Oxalates are compounds naturally present in some foods. If you have a history of kidney stones, your healthcare provider might suggest you follow a low-oxalate diet, since a diet high in oxalates can contribute to certain types of kidney stones.
Almond butter and Brazil nut butter are among the highest oxalate nut butters, which means you should avoid them if you need to follow a low-oxalate diet.
Which other nut (and seed) butters are high in oxalates? We’ll review a total of seven in this article!
What are oxalates?
Oxalates are natural compounds that are naturally present in certain foods. Oxalates can bind to minerals such as calcium which can lead to issues like kidney stones, which impact around one in ten people. If you’ve ever had kidney stones, you already know it’s a painful condition that you want to avoid!
If you’ve been told to follow a low-oxalate diet (especially if you’ve had kidney stones in the past), then you’ll need to be careful about how many oxalates you get through your diet.
Some of the foods with the highest oxalate concentrations include:
- Almonds
- Chocolate
- Dates
- Peanuts and other legumes
- Potatoes
- Raspberries
- Soy products
- Spinach
7 nut butters highest in oxalates
Almond butter
Almond butter is one of the highest oxalate nut butters, so you should probably stay away from it if you have a history of certain types of kidney stones.
If you don’t need to avoid oxalates, know that almond butter is rich in calcium and is a Paleo-friendly alternative to peanut butter.
Brazil nut butter
Brazil nut butter is rich in selenium, but it’s also high in oxalates. Brazil nut butter can also be used to make Brazil nut milk by mixing plain nut butter with water.
Like almond butter, Brazil nut butter is Paleo-friendly.
Cashew butter
Cashew butter isn’t as high in oxalates as almond butter, but it ranks in the higher-oxalate nut butters. Thanks to its higher natural sugar content, cashew butter might taste better to some people than peanut butter.
Cashew butter might not be the best choice for keto dieters because of its higher carb content.
Chia seed butter
Chia seeds are loaded with plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, which can promote heart health and help fight inflammation. Chia seed butter is very high in fiber, which helps keep its net carbs low – which is a good thing if you’re on a low-carb diet.
Hazelnut butter
Plain hazelnut butter (not the sugar-sweetened kind!) is a healthy option, but it is higher in oxalates compared to other types of nut butters.
Pine nut butter
Since pine nuts are a bit pricey, expect to fork out a bit more for pine nut butter. Pine nuts are higher in oxalates than some nuts, but not as high as almonds and Brazil nuts.
Sesame seed butter (tahini)
Did you know that sesame was recently added to the list of most common food allergens? While not as common as tree nut and peanut allergies, you should avoid sesame seed butter if you have a sesame allergy – and if you need to be strict with your oxalate consumption. (That means you need to be mindful of your hummus consumption since tahini is the main ingredient!)
Nutrition comparison of nut butters highest in oxalates
| 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 |
| Hazelnut butter | 210 | 20 g (2 g) | 6 g | 3 g (3 g) | 2 g (0 g) | 5 g |
| Pine nut butter | 190 | 19 g (1.5 g) | 4 g | 4 g (<1 g) | <1 g (0 g) | 4 g |
| Sesame seed butter (tahini) | 176 | 16 g (2 g) | 6 g | 3 g (3 g) | 0 g | 5 g |
FAQs:
If you have a history of certain types of kidney stones, you might be advised to reduce your oxalate consumption. Some nut butters are high in oxalates, such as almond butter and Brazil nut butter, which might need to be avoided on a low-oxalate diet.
Other types of nut and seed butters are low in oxalates so are okay to eat with a history of kidney stones.
Almond butter is high in oxalates, so you might be advised to avoid it if you have a history of certain types of kidney stones.
Peanut butter isn’t as high in oxalates as almond butter and Brazil nut butter, but it does contain oxalates. If you’ve been advised to follow a low-oxalate diet, you’ll need to be careful with your portion size of peanut butter.
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