Perfect for this time of the year, pumpkin seed butter’s delicious taste and solid nutritional profile makes for a great addition to orange leaves, carved pumpkins, and scary movies!
In fact, it’s so good that you can fully enjoy it year-round! But, how does it compare against cashew butter, a popular and delicious nut butter?
Well, they’re made from different things, but they also differ in many other things like taste, texture, nutrition, allergens – there’s a lot we have to consider when deciding which one is better!
And that’s exactly what we’ll do in this article. We’ll dissect these spreads to see their nitty gritty details, uncovering what makes each of these great…or not-so-great.
And then, we’ll know which one is better!
Let’s begin!
Comparing pumpkin seed butter vs cashew butter
Pumpkin seed butter is made from seeds, and has absolutely no allergens! Cashew butter, being made from cashews, has tree nuts as an allergen. They both share nutty and sweet elements in their flavor profiles, and are both great options for vegan and paleo diets (if the cashew butter is unsweetened). Pumpkin seed butter is also great for keto diets!
Both spreads have low glycemic indexes, making them great choices if you’re wanting to keep your blood sugar levels from spiking – talk to your physician if you have any concerns with that!
| Pumpkin seed butter | Cashew butter | |
| Taste | Nutty, earthy, slightly sweet | Mild, nutty, sweet |
| Texture | Thick or thin, slightly grainy | Thick, creamy |
| Allergens | None | Tree nuts |
| Vegan? | Yes | Yes |
| Paleo? | Yes | Yes (if unsweetened) |
| Keto? | Yes | No |
| Glycemic index (GI) | Pumpkin seeds=25 | 1 oz cashews= 25 |
What is pumpkin seed butter?
Pumpkin seed butter is a flavorful spread that’s made by grinding down raw or roasted pumpkin seeds. Roasted seeds will bring out more flavor, but you can use those or raw ones when making pumpkin seed butter at home (I think you’ll find the extra effort of roasting them first worth it).
Most spreads include sea salt and a natural oil in them, and can be thin or thick depending on how it’s processed. You’ll also find it slightly grainy, boasting a nutty, earthy, and slightly sweet flavor profile.
What is cashew butter?
Cashew butter is made by grinding roasted or raw cashew nuts down into a thick and creamy nut butter that has a mild, nutty, and sweet flavor. Some of this sweetness could come from the extra sugar some brands add when they try to enhance the taste, but you can get unsweetened versions.
You can also make cashew butter at home, giving you even more control about the ingredients!
Differences between pumpkin seed butter and cashew butter
The biggest differences between pumpkin seed butter and cashew butter are the texture and taste.
Pumpkin seed butter has a thick or thin texture depending on how it’s processed, but it’s always slightly grainy! Cashew butter has a thick and creamy texture, which you’ll love for spreading!
Taste-wise, both spreads share nutty and sweet elements, but pumpkin seed butter has a more earthy and slightly sweet flavor while cashew butter has a milder taste overall, but is more sweet.
How to use pumpkin seed butter vs cashew butter
You can use both pumpkin seed butter and cashew butter as spreads on your toast, waffles, pancakes, and even bakes! Or, toss them into the mix when you bake for some nice flavor twists, which you can also do for your oatmeal and smoothies!
If you want to get more creative, mix them into your pasta, or use them as a base for sauces – the unique elements in both could create some interesting flavor profiles when mixed with other ingredients!
And I’d recommend you use these interchangeably to experiment with different textures and flavors, as that could open a lot of new culinary doors!
Nutrition: Pumpkin seed butter vs cashew butter
Pumpkin seed butter is an awesome source of iron, giving you around 15% of your entire daily iron value in each serving! Plus, it has an amazing protein content of 9 grams, and boasts just 1 gram of net carbs per serving – that’s one of the lowest carb contents out of all nut and seed butters! It also has a decent healthy fats content, and boasts 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Cashew butter is the opposite in some ways, with a lot of carbs – it has 9 net grams per serving! It has a great source of healthy fats, and has 4 grams of protein per serving. It has added sugar a lot of the time, so check the labels before buying them!
| Serving size: 2 tbsp | Pumpkin seed butter | Cashew butter |
| Calories | 180 | 190 |
| Total fat (saturated) | 14 g (4 g) | 16 g (3 g) |
| Total carbs | 4 g | 10 g |
| Net carbs (fiber) | 1 g (3 g) | 9 g (1 g) |
| Total sugars (incl. added) | 0 g | 3 g (4 g) |
| Protein | 9 g | 4 g |
How to store pumpkin seed butter and cashew butter
Pumpkin seed butter and cashew butter should both be stored in the fridge, as that’ll keep them from going bad too soon. It’ll also prevent oil separation in these spreads, but you can give them a stir before storing to further help out with that!
Make sure you check their labels for any specific storage instructions and best-before dates, but most nut butters should last 2-3 months after opening!
Pumpkin seed butter vs cashew butter: Which is better?
Now, which one of these great spreads should you choose?
Pumpkin seed butter has a delicious flavor along with an awesome iron and protein content – plus, it’s completely allergen-free!
Cashew butter has an amazing texture that’s hard to beat, and has a great flavor profile that pairs super well with many things!
It’s a tough pick between these two, but pumpkin seed butter takes the win for its superior nutritional profile, unique flavor, and amazing dietary versatility!
FAQs
Yes you can! Pumpkin seed butter has no nuts in it at all, which makes it a great alternative to nut butters!
Both are good choices, but pumpkin seed butter has an amazing protein content that makes it perfect for protein smoothies!
Pumpkin seed butter is the only one here with a low carb content, making it the pick for keto diets between these two – cashew butter is not suited for keto diets.
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