Almond butter gets a lot of praise for being the healthiest nut butter – and it’s an amazing spread that definitely deserves the praise – but it tends to overshadow walnut butter, which is also an amazingly healthy spread with some awesome qualities!
Now, we’ll talk about why walnut butter is so great, but we’ll also compare it to a unique nut-free spread that you may have heard of…
We’re talking about tahini, the popular ingredient in the delicious hummus! However, we’re going to look at it as a stand alone spread today, uncovering everything about it that shows off all its pros and cons.
On top of that, we’ll place walnut butter and tahini side-by-side, getting an in-depth look at how they compare. That way, you’ll know exactly which one is better!
Let’s jump in!
Comparing walnut butter vs tahini
Walnut butter is made from walnuts, giving it tree nuts an allergen. Tahini is made from sesame seeds, giving it sesame as an allergen. They both share slightly bitter undertones to their flavors, and creamy consistencies. You can also use either in your vegan, paleo, or keto diets!
Their glycemic indexes are both low, making them great choices if you’re worried about your blood sugar levels spiking – talk to your physician if you have any concerns with that!
| Walnut butter | Tahini (sesame seed butter) | |
| Taste | Earthy, buttery, slightly bitter | Mildly nutty, toasty, slightly bitter |
| Texture | Smooth & creamy | Thin, creamy |
| Allergens | Tree nuts | Sesame |
| Vegan? | Yes | Yes |
| Paleo? | Yes | Yes |
| Keto? | Yes | Yes |
| Glycemic index (GI) | Walnuts=15 | 40 |
What is walnut butter?
Walnut butter is a delicious and nutritious spread made by blending roasted walnuts together in a food processor. This smooth and creamy spread can easily be made at home, and you can try out adding some new flavors by using honey, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and more!
While you can use raw walnuts, roasting them first definitely helps enhance the flavor. And, like I mentioned, walnut butter is really healthy like almond butter!
What is tahini?
Tahini is simply made by grinding sesame seeds, creating a thin and creamy paste. This Middle Eastern spread is completely nut-free, and has a mild, slightly nutty, toasty, and slightly bitter flavor profile.
It’s often used to make hummus, and it is really easy to make tahini at home!
Differences between walnut butter and tahini
The biggest difference between walnut butter and tahini is their flavors, with some differences in texture as well.
Walnut butter boasts a unique flavor profile that’s earthy, buttery, and slightly bitter, while tahini is mild, slightly nutty, toasty, and slightly bitter – they each have a touch of bitterness as you can see!
Their textures both share that creamy consistency, but walnut butter is smooth and much more spreadable while tahini is thin and drizzable (did I make up a new word there?).
How to use walnut butter vs tahini
Walnut butter is definitely more suited for spreading while tahini is better for drizzling, but they can both be used as spreads in many of the same ways!
For example, spread them on your toast, pancakes, waffles, and whatever else you want. Or, add them to your smoothies and oatmeal, or even as ingredients in your bakes!
Walnut butter’s earthy flavor profile goes really well with both savory and sweet dishes, adding a wonderful twist to them!
Tahini’s flavor goes really well spread over said bakes, adding a mildly nutty and toasty taste. You can also mix either into salads, or use them as dips!
Nutrition: Walnut butter vs tahini
Walnut butter has a fantastic omega-3 fatty acids content, which is really great for heart and brain health while lowering inflammation in the body! It also has a decent protein content of 5 grams per serving, along with very few carbs – just 2 grams of net carbs per serving! Walnut butter is also a great source of healthy fats, with all these qualities making it one of the healthiest nut butters!
Tahini has some great healthy fats as well, and is also low in carbs with just 3 grams of net carbs per serving! It matches walnut butter with 5 grams of protein per serving, and is slightly lower in calories and sugar.
| Serving size: 2 tbsp | Walnut butter | Tahini (sesame seed butter) |
| Calories | 200 | 176 |
| Total fat (saturated) | 19 g (2 g) | 16 g (2 g) |
| Total carbs | 4 g | 6 g |
| Net carbs (fiber) | 2 g (2 g) | 3 g (3 g) |
| Total sugars (incl. added) | 1 g (0 g) | 0 g |
| Protein | 5 g | 5 g |
How to store walnut butter and tahini
Because of walnut butter’s high omega-3 fatty acids content, you’ll want to store it in the fridge as it can go rancid quickly at room temperature. The fridge will also help stop oil separation – give it a stir before storing it to further help out with that!
Tahini should also be stored in the fridge to extend its shelf-life, plus it’ll get thicker which may make it easier to handle for you!
Most nut butters last about 2-3 months after opening, but check the labels for any specific storage instructions and best-before dates!
Walnut butter vs tahini: The ultimate verdict
Now, comparing the two has proven to be quite interesting!
Walnut butter is one of the healthiest nut butters with a delicious taste and texture, while tahini offers a really unique texture that’s perfect for drizzling over virtually anything! Plus, its mild flavor mixes well without being overpowering!
So, which one wins?
Looking at everything here, both spreads are great, but walnut butter takes the win for being an amazingly healthy choice while providing a delicious and versatile flavor!
FAQs
Almond butter is considered the healthiest nut butter with walnut butter sitting in its shadow, but walnut butter has omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and healthy fats that make it a wonderfully healthy option as well!
Walnut butter is very versatile, and you can use it as a spread, a base for sauces, and ingredient in baking, mixed in your smoothies and oatmeal, and more! The earthy flavor combines really well with both savory and sweet dishes!
It sure is! Tahini has no nuts in it at all, but is made from sesame seeds.
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