If you've walked down the nut butter aisle lately, you already know the struggle. Dozens of jars, all promising to be the healthiest, most delicious, most natural option on the shelf. But turn them around and read the label — and suddenly it's a very different story. Palm oil. Added sugars. Flavourings. And somewhere, buried in the fine print, a nut content that barely deserves the name.

We've been making nut butters and spreads for a year. We've tasted the best and the worst the market has to offer. And the truth is, most commercial nut butters have one thing in common: they're more about shelf life and cost-cutting than about actually giving you the goodness of nuts. We're here to cut through the noise.

Let's break down the most popular nut butters — what makes each one special, what to watch out for, and what to actually look for when choosing the best one for your daily diet.

First, What Makes a Good Nut Butter?

Before we get into the individual types, here's what we always look for — and what you should too:

• High nut content — a good nut butter should be mostly nuts. We hold our own spreads to a minimum of 56–82% nut content. If nuts aren't the first and dominant ingredient, put it back.
• No added palm oil — palm oil is used to improve texture and extend shelf life, but it adds saturated fat and contributes to environmental damage. It has no place in a quality nut butter.
• Low sugar — some sugar is fine in a flavoured spread, but many commercial brands load their products with it to mask low nut quality and reduce food cost. Always check.
• Short ingredient list — if you need a chemistry degree to read the label, it's not for you.
• No artificial additives or preservatives — real nuts don't need them.
• Local production where possible — fresher product, lower environmental footprint, and more transparency about what's inside.

With that in mind, let's look at the five nut butters worth knowing.

1. Peanut Butter — The Misunderstood Classic

The myth: Peanut butter is unhealthy.

We hear this constantly, and it drives us mad. Peanut butter — real peanut butter — is one of the most nutritious, affordable, and versatile foods you can add to your daily diet.

Yes, technically peanuts are legumes, not tree nuts. But their nutritional profile rivals tree nuts in almost every category. Peanut butter leads all nut butters in protein content, delivering around 7–8 grams per 2-tablespoon serving — making it a favourite for muscle recovery, satiety, and sustained energy. It also contains resveratrol, the same antioxidant found in red wine, which supports heart health.

The problem has never been peanut butter itself. It's what brands do to it. When you strip out the cheap hydrogenated oils, the corn syrup, and the emulsifiers, what you have left is an incredibly powerful, protein-rich food.

Best for: protein intake, budget-conscious shoppers, kids' nutrition, post-workout recovery.

Watch out for: added sugar, hydrogenated or palm oil, "peanut butter flavoured spread" (which may contain very little actual peanut).

2. Almond Butter — The Nutritional All-Rounder

Almond butter has built a strong reputation in the health-conscious community, and for good reason. It offers one of the most balanced nutritional profiles of any nut butter — high in vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, and fibre, while keeping fat levels moderate.

Compared to peanut butter, almond butter has slightly less protein but more micronutrients, particularly for bone and immune health. The healthy fats in almonds are predominantly monounsaturated, which are excellent for cardiovascular health.

From a flavour perspective, almond butter has a slightly more subtle, earthy taste than peanut butter — which makes it incredibly versatile. It works beautifully in smoothies, on crepes, stirred into oatmeal, or eaten directly off the spoon (we won't judge).

Best for: overall daily nutrition, heart health, people looking to diversify beyond peanut butter.

Watch out for: almond butters with added oils or sweeteners — high-quality almonds don't need either.

3. Cashew Butter — The Creamy Indulgence That's Actually Good for You

If almond butter is the all-rounder and peanut butter is the powerhouse, cashew butter is the indulgence. It has the creamiest consistency of any nut butter, a naturally mild sweetness, and a smooth texture that makes it feel almost luxurious.

Nutritionally, cashew butter is slightly lower in protein than peanut or almond butter, but it's an excellent source of iron and magnesium. It's also naturally lower in sugar than people expect. Research has also shown that cashew consumption can support reductions in blood pressure and triglyceride levels.

That natural sweetness, by the way, is what makes cashew butter a brilliant base for flavoured spreads — a small twist of vanilla or a pinch of sea salt, and you have something genuinely special without dumping sugar into the mix.

Best for: those who love a creamier texture, people managing blood pressure, anyone wanting a naturally sweet profile without added sugar.

Watch out for: cheap cashew butters often contain very little cashew and a lot of filler oils to mimic the creaminess. Check the nut percentage.

4. Hazelnut Butter

Hazelnuts are rich in vitamin E, manganese, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. They also have notable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. And the flavour? Naturally rich, slightly sweet, deeply nutty — it works beautifully on waffles, in smoothies, and in savoury dishes too.

Some of the most popular products on the market contain as little as 13% hazelnut. That's not hazelnut butter — that's a confectionery product wearing hazelnut's clothes.

A real hazelnut butter should taste like toasted hazelnuts. If it mostly tastes like sugar and cocoa, the nuts aren't doing the work.

Best for: those who love bold, rich flavour; pairing with chocolate; kids who want something indulgent but nutritious.

Watch out for: hazelnut spreads with very low nut content and high sugar — always check the label and look for the nut percentage.

5. Pistachio Butter — Genuinely Good, Sometimes Overhyped

Pistachio butter has had a major moment over the last few years. And we get it — pistachios are a genuinely excellent nut. They're high in protein, rich in potassium and heart-healthy plant sterols, packed with antioxidants including lutein and zeaxanthin (which support eye health), and lower in calories than most other nuts.

But here's our honest take as producers: pistachio butter is sometimes sold at a premium that isn't always justified. Some brands leverage the trendiness and the beautiful green colour to charge significantly more while delivering less. We've tasted pistachio spreads that were more oil than pistachio — smooth and green, but nutritionally hollow.

The other issue is flavour dilution. Pistachios have a delicate, slightly sweet, distinctly nutty flavour. When brands pad out their pistachio butters with cheap oils or excessive sugar, that beautiful flavour disappears. You're paying pistachio prices for something that doesn't taste like pistachios.

Genuine, high-quality pistachio butter is outstanding — rich in nutrients, distinctive in flavour, and worth every penny. Just make sure you're actually getting it.

Best for: people seeking variety, antioxidant-rich options, those managing weight (pistachios are among the lower-calorie nuts).

Watch out for: overly trendy products that are low in nut content, high in price, and light on actual pistachio.

The Myth That Won't Die: "Nut Butters Are Too Sweet"

This is our biggest frustration — and one of the main reasons we started making our own spreads.

Walk into a supermarket and pick up most commercial nut butters. They are sweet. Overly sweet. And that's because many brands use sugar to mask low-quality nuts, cheap oils, reduce food cost and poor production. The sweetness isn't about flavour — it's about hiding what isn't there.

High-quality nuts, roasted well, with minimal processing, taste incredible. We've had customers tell us they didn't know nut spread could taste this way — genuinely nutty, naturally satisfying, with flavour that comes from the nut rather than a sugar coating.

Yes, some of our spreads have flavour twists — a touch of chocolate, a hint of sea salt, a unique combination — but the foundation is always the nut. That's what you're paying for. That's what your body actually benefits from.

Nuts Every Day — Why It Matters

Research consistently shows that eating a daily handful of nuts supports heart health, improves cholesterol levels, aids weight management, and reduces the risk of chronic disease. That's approximately 30g per day — not a lot, but meaningfully beneficial.

The challenge is that most people don't eat nuts regularly. Life is busy. Whole nuts sit in a bag and get forgotten. But a good nut butter? It fits into almost every meal and snack without thinking:

• Spread on sourdough toast in the morning
• Blended into a smoothie for protein and healthy fats
• Spooned over crepes or waffles on weekends (a personal favourite)
• Stirred into oatmeal or yoghurt
• Or honestly — eaten straight from the spoon, standing over the kitchen counter, because sometimes that's just what you need

Our spreads are designed to make that daily nut intake easy, delicious, and nutritionally meaningful. With a nut content of 56–82%, every spoonful is doing the work that a handful of whole nuts would do.

A Note on Kids and Nut Butters

One question we get often from parents: is it safe to introduce nut butters to young children?

Emerging research suggests that early introduction of nuts — rather than avoidance — may actually help reduce the risk of nut allergies developing. Of course, every child is different, and we always recommend consulting with a healthcare professional for babies and very young children.

What we can say from the families who buy our products: parents love that their kids can enjoy something that tastes like a treat but is packed with protein, healthy fats, and real nutrition. No artificial colours. No unnecessary sugar. Just nuts — in a form that kids actually want to eat.

That said, if you or your child has a known nut allergy, always take appropriate precautions. Nut butters are not suitable for everyone, and allergic reactions can be serious.

So, Which Nut Butter Is Best?

Honestly? It depends on what you're looking for. But here's a simple way to think about it:

• For the highest protein: peanut butter
• For the most balanced nutrition: almond butter
• For the creamiest texture: cashew butter
• For rich, bold flavour: hazelnut butter
• For something different and antioxidant-rich: pistachio butter (just make sure it's the real thing)

What they all have in common, when made properly, is that they're genuinely good for you. The key is always the same: high nut content, no palm oil, minimal added sugar, a short ingredient list, and a brand you can trust.

Try Our Spreads

We make our nut butters the way we believe they should be made — with 56–82% of nuts, no palm oil, low sugar, and real flavour combinations that make every spoonful worth it.

If you're ready to taste the difference that quality makes, we'd love for you to try them.