) ~2 g | 0 g | 2 g |
FAQs:
Which nut butter has the least protein?
While it’s not a true nut butter, tiger nut butter is the lowest in protein with one gram per serving. Pecan butter is also among the lowest-protein nut butters with two grams of protein per serving.
Walnut butter contains five grams of protein per serving, which is pretty standard for most types of nut and seed butters.
Cashew butter contains four grams of protein per serving, which isn’t the highest – but also isn’t the lowest – among nut butters.
Almond butter is rich in protein with seven grams per serving.
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