Nut Butters

Nut Butters

I confess that one of my favorite foods is peanut butter.  But there are many more nut butters on the market.  If you have not tried any of them, it’s time to give them a taste.

Nut butters are a spreadable foodstuff made by grinding nuts into a paste. When shopping for a nut butter, some are more healthy than others.  The best nut butters are those that are made with the simplest ingredients – the nut.  Look for those that are made with a minimal amount of added salt and sugar and do not have hydrogenated oils.    

Cashew butter is a spread made from raw or roasted cashews.  It is rich and creamy in flavor.  When stored the oils and solids will separate, so it will require being mixed before each use. Cashew butter is high in protein, unsaturated fat and B vitamins. One teaspoon has 94 calories, 12 percent of the daily value of fat and 8 percent of the daily value of saturated fat.  However, it contains less fat than most other types of nuts.

Almond butter is a food paste made from almonds.  Almond butter may be smooth or crunchy and generally is “stir” or “no-stir.”  Almond butter may be either raw or roasted, describing the almonds themselves prior to grinding.  It is a good source of riboflavin, magnesium and manganese and vitamin E.

Hazelnut butter is a food spread made from crushed and blended hazelnuts.  Hazelnut butter is also familiar when mixed with chocolate as a chief ingredient in Nutella.  Hazelnut butter is available both crunchy and smooth varieties and can be made from either raw or roasted hazelnuts.  It is high is natural fats and susceptible to oil separation, so it should be stirred before use.

Other nut butters include walnut butter and pistachio butter.