A nut butter is a spreadable foodstuff made by crushing nuts. The result has a high fat content and can be spread like true butter, but is otherwise unrelated. Nut butters include:
- Almond butter
- Cashew butter
- Hazelnut butter
- Macadamia nut butter
- Peanut butter
- Pecan butter
- Pistachio butter
- Walnut butter
The almond, cashew, macadamia, peanut, pecan, pistachio and walnut are not true nuts in a botanical sense. However, because they are considered nuts in a culinary sense, their crushed spreads are called nut butters. Similar spreads can also be made from seeds not considered nuts in a culinary sense:
- Pumpkin seed butter
- Sesame seed butter (usually called tahini)
- Soybean butter
- Sunflower seed butter
Nut and seed butters are rich in protein, fiber, and essential fatty acids and can be used to replace butter or margarine on bread or toast.
The following table gives some approximate nutritional properties of a selection of nut and seed butters. It is important to note that many products contain additional oils or other ingredients that may alter the nut butter's nutritional content.
| Butter | Calories (1 tbsp.) |
Protein (g) |
Fat (g) |
Calcium (mg) |
Zinc (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almond butter | 101 | 2.4 | 9.5 | 43 | 0.5 |
| Cashew butter | 93 | 2.8 | 8 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Hazelnut butter | 94 | 2 | 9.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Peanut butter - natural | 94 | 3.8 | 8 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Peanut butter - reduced fat | 95 | 4 | 6 | N/A | 0.4 |
| Sunflower butter | 80 | 3 | 7 | N/A | N/A |
| Soy butter (sweetened) | 85 | 4 | 5.5 | 50 | N/A |
| Soy butter (unsweetened) | 80 | 4 | 6.5 | 30 | N/A |
| Soy-peanut butter (added sweetener) | 50 | 2 | 1.2 | 40 | N/A |
| Tahini | 89 | 2.6 | 8 | 64 | 0.7 |
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