Peanut butter and jelly, ants on a log, and apples dipped in almond butter are all possible (and tasty!) because of – you guessed it – nut butter!
Most people have a jar of some type of nut butter in their pantry right now. What you probably don’t know is that there are WAY more nut butters beyond peanut butter and almond butter!
In this article, we’ll review 24 different types of nut (and seed) butters, including:
- The skinny on what makes each nut butter special.
- A comparison of their nutritional stats
- A table summarizing whether they are vegan, Paleo, and/or keto
- Allergen status of each one
- Common FAQs
The 24 nut butters (in alphabetical order) are:
- Almond butter
- Brazil nut butter
- Cashew butter
- Chia seed butter
- Coconut butter
- Flaxseed butter
- Granola butter
- Hazelnut butter
- High-protein nut butter
- Macadamia nut butter
- Mixed nut butter
- Nutella
- Peanut butter
- Pecan butter
- Pine nut butter
- Pistachio butter
- Pumpkin seed butter
- Reduced-fat peanut butter
- Tahini (aka sesame seed butter)
- Soy nut butter
- Sunflower seed butter (aka SunButter)
- Tiger nut butter
- Walnut butter
- Watermelon seed butter
See the detailed write-ups for each below…with pictures!
What is nut butter?
Nut and seed butters are high-fat pastes made from grinding nuts and seeds down. Sometimes additional oils are added, but more natural nut and seed butters only contain the oils from the nuts and seeds themselves.
Nut butter is typically made from nuts that don’t contain the skin to make the end product smoother. “Chunky” versions of nut butter incorporate larger pieces of the nuts within the nut butter. The nuts or seeds may be raw or roasted before being made into nut butter.
What are the most popular nut butters?
There are several types of nut butter to choose from, as you’ll see from our list of 24 of them! Some of the most popular types of nut butters in the United States are:
- Peanut butter
- Almond butter
- Cashew butter
- Sunflower seed butter (peanut and tree nut-free option)
Things to consider when choosing nut butter
Fat content
Most nut butters are higher in unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. These types of fats are considered more heart-healthy compared to saturated fat, which is more prevalent in animal products but is also in coconut and palm oils.
Some nuts and seeds are naturally lower in fat, while others are higher in fat, including saturated fat.
Sugar content
Most natural types of nut and seed butters don’t have added sugars; any sugars in them are naturally occurring.
Some brands add sugar to enhance the flavor (usually not a significant amount of sugar), while other types of nut butters are very high in added sugar if they’re flavored.
If you’re wanting to reduce the added sugar in your diet, or are on a low-carb diet, then you should generally avoid flavored nut butters due to the higher sugar content.
Allergies
Allergies are a big concern when it comes to nut and seed butters, since some of the nine most common food allergies include:
- Tree nuts
- Sesame
- Peanuts
As you can imagine, many types of nut butters are sources of tree nuts, and peanut butter is obviously a no-go for anyone with a peanut allergy.
Thankfully, you can find plenty of allergy-friendly options that are made from seeds and other plant sources. If you have a food allergy, you should always check the ingredients label to ensure the nut butter you choose is free of your allergens, since the ingredients will vary among brands.
Added ingredients
Natural nut butters typically only contain the type of nut (or seed) it’s made from with nothing else. Other ingredients that might be added to nut butters include:
- Added fats: palm oil and other vegetable oils are sometimes added to nut butters to make them “no-stir” and minimize the separation of oils and solids (emulsifier).
Some of these added fats are fully hydrogenated, which means they are more solid at room temperature, allowing the nut butter to be stored at room temperature long-term.
FYI, fully hydrogenated fats are not a source of trans fats like partially hydrogenated oils are. The use of trans fats, including partially hydrogenated oils, was banned in the United States in 2018 due to the increased risk of heart disease from consuming trans fats. - Salt: one of the most common ingredients added to nut and seed butters is salt, which can enhance the flavor as well as help act as a preservative.
Special diets
Vegan
Virtually all nut and seed butters are vegan since they are plant-based with no added ingredients from animal products! The main exception is high-protein nut butter which adds whey protein (sourced from milk), as well as any nut butter flavored with honey. (This is why reading the ingredient
label is a must if you’re on a special diet!)
Paleo
A Paleo diet includes nuts and seeds, which means most nut butters are Paleo-friendly. Any nut butter that contains legumes (soy, peanut) or non-Paleo ingredients like sugar is not Paleo.
Keto
Nut and seed butters are typically very keto-friendly because they’re low in net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) and high in fat.
In the diet and allergen table we’ll include later on, we’ll classify nut butters as being keto-friendly if they contain three grams or fewer of net carbs per serving. We’re being conservative here since nut butters as a group are generally pretty low in net carbs; for comparison, when we did this for flours, we used 10 grams of net carbs as the cutoff.
Many nut butters barely miss the 3-gram mark with 4-5 grams of net carbs per serving. Depending on your daily carb limits and portion sizes, some nut butters might also be keto-friendly even if it doesn’t specifically say so in the table, so keep that in mind!
Variations of nut butters
Texture
Nut and seed butters will vary in texture. Shelf-stable/no-stir nut butters are typically thicker than natural nut butters that require stirring. Refrigerating natural nut butters can help thicken them up a bit (it’s typically recommended to store them in the fridge anyway since they don’t have added fats or preservatives).
Most nut butters are smooth in texture, but other “chunky” varieties include larger pieces of the nuts and seeds for those who prefer a chunky texture.
Flavors
As we mentioned earlier when we talked about sugar, flavored nut butters typically are higher in added sugar. You can find all sorts of “specialty” nut butter flavors, such as cherry pistachio butter, bourbon pecan butter, and white chocolate peanut butter.
Flavored nut butters can be super fun and a unique dessert, but you should check the nutrition facts information and ingredients label to see how much added sugar is in the product (pssst…the first ingredient in Nutella is sugar!).
Organic
Like most types of foods and drinks, you can find organic versions of nut and seed butters. Organic foods aren’t treated with pesticides and other chemicals like non-organic foods can be. However, non-organic foods must contain low enough levels of these types of substances to be considered safe and able to purchase.
Look for the USDA’s “Certified Organic” label to choose organic nut and seed butters – it’s usually on the front of the container, which makes it easy to spot!
Storage & shelf life
As we mentioned earlier, natural versions of nut butters usually require refrigeration to help prolong their shelf life (they don’t have added preservatives or oils that help them prolong their shelf life).
Other types of nut butters (like good ol’ Jif and Skippy peanut butter) are shelf-stable at room temperature because of added ingredients like hydrogenated oils and salt.
Check the label of the nut/seed butter, which should specify the best storage guidelines (fridge or pantry).
Most types of nut butters should last at least 2-3 months after opening. Storing them in the fridge can help prolong their shelf life – but it also makes them less spreadable, which is a downside.
24 Types of Nut Butter
- Almond butter
- One of the more popular types of nut butter (after peanut butter), almond butter is usually thinner in texture than peanut butter, but it varies among brands.
- Can be creamy or crunchy.
- Some almond butters use raw almonds while others use roasted almonds.
- Brazil nut butter
- Made from Brazil nuts, which contain more selenium than any other type of nut (selenium may help support a healthy immune system, slow age-related cognitive decline, and more).
- Can be used like any other nut butter, or used as a base to make Brazil nut milk (blend it with water!).
- Cashew butter
- Can be used like any other nut or seed butter in both sweet and savory uses.
- Higher in carbs compared to other nut butters, so may not be the ideal choice for a keto diet.
- Chia seed butter
- More difficult to find compared to other nut/seed butters on this list, but you can find it through online retailers. (The brand we found mixes chia seeds with milk thistle oil.)
- Incredibly rich in fiber compared to other nut/seed butters.
- Good source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids.
- Coconut butter
- Coconut butter is more similar to coconut oil than a nut butter, but can be used in place of nut butters.
- Coconut butter includes other parts of the coconut’s flesh besides the oil, which means it contains fiber (coconut oil doesn’t have any fiber).
- Very high in plant-based saturated fat, which makes up the majority of the fat content.
- Flaxseed butter
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are popular for their anti-inflammatory properties.
- Incredibly rich in fiber with nine grams per serving.
- Unsweetened varieties are an excellent choice for keto dieters with zero grams of net carbs per serving.
- Granola butter
- Granola butter doesn’t contain nuts or seeds, so it’s not technically a nut butter – but it’s a good allergy-friendly option we couldn’t resist including! (Technically it contains a tree nut in the form of coconut oil, but the majority of people with tree nut allergies can safely consume coconut!)
- Made in a variety of flavors, here are the ingredients of “original” flavored granola butter, which is described as tasting like a graham cracker:
- Oats
- Olive oil
- Maple syrup
- Coconut oil
- Cinnamon
- Rosemary extract
- Salt
- Allspice
- Cardamom
- Ginger
- Hazelnut butter
- Another low-carb/keto-friendly nut butter, hazelnut butter contains 3 grams of net carbs per serving.
- One serving provides 8% of the daily value for iron, a nutrient that is especially important for people on vegan diets.
- High-protein nut butter
- High-protein nut butters contain more protein than regular nut butters thanks to the addition of protein isolates.
- May not be suitable for those with milk allergies or vegans since most protein powders are sourced from whey, a milk product.
- Some brands contain multiple types of nuts, so be sure to check the ingredients for allergens.
- Available in different flavors, so sugar content may vary.
- Macadamia nut butter
- Macadamia nuts are naturally higher in fat than many other nuts, so macadamia nut butter is the highest in fat on our list.
- Described as being “runny” by some reviewers of the product we researched, since there aren’t any added emulsifiers or fats to thicken it.
- Mixed nut butter
- The nuts/seeds in mixed nut butters will vary, but the one we looked at (Kirkland Signature) contains:
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Nutella (flavored hazelnut butter)
- Chocolate-flavored hazelnut spread that can be used on toast, to dip fruit, or in desserts.
- Very high in added sugar compared to most other types of nut butter.
- Contains soy lecithin as an emulsifier (allergen).
- Contains skim milk (an allergen).
- Peanut butter
- Likely the most popular “nut” butter, peanuts are technically a legume so are suitable for those with tree nut allergies (but not peanut allergies, of course).
- Comes in several varieties including natural, chunky, smooth, salted/unsalted, and flavored.
- Not suitable for Paleo since legumes aren’t allowed.
- Pecan butter
- Like other nut butters, pecan butter can be used in sweet and savory dishes.
- May be suitable for keto diets in small amounts (net carb content is borderline keto-friendly with around 4 grams of net carbs per serving).
- Pine nut butter
- One serving provides 10% of the daily value for iron, making pine butter one of the richest sources of iron among nut butters.
- Pine nuts are considered tree nuts, so it’s not suitable for those with tree nut allergies.
- Pistachio butter
- Slightly lower in calories compared to other nut butters (but not by much!).
- Might be mixed with other nut-based oils, like walnut oil.
- Pumpkin seed butter
- Pumpkin seeds are one of the richest sources of iron; one serving of pumpkin seed butter provides around 15% of the daily value for iron.
- Very keto-friendly with 1 gram of net carbs per serving.
- Reduced-fat peanut butter
- Made by removing some of the fat from peanuts, reduced-fat peanut butter contains around 30% less fat than regular peanut butter.
- Most types of reduced-fat peanut butter (and reduced-fat products in general) contain extra added sugar, so it doesn’t necessarily make it a healthier option.
- Many brands contain pea protein and added vegetable oils like rapeseed and soybean oil (those with soy allergies should read the label to be sure).
- Tahini (sesame seed butter)
- Tahini is a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern dishes, including hummus and baba ghanoush.
- Can be used in savory dishes like cooking meats or making salad dressings, thanks to its non-sweet/slightly bitter flavor.
- Soy nut butter
- A popular alternative for those with peanut and tree nut allergies, soy nut butter is made from soybeans and soy oil.
- Some brands may have added oils, such as palm oil.
- Sunflower butter (SunButter)
- One of the most popular allergy-friendly nut butter alternatives, sunflower butter is peanut-, sesame- and tree nut-free.
- Tiger nut butter
- Made from a tuberous plant called the yellow nutsedge, tiger nut butter is Paleo-friendly.
- May contain coconut oil, so technically it contains tree nuts (the FDA classifies coconuts as tree nuts, though they are unlikely to cause an allergic reaction in people with tree nut allergies).
- Walnut butter
- High in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Like other plain nut butters (those without added fats or other ingredients), you can use walnut butter as a base to make walnut milk – just blend it with water and strain.
- Watermelon seed butter
- While it’s difficult to find, watermelon seed butter is likely one of the most unique seed butters on our list!
- Made from the soft white (edible) seeds of watermelon, watermelon seed butter is lower in calories compared to many other nut and seed butters, but is still very high in protein (8 grams per serving).
Nutritional comparison of 24 nut butters
- Unsweetened or lightly sweetened versions were used for comparison whenever available.
- Net carbs = total carbs – fiber
| Serving size: 2 tbsp. | Calories | Total fat (saturated) | Total carbs | Net carbs (fiber) | Total sugars (incl. added) | Protein |
| Almond butter | 190 | 17 g (2 g) | 7 g | 3 g (4 g) | 1 g (0 g) | 7 g |
| Brazil nut butter | 190 | 19 g (4.5 g) | 4 g | 2 g (2 g) | 0 g | 4 g |
| Cashew butter | 190 | 16 g (3 g) | 10 g | 9 g (1 g) | 3 g (1 g) | 4 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 |
| Flaxseed butter | 190 | 13 g (1.5 g) | 9 g | 0 g (9 g) | 0 g | 8 g |
| Granola butter | 170 | 12 g (4 g) | 14 g | 13 (1 g) | 4 g (4 g) | 3 g |
| Hazelnut butter | 210 | 20 g (2 g) | 6 g | 3 g (3 g) | 2 g (0 g) | 5 g |
| High-protein nut butter (1st Phorm brand) | 200 | 14 g (2.5 g) | 8 g | 5 g (3 g) | 5 g (4 g) | 10 g |
| Macadamia nut butter | 230 | 24 g (4 g) | 5 g | 2 g (3 g) | 1 g (0 g) | 3 g |
| Mixed nut butter | 200 | 16 g (4 g) | 8 g | 4 g (4 g) | 1 g (0 g) | 7 g |
| Nutella (flavored hazelnut butter) | 200 | 12 g (4 g) | 23 g | 22 g (1 g) | 21 g (19 g) | 2 g |
| Peanut butter (Adams natural) | 200 | 16 g (3 g) | 7 g | 4 g (3 g) | 2 g (0 g) | 8 g |
| Pecan butter | 200 | 18 g (2 g) | 6 g | (4 g) ~2 g | 0 g | 2 g |
| Pine nut butter | 190 | 19 g (1.5 g) | 4 g | 4 g (<1 g) | <1 g (0 g) | 4 g |
| Pistachio butter | 180 | 14 g (2 g) | 8 g | 5 g (3 g) | 2 g (0 g) | 6 g |
| Pumpkin seed butter | 180 | 14 g (4 g) | 4 g | 1 g (3 g) | 1 g (0 g) | 9 g |
| Reduced-fat peanut butter (Jif) | 190 | 12 g (2.5 g) | 15 g | 13 g (2 g) | 4 g (3 g) | 7 g |
| Tahini (sesame seed butter) | 176 | 16 g (2 g) | 6 g | 3 g (3 g) | 0 g | 5 g |
| Soy nut butter | 200 | 15 g (3 g) | 8 g | 6 g (2 g) | 4 g (2 g) | 7 g |
| Sunflower seed butter (SunButter) | 200 | 17 g (2 g) | 6 g | 4 g (2 g) | 3 g (3 g) | 7 g |
| Tiger nut butter | 180 | 13 g (5 g) | 14 g | 7 g (7 g) | 4 g (0 g) | 1 g |
| Walnut butter | 200 | 19 g (2 g) | 4 g | 2 g (2 g) | 1 g (0 g) | 5 g |
| Watermelon seed butter | 156 | 13 g (3 g) | 4 g | 4 g (0 g) | 0 g | 8 g |
Special diets: V=vegan, P=Paleo, K=keto-friendly with <=3 grams net carbs per serving; X=not V, P, or K
- Allergens: includes a top allergen; Wheat, Soy, Sesame, Peanut, Tree Nut, Milk. None=none of the top allergens.
The ingredients among different brands of nut butter will vary, so always check the label to ensure it’s free of any allergens before consuming!
- Glycemic index: The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how much a single food affects your blood sugar levels compared to pure glucose, which has a GI of 100.
The glycemic index is broken down into classifications of low, medium, and high:- Low GI: 1 to 55.
- Medium GI: 56 to 69
- High GI: 70 and higher
Since the glycemic index isn’t available for most nut butters, we included the glycemic index of the source of the nut butter in the table.
| Special diets | Allergens | Glycemic index | |
| Almond butter | V, P, K | Tree nuts | 0 |
| Brazil nut butter | V, P, K | Tree nuts | Brazil nuts=10 |
| Cashew butter | V; P if unsweetened | Tree nuts | 1 oz cashews= 25 |
| Chia seed butter | V, P, K | None | 30 |
| Coconut butter | V, P, K | Tree nuts (coconut) | Low (exact GI unknown) |
| Flaxseed butter | V, P, K | None | Flaxseed=35 |
| Granola butter | V | Tree nuts (coconut) | Unknown; likely medium due to added sugar |
| Hazelnut butter | V, P, K | Tree nuts | Hazelnuts=0 |
| High-protein nut butter (1st Phorm brand) | X | Milk, peanuts, tree nuts | Unknown |
| Macadamia nut butter | V, P, K | Tree nuts | Macadamia nuts=10 |
| Mixed nut butter | V, P, K | Tree nuts | Unknown due to a mix of different nuts/seeds; likely low |
| Nutella (flavored hazelnut butter) | X | Tree nuts, milk, soy | Unknown (likely high due to added sugar content) |
| Peanut butter | V (4 grams net carbs, so may be keto-friendly) | Peanuts | Peanuts=14 |
| Pecan butter | V, P | Tree nuts | Pecans=10 |
| Pine nut butter | V, P | Tree nuts | Pine nuts=15 |
| Pistachio butter | V, P | Tree nuts | Pistachio nuts=15 |
| Pumpkin seed butter | V, P, K | None | Pumpkin seeds=25 |
| Reduced-fat peanut butter (Jif brand) | V | Peanuts, soy | Unknown; likely low like regular peanut butter |
| Tahini (sesame seed butter) | V, P, K | Sesame | 40 |
| Soy nut butter | V | Soy | Unknown; likely low |
| Sunflower seed butter (SunButter) | V; P if unsweetened | None | Sunflower seeds=35 |
| Tiger nut butter | V, P | Technically tree nuts (coconut oil added) | Unknown; likely low |
| Walnut butter | V, P, K | Tree nuts | Walnuts=15 |
| Watermelon seed butter | V, P, K | None | Unknown; likely low |
FAQs:
While several types of nut butters are considered healthy, almond butter is often considered one of the healthiest because it’s richer in fiber compared to peanut butter. However, any nut or seed butter that is free of added sugar is likely a healthy option!
Nut and seed butters that contain zero grams of total sugar include: brazil nut butter, chia seed butter, flaxseed butter, pecan butter, tahini (sesame seed butter), and watermelon seed butter.
Nutella (chocolate-flavored hazelnut butter) is the highest in sugar among popular nut butters, with 21 grams of total sugar, 19 of which are added sugars.
Reduced-fat peanut butter and Nutella (flavored hazelnut butter) are the lowest in fat (12 grams per serving for both) among popular nut butters. However, Nutella also contains other ingredients like sugar and milk, which reduce its fat content compared to pure hazelnut butter, which is quite high in fat.
Macadamia nut butter is the highest in fat with 24 grams per serving.
Coconut butter is the highest in saturated fat with 17 grams of saturated fat per serving.
Chia seed butter, while not technically a nut butter, is the lowest in saturated fat with zero grams per serving!
Pumpkin seed butter is a great choice for vegans because it’s rich in iron, a nutrient that some vegans can become deficient in. Otherwise, any nut or seed butter with at least 7 grams of protein per serving can be a great choice for vegans!
Almond butter is a great Paleo-friendly nut butter, as is coconut butter. Be sure to avoid any nut butters that are sourced from legumes on Paleo, like peanut butter.
Unsweetened flaxseed butter is a great keto option because its high fiber content puts it at zero grams of net carbs per serving!
There are plenty of nut butters that check the boxes for being vegan, Paleo, AND keto-friendly. They are: almond butter, brazil nut butter, chia seed butter, coconut butter, flaxseed butter, hazelnut butter, macadamia nut butter, mixed nut butter, pumpkin seed butter, sesame seed butter (tahini), walnut butter, and watermelon seed butter.
Fully hydrogenated oil is not a source of trans fat, so it’s not considered “bad” for you since it’s free of trans fats. (Partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fats and used to be used in some nut butters, but they’ve been banned since 2018 in the United States.)
Nut butters enriched with added protein (high-protein nut butters) are the highest in protein and typically contain whey protein.
Tiger nut butter is the lowest in protein with one gram per serving. (This isn’t surprising since tiger nuts aren’t technically nuts, but are from a tuberous plant!)
Due to its high-fat content, macadamia nut butter is the highest in calories with 230 calories per serving.
Watermelon seed butter is the lowest in calories with 156 calories per serving.
Everyone has different taste preferences, though peanut butter is generally considered a good-tasting nut butter (which is one of the reasons it’s so popular!). Flavored nut butters are also highly palatable but come with the cost of added sugar – sometimes in large amounts.
Peanut butter is the most popular – even though peanuts are legumes, not nuts!
Pine nut butter, almond butter, and Brazil nut butters are the highest in oxalates. (Oxalates are a compound in some foods which can contribute to kidney stones in some people.)
Macadamia nut butter, pecan butter, and walnut butter are among the lowest oxalate nut butters
Peanut butter is higher in calories and fat compared to peanuts (gram-for-gram), and it’s also lower in fiber than whole peanuts. Eating peanut butter in moderation can be a perfectly healthy choice as long as you keep in mind it’s more concentrated in calories and fat than whole peanuts!
Since nut and seed butters are low in carbs and rich in fat and protein, they generally have low glycemic indexes, which means they won’t spike your blood sugar levels.
