Arguably the coolest name for a spread, tiger nut butter is completely nut free while providing a similar taste and texture to real nut butters. Now, that sounds awesome (and it is), but there’s a looming beast in this article that’ll try to take tiger nut butter down…
And that beast is Nutella, one of the most popular spreads from all around the world! It hardly needs an introduction, with the chocolate spread basically being a household name these days.
However, most people don’t know the nitty gritty details about Nutella – and likely not about tiger nut butter either. Looking at these details might make you think more deeply about which spread to choose here, which is exactly what we’ll discuss!
This article will put these two spreads head-to-head in a boxing match showdown, taking a look at everything you need to ultimately decide: is tiger nut butter or Nutella better?
Let’s dive in!
Comparing tiger nut butter vs Nutella
Tiger nut butter and Nutella share a smooth and creamy texture, which is personally one of my favorite characteristics about the two – a spread should be fun and easy to spread, which these two definitely are!
However, that’s where the similarities end – although both tiger nut butter and Nutella are both unsuitable for keto diets, tiger nut butter is fine for vegan and paleo diets, while Nutella isn’t. Tiger nut butter also likely has a low glycemic index due to being made from tiger nuts, but the actual number is unknown. Nutella’s glycemic index is also unknown, but it’s likely high due to its crazy sugar content! Talk to a physician if you’re worried about your blood sugar levels spiking with these.
Now, they do share similar allergens – tiger nut butter has coconut oil added in many cases, technically giving it tree nuts as an allergen. Although, many people with tree nut allergies can safely consume coconut oil – talk to your physician to be safe! Nutella also has tree nuts as an allergen, but additionally lists soy and milk.
| Tiger nut butter | Nutella (flavored hazelnut butter) | |
| Taste | Earthy (similar to pecans) | Sweet, chocolatey |
| Texture | Smooth, creamy | Smooth, creamy |
| Allergens | Technically tree nuts (coconut oil added) | Tree nuts, milk, soy |
| Vegan? | Yes | No |
| Paleo? | Yes | No |
| Keto? | No | No |
| Glycemic index (GI) | Unknown; likely low | Unknown (likely high due to added sugar content) |
What is tiger nut butter?
Tiger nut butter is made from tiger nuts, which aren’t actually nuts at all…
They’re actually tubers, coming from a plant called “the yellow nutsedge.” These tiger nuts are ground down into a spread that’s smooth and creamy, and often has coconut oil added in like I mentioned.
What is Nutella?
Nutella is technically a flavored hazelnut butter.
It has cocoa powder to provide that chocolate taste, but also has a ton of added sugar, palm oil, and other ingredients that you may not want to consume a lot of – trust me, I used to binge Nutella because it’s so delicious, but as I learned how much sugar and other unhealthy ingredients are in there I quickly reduced my intake…
Now, I’m not saying to avoid Nutella at all costs, just try to enjoy it in moderation. Or, you can try making Nutella at home to avoid a lot of the unhealthy ingredients, even having the choice for a keto Nutella that fits your low-carb diet!
Differences between tiger nut butter and Nutella
The biggest difference between tiger nut butter and Nutella is their flavor.
Tiger nut butter has an earthy and nutty taste that’ll remind you of pecans, which makes it feel like a real nut butter! Nutella, on the other hand, doesn’t taste like the hazelnuts in it at all, boasting a chocolate and very sweet flavor.
The flavors may be quite different, but their textures are very similar with smooth and creamy consistencies.
Plus, they can be used in many of the same ways…
How to use tiger nut butter vs Nutella
You’ll be happy to hear that you have a ton of ways that you can use these spreads!
For example, use your tiger nut butter and Nutella to spread them on whatever you want (think of toast, pancakes, waffles, etc.), or add them into your smoothies and oatmeal for delicious flavor twists! You can even use them as baking ingredients – tiger nut butter’s earthy flavor goes great in something like cookies and muffins, while Nutella is delicious in something like brownie batter!
If you want, you could dip fruits and vegetables into either for a tasty snack – strawberries dipped into Nutella are mouth-watering! Just be aware that their different flavor profiles can really change the dish you use it in, especially if you’re trying them out interchangeably.
Nutrition: Tiger nut butter vs Nutella
Tiger nut butter is very low in protein, with 1 gram per serving. It’s also really high in carbs, and the 7 grams of fiber per serving still don’t bring the net carbs down enough to be suitable for keto diets. It also has more saturated fat than Nutella per serving, but only has 4 grams of sugar compared to Nutella’s extremely high number…
Nutella is known for its sweet taste, which is largely due to the 19 grams of added sugar per serving, adding it all up to a staggering 21 grams of sugar per just 2 tablespoons! It’s also extremely high in carbs, with 22 grams of net carbs per serving. The protein content is nothing impressive, with just 2 grams per serving.
| Serving size: 2 tbsp | Tiger nut butter | Nutella (flavored hazelnut butter) |
| Calories | 180 | 200 |
| Total fat (saturated) | 13 g (5 g) | 12 g (4 g) |
| Total carbs | 14 g | 23 g |
| Net carbs (fiber) | 7 g (7 g) | 22 g (1 g) |
| Total sugars (incl. added) | 4 (0) g | 21 g (19 g) |
| Protein | 1 g | 2 g |
How to store tiger nut butter and Nutella
Tiger nut butter is best stored in the fridge to lengthen its shelf-life, as keeping it at room temperature will likely make it go rancid sooner. It should last around 2-3 months after opening, but double-check the label for specific storage instructions and best-before dates.
Nutella is fine kept at room temperature, and should last you 12 months after opening. You can put it in the fridge if you want to thicken it up!
Tiger nut butter vs Nutella: Which is better?
Tiger nut butter has a very cool name, along with a great fiber content and much less sugar than Nutella. It also has a smooth and creamy texture with a taste that’ll have you thinking it’s a real nut butter!
Nutella is absolutely delicious, boasting a chocolatey and sweet flavor that’ll be hard to put down. However, the massive amount of added sugar and other bad ingredients is hard to look past…
Considering everything, I recommend tiger nut butter over Nutella due to its better nutritional profile, greater diet versatility, and smooth taste that resembles nut butters very well!
FAQs
Tiger nut butter’s name comes from tiger nuts, which are tubers from the plant known as “the yellow nutsedge.” So, tiger nuts aren’t nuts at all despite the name!
No, tiger nut butter is too high in carbs, with 7 grams of net carbs per serving.
No, Nutella has one of the highest carb contents out of all nut and seed butters! This makes it very unsuitable for keto diets.
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