How do you like your almond butter?
(Besides the direct transfer from spoon to face)
Thank you so much for all of the kind words about Tucker’s return. Within minutes of putting the post up, my friend Carrie found him on Craigslist! He’ll be back home with my family today. Social media is an incredible thing, indeed.
While I waited for news last night, I snuggled with Bell and had a snack.
(2 eggs, 2 egg whites, lots of chile sauce)
Drank some tea,
and watched girly TV since the Pilot was flying. Last time he came home late, I was sucked into My Sister’s Keeper. Random side note: the movie is SO different from the book. And as always, book > movie. Always.
One of my snacks yesterday was almond butter straight out of the jar, and as I was devouring my scoopful while lunch cooked, I was thinking about how beautifully versatile it is. I wouldn’t kick any nut butter outta bed, but almond is my favorite because of the healthy fat and protein content (peanut and cashew butters are actually legumes instead of nuts, so I think of them as starchier options).
Here are some of my favorite unique uses for almond butter:
–Breakfast cookie and cookie dough cereal
–Almond butter chocolate chip cookies (still one of my all-time faves and staples in our casa)
-Noodles or spring rolls with spicy almond butter sauce
-Stirred into curry sauces, marinara sauces or soups for a richer flavor
-On top of ice cream (especially banana soft serve)
-As a savory or sweet sandwich/wrap sauce
I like to consider myself a bit of an almond butter conossieur, since I go through a jar a week and have tried as many brands as possible.
My top 10 in order:
10. MaraNatha- It has a good flavor and texture, but for the price ($10+ per jar), it’s nothing special.
9. Trader Joe’s Raw, crunchy- I love having a crunchy option and for the price, you can’t beat it. Raw almond butter is usually very expensive, and Trader Joe’s always has awesome prices
8. Artisana- This one is very good, but a little too earthy tasting. I like the smooth texture, though.
7. Barney Butter– I would like Barney Butter a lot more if it weren’t so sweet, but love this almond butter for more sweet treats. Because it’s so sweet, it’s harder for me to eat it straight out of the jar, so it lasts a while longer. I love the crunchy Barney Butter, too.
6. Trader Joe’s, roasted with sea salt- the flavor is this one is fantastic and the amount of sea salt is perfect. It’s not too salty and awesome in savory dishes.
5. Trader Joe’s with flax- I love the addition of flax seeds, especially for breakfast toppings. It’s a fun way to switch things up, especially for a textured almond butter.
4. The kind you grind yourself- this will always be one of my favorites, and I especially love the grinders at Fresh Market and Sunflower Market. The texture is fluffy and the price is reasonable. I also think the novelty of grinding it yourself adds bonus points.
3. Woodstock Farms- for a raw almond butter, there is a really deep and pleasant flavor- raw almond butters can be on the bland side. The price is comparable to most almond butters, and if I see this one, I’ll almost always buy it.
2. Justin’s– I fought the Justin’s train for a while, because it’s overpriced for a small jar and thought it wouldn’t live up to the hype. I was so wrong. The texture of the Justin’s nut butter is out of this world- perfectly creamy and smooth. Because it’s more of a drippy almond butter, a little goes a long way, and I love the flavors they offer, too. Chocolate tastes = almond butter frosting
1. Nuttzo (peanut-free)- Nuttzo will always have my heart. The regular nut butter is ok, but the peanut-free is incredible. It’s a mix of different nuts and also includes cashews (which gives an amazing sweetness) and chia seeds for a little crunchy texture. I can’t justify buying it on a regular basis and will usually stock up when we run an OpenSk deal, but it’s my fave, hands down.
So tell me friends, what is your favorite nut butter? Any fun or unique uses or recipes to share? Feel free to link away!
Hope you have a wonderful day and I’ll see ya later <3
xoxo
Gina
Something to think:
Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Angela on Pinterest
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I love this AB post! Totally versatile and good-for-you-delicious, and I love what you wrote about not kicking any nut butter out of bed. 😉 My favorite? The TJ’s roasted w/flax seed…oh man – it’s gone dangerously fast whenever I get it! Fun post – thanks for linking to those great recipes too!
I made a mixed nut butter from all of the mini packs of nuts from Starbucks oatmeal, and it was the best I’ve ever tasted!
My faves: Justin’s maple almond or vanilla almond is awesome, but I love Barney Butter too. I wasn’t a fan of Nuttzo – it’s super drippy from what I remember and quite expensive.
did you try the regular or the peanut free?
Archer Farms (Target brand) has some absolutely delicious nut butters! But in general some of my favorite nut butters include flax seeds. Such a simple, but yummy addition.
yes! this!
Note on My Sister’s Keeper – I saw Jodi Picoult speak and she talked about how she never gave approval for the ending to be changed – in fact, the director banned her from the set so that she wouldn’t know. She is not a huge fan of Hollywood.
no way!! i was so confused that they changed it so much. what was wrong with the original ending?! they were both insanely sad…
I like the book ending. It was a crazy twist that you never saw coming. I loved that! I really didn’t like the way the movie ended. Glad I’m not the only one.
I also love Justin’s… And I love that it comes in those little “to-go” packets too.
I just bought MaraNatha for the first time and it’s fine – nothing to freak out over.
If I don’t make my own, I think it’s either Justin’s or TJ’s for me!
Such a fun post!! Makes me miss almond butter even more, but I’m learning to settle with sunbutter and tweek recipes a little bit 🙂
And I LOVE that quote! I’m worrying about some news that may or may not come between now and Friday. I just have to let it happen and remember it will work out how it’s supposed to. So thanks!! I needed that <3
i have to say, i’m a sucker for target’s archer farms almond butter. they also make a kind with flax seeds in it. only downside is the major stirring, but most require that. and the price is amazeballs! (they sell this even at my non-grocery store target. right next to the peanut butters)
I love almond butter a bit too much! My favorites are Justin’s and Trader Joe’s crunchy with flax! I’ve never tried nutzo though and where it’s your number one choice I think I’m going to have to!
My favorite almond butter is Trader Joe’s Raw Creamy Almond Butter. Although I will say I haven’t tried very many brands, and TJ’s definitely has the best price. I also like Justin’s Maple Almond Butter, but in general I prefer my AB without any added sugar.
I LOVEEEE nutzo.. but my wallet and budget does not, either 🙁 hands down THE best. I love almond butter on anything – overnight oats, pancakes, toast, so versatile. I love your suggestion of adding it to marinara’s and sauces, I can so see how that adds a richer flavor. really though, you can’t go wrong with TJ’s..they do a great job on ALL of their nut butters, IMO.
i totally agree and they have awesome prices
Craigslist! That is so crazy!!!!
I love almond butter. I actually cannot believe I used to wonder why people loved it more than peanut butter. Now, I choose almond butter over peanut butter EVERY time. This post makes me want some :/
once you go almond, you never go back
I have tried most of the almond butter and Trader Joe’s and I like them all. However, I have to say Whole Food’s crunch almond butter has been the best so far. There are equal amounts of oil to crunchiness. Plus, they are perfect for the amazaballs (aka breakfast ballz) too!
Where do you buy Nutzo? Haven’t heard of it.
I loveee the TJs creamy with sea salt too, perfect texture and taste IMO 🙂 also the maranatha smooth almond butter is like $5 for a HUGE jar at Costco and is super drippy so I tend to have that one on hand at all times!
I can take nut butter or leave it but if I buy it, it’s the Costco Maranatha jar because it’s dirt cheap.
I recently tried Naturally More peanut butter with flax seeds and it was pretty good. I thought whole flax seeds were not digestible, though, so I don’t know if it does much good in there.
Besides spoonful to mouth…lol my favorite would be spread on an apple and my favorite is Justin’s or Barney Butter
omg I forgot about nut butter fries. Thanks for the reminder – they’re amazing 😉
And I love the TJ’s raw unsalted, too! but creamy.
Almond butter is amazing. I live in almond-growing country, so I get jars of it from the farmer’s market from local independent producers and it is just divine.
My Sister’s Keeper book’s ending is SO much better.
I recently tried MaraNatha’s Caramel Almond Spread and it was like I died and went to heaven. Definitely my fav.
LOVE that quote! I really like MaraNatha but like you say, it’s really expensive relative to the others. As for the TJs ones, I hope to some day try one out… oh how I’d LOVE to get down to a TJs in the US! 🙂
Love almond butter! Pretty much any nut butter is A-OK in my book.
I’m pretty sure the only one on your list I’ve tried is Maranatha. I love that one, so I can only imagine how obsessed I would be with the better stuff.
Oh, Justin’s – I need to find you in Canada.
#2 and #6 are my favorites! Lately I’ve been having a gluten-free TJs waffle toasted with almond butter and some TJs jelly on top — filling and delicious!
I am obsessed with Bee-Nut Butter http://back-2-basics.org/BeeNut.html it’s all natural peanut butter with natural honey and a little sea salt. Most amazing nut butter ever! You can buy it locally in some stores here in Oregon or order it online. I highly recommend it. It will seriously change your life.
Love this post and the rankings of your preferences – I know you are THE A.B. Conissiour and so I love your list. I have always been a PB over AB girl but just this weekend a friend w/ similar tastes to mine was telling me that Justin’s AB is like the best thing she’s ever tried in life!
Love this post! You are making me crave almond butter and all the recipes you shared! I used to always buy almond butter but my husband hates it so we have been sharing peanut butter more often. I used to love the trader joe’s flax almond butter & the kettle brand almond butter. I need to try Justin’s, I know once I do I will have a hard time going back 🙂
I love AB on almost anything & everything. I hate PB, so so much.
Salted, roasted AB is my fav.
Love Love Love Almond Butter, we blanch our own, toast, vitamix, and ohhh my, my favorite by far! I like to eat it on a brown rice cake or straight outa the jar!
I love the Justins Vanilla and Chocolate almond butters but I pretty much just eat them with a spoon, so I’m not sure that’s a super healthy usage.
Thanks for the quote at the end of your post- I absolutely love it and needed to hear it today. I even love the presentation; I kind of want to get it framed exactly like that.
I buy maranatha at costco. $9ish bucks for a HUGE jar. It’s not the best but can’t beat the price.
Oh and on a sweet potato is my new fave. Thanks for that idea, I never would’ve thought of it.
LOVE it so much!
Love that quote!
i love your Christmas mug in August.. . makes me feel better when I wore my snowflake pj bottoms to bed last night. lol. i heart justin’s maple almond butter – with a spoon!
snowmen year round 🙂
I just made almond butter myself for the first time the other day. It is delicious!!! So good, and tastes so fresh! It’s amazing the difference from store-bought!
I LOVE Justin’s Maple Almond Butter. Their chocolate hazlenut butter is delish but I can’t keep it in the house – dangerous.
This cafe near me does this with nutella but I tried it recently with Trader Joe’s Cookie butter. I think it would be awesome with any nut butter though. Smear nut butter around your mug and then pour a cup of coffee! (the cafe had a nutella mocha)
I’m in the UK and so far I’ve only found Meridian which is pretty good. I’m taking a trip to the health food store next week and I’m hoping they’ll have some different brands that I can try.
So far, I love my Healthy No-bake Almond Coconut Bites http://www.threeunderthree.co.uk/2012/08/healthy-no-bake-almond-coconut-bites.html or apple slices dipped in almond butter but I have a feeling that the cookies you linked to above could be my new favourite 🙂
My favourite post yet!!! I’ve just started getting into almond butter since you make your recipes sound oh-so-delicious AND you praise it so much I just had to try it for myself! In Toronto, I only found Metro selling MaraNatha. I’ve only tried the roasted almond butter and its AWESOME!!
I can’t wait to try the other brands, thats IF I can find them in selling in Canada!
Nut butter definitely has a hold of my heart — my faves are cashew butter and sunflower seed butter. The TJ’s sunflower seed butter is to die for! Grilled PB&Js with your fave nut butter is a great lunch or snack. I did a post about it last year although there really isn’t any magic secret to making them! They are scrumptious 🙂 http://vegvacious.blogspot.ca/2011/07/grillin-pb.html
I actually just bought Nuttzo for the first time the other day! I seriously LOVE it! I have the peanut version, which I think is amazing. I want to try the peanut free version though – but it’s 17$ a jar… One day!!
My absolute favorite almond butter brand though is a Canadian brand called Nuts To You – All of their products are amazing, but their raw organic almond butter is out of this world!
I heart this post so much!! Whole Foods organic almond butter = amazing! It’s so expensive but I can’t help myself. Words cannot express how much I love this AB.
Love almond butter! This made me super duper excited because I went to whole foods for the first time (I live in Canada, where there is none) and picked up a jar of peanut free nuttzo. Now I’m even more excited to try it out! I think I need a snack asap!
I love that you are enough of a fan of almond butter to list and compare ten different kinds! I used to buy the TJ’s raw unsalted, but now I make my own in my Vitamix. That takes a little fine-tuning– I start with frozen almonds to prevent overheating. I never thought of adding flax seeds to almond butter but now I’m going to have to try it. I like Artisana products, a little pricey but good. I love that quote on worrying, I already have it saved to Pinterest. I need to remind myself of its message often. On My Sister’s Keeper— I hated the book ending, agree with a reviewer that it makes me feel like chucking the book under the wheels of the nearest minivan. It left me feeling really manipulated as a reader, with no inclination to read any of Jodi Picoult again.
Thanks for the nut butter tips – Did not know that about cashew butter which has currently become my fav!! :/
love cashew butter- it’s especially awesome with berries!
OMG that snack with the apples and strawberries with the dipping looks wonderful! I have never really tried almond butter, usually sticking with just normal pb or butter. But I am going to try those Trader Joe ones.
I agree that the book is always better than the movie, but SO MUCH MORE SO in the case of My Sister’s Keeper! I mean, I can handle changing a few minor things and/or cutting a few things out, but completely changing the ending (especially because the ending of that book was SO shocking and made the book) is NOT OK.
I like it with jelly on a rice cake!
Hi Gina,
I found your blog a couple weeks ago and love it. You totally remind me of myself when when I was in my 20s. I’m now in my 30s. My husband was also in the military when our daughter was a baby.. I’m also a personal trainer.
Oh, I just started eating almond butter recently and really like it. Before I was addicted to peanut butter. I also make those vans waffles with either pb or ab and maple syrup. Yum!
I have a few questions for you. I noticed gluten free graham crackers in one of your posts. What brand are they and where did you find them? Im in so cal.
Is your workout room featured in your videos your home gym or something else? I Ike the set up. We turned our garage into a home gym a few years ago.
Thanks
I’ve actually NEVER had almond butter before in my life. I stopped eating butters like that a long time ago (AKA Peanut Butter) but I am an ALL OR NOTHING girl… So it’s either I eat the ENTIRE JAR and go to the store for more, or I just give it up all together. I am okay with that though, I don’t crave it one bit. Olive tapenades are definitely my go to spread! 🙂
I know I’m late on the AB train in responding to this post but couldn’t resist as I LOVE (with all my heart x infinity!) my almond butter. Fave uses: with raisins on apples or pears, with nutella on apples or pears, as a ginormous blob in my hot cereal of choice in the morning, scooped outta the jar with some strawberry fruit spread (also my fave combo in a breakfast corn quesadilla – it’s just two warmed corn tortillas with AB and fruit spread – delish!). hmmm, really, I’d eat it in anything (except for maybe on top of a grilled steak – haha). So nice to know there are other crazy AB peeps out there 🙂
I made homemade almond butter last night, and I have to say, sooooooo much better than the AB I had at a hotel a couple years ago! I’ve taken to eating it straight from the container. Yikes.