Learn all about different types of nut butter and creamy spreads — their nutrition and health benefits, flavor profile, how to use them, and where to find them on our menu.
Healthy nut butter and seed butter are excellent sources of plant-based protein and heart-healthy fats. And you can’t beat the taste and versatility. Nut butter benefits span the gamut: it’s super healthy, super tasty, can be used in a myriad of ways, and thanks to the fat, fiber, and protein content, it’ll keep you fuller for longer.
Be it a classic sandwich spread, sophisticated sauce ingredient, comfort food condiment, or vegan substitute, there’s a healthy nut butter or creamy spread for every occasion. Here’s a breakdown of some of Thistle’s favorites:
Almond Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 9 g fat | 3 g carbs | 3.4 g protein | 1.6 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: Almond butter is high in monounsaturated fat, which is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. It’s also high in Vitamin E, which protects your cells from oxidative damage and fights plaque in your arteries. Other nutrients found in almond butter include magnesium, manganese, and potassium.
Flavor Profile: Nutty and rich.
Uses: Sometimes simple is best: spread some of this nut butter on slices of fruit. This creamy, crunchy, and refreshing combo, means your body will more readily absorb fruits’ fat-soluble vitamins. Almond butter is also delicious in oatmeal, smoothies, and baked goods.
Try this almond butter recipe: Super Seed Nut Butter
To Buy: Whether you like it creamy or crunchy, look for varieties of almond butter with no added sugar, salt, and oils. Or make it yourself with a strong food processor!
On Our Menu: Fig & Hazelnut Bar — sweet, nutty, and chewy — this bar is the perfect snack to get you through the afternoon
Cashew Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 8 g fat | 4.4 g carbs | 2.8 g protein | .3 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: 80% of the fat in cashew butter is unsaturated, which helps reduce LDL cholesterol, so eat up! You’ll also get some calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K. Finally, lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in cashew butter, play an important role in eye health.
Flavor Profile: Creamy, mild, and slightly sweet.
Uses: Cashew butter is delicious in oatmeal, perfect for rich desserts, and makes an excellent substitute for peanut butter.
Try these cashew butter recipes: Banana-Coconut Cream Pudding | Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
To Buy: Like all nut butter, choose cashew butter products with short, clean ingredient lists that contain no added sugar, salt, and oils. Once opened, store in the fridge. This variety of nut butter loses its freshness fast.
On Our Menu: We love to use cashew butter in some of our snacks and breakfast sauces, like in our Vanilla Cashew Cream.
Hazelnut Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 9 g fat | 2.5 g carbs | 2.2 g protein | 1.4 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: This nut butter stands out for being high in vitamin E, copper, folate, and manganese. Hazelnut butter also has a decent amount of thiamin and magnesium. Full of heart-healthy fats, hazelnut butter is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Flavor Profile: Sweet and smooth.
Uses: Perhaps the most dessert-friendly nut butter on this list, hazelnut butter pairs perfectly with chocolate and any sweet treats that include warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Try this hazelnut butter recipe: Next Level Nut Butter & Jelly
To Buy: Choose a sugar and salt-free hazelnut butter variety. Customize the spread with spices and/or natural sweeteners of your choice. Heads up: Because you need to remove as many of the papery hazelnut skins as possible to ensure a smooth texture, this is the trickiest nut butter to make yourself.
On Our Menu: Hazelnut Cacao Spread — you’ll find it in some of our breakfast muffins.
Peanut Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 8.4 g fat | 3.6 g carbs | 4.1 g protein | 1.4 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: Yes, peanut butter technically comes from a legume, but no nut butter list would be complete without it! If it’s protein you’re after, reach for peanut butter. It packs more plant-based protein than any other nut butter. Additionally, the oleic acid and antioxidants found in peanut butter may help lower the risk of developing diabetes. There’s also plenty of vitamins and minerals to go around. Peanut butter is rich in vitamin E, niacin, copper, and manganese.
Flavor Profile: Nutty, earthy, and mildly savory.
Uses: Peanut butter is great in desserts and confections like peanut butter cookies and peanut butter cups. You can also get to know its savory side via dishes like peanut noodles.
Try these peanut butter recipes: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies | Peanut Butter Mousse Cup | Chunky Monkey Smoothie & Granola
To Buy: Be it creamy or crunchy, avoid brands that contain added sweeteners, oils, salt, or stabilizers. Look for products that are labeled “natural,” and check for a super short ingredient list.
On Our Menu: We use peanut butter in several of our meals, sauces, and snacks, including the Chunky Monkey Smoothie and the Peanut Butter Ganache Bar. Also find it in our delicious Satay Sauce & Panang Sauces on some of our most popular noodle bowls.
Sunflower Seed Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 9 g fat | 3.7 g carbs | 2.8 g protein | .9 grams fiber
Micronutrients and More: Also called sun butter, this seed butter is a great option for those allergic to peanuts and tree nuts because it’s made from seeds. 90% of the fat in sunflower seed butter is of the unsaturated variety, which is both anti-inflammatory and great for cardiovascular health. Just one serving of this nut butter provides 24% of your daily vitamin E intake. Sunflower seed butter is also a great source of magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, and pantothenic acid.
Flavor Profile: Earthy and similar to peanut butter.
Uses: Keep it simple by spreading it on toast. Or get fancy by mixing sunflower seed butter with mashed beans, herbs, and spices to make a tasty dip.
Try this sunflower seed butter recipe: Brownie Batter Smoothie
To Buy: Once again, look for sunflower seed butter that’s free of salt, sugar, and other additives.
On Our Menu: We love to use it in several of our breakfasts, including smoothies and oatmeals. It’s the base of all of our oatmeals, which gives them a wonderfully creamy & toasty flavor. For a savory application, we use sunbutter to make a peanut-free Satay sauce.
Tahini
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 8 g fat | 3.2 g carbs | 2.6 g protein | 1.4 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: Add this sesame seed-based butter to the list of creamy spreads rich in anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fat. Additionally, tahini contains antioxidants called lignans and brain-friendly compounds. Those same compounds also improve your body’s detoxification process by boosting kidney and liver function.
Flavor Profile: Nutty, strong, and slightly bitter.
Uses: Tahini is an essential ingredient in hummus and many Middle Eastern sauces, salad dressings, and dips. This seed butter also makes amazing plant-based soft-serve ice cream, if you can believe it!
Try these tahini recipes: Turmeric, Black Pepper & Tahini Dressing | Beetroot Hummus
To Buy: Look for varieties with super short ingredient lists that are made with toasted sesame seeds — you’ll get more flavor, and it may offer more nutritional benefits.
On Our Menu: We love to use it in many of our salad dressings and sauces. You’ll even find it in some of Thistle’s baked foods. In our Tahini Banana Muffin, tahini imparts a deliciously nutty flavor without any actual tree nuts. The Halvah Cookie Dough Bar is a protein-packed spin on two of our favorite treats: Middle Eastern sesame Halvah & chocolate chip cookie dough.
Walnut Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 10.5 g fat | 2.2 g carbs | 2.5 g protein | 1.1 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: There are tons of surprising health benefits packed into this nut butter. Walnut butter contains contains more ALA, a plant-source of omega 3 fats than other nuts, plus it's particularly rich in antioxidants like ellagic acid and catechins, which support our cardiovascular health. It’s also good for your gut, may curb your appetite, and improves brain function."
Flavor Profile: Earthy, buttery, and slightly bitter.
Uses: To offset the bitter taste, pair this nut butter with something sweet. Walnut butter and sweet chia jam sandwich, anyone? Or how about adding some to a pumpkin spice smoothie?
To Buy: Choose brands that are free of additives. If you choose to make this nut butter yourself, try making it with black walnuts. They’re more nutritious than more common English walnuts.
When you regularly incorporate these different types of healthy nut butter and seed butter into your diet, you’ll up your creamy spread flavor and variety game and reap all the nutritional benefits nuts and seeds have to offer. Enjoy!
Learn all about different types of nut butter and creamy spreads — their nutrition and health benefits, flavor profile, how to use them, and where to find them on our menu.
Healthy nut butter and seed butter are excellent sources of plant-based protein and heart-healthy fats. And you can’t beat the taste and versatility. Nut butter benefits span the gamut: it’s super healthy, super tasty, can be used in a myriad of ways, and thanks to the fat, fiber, and protein content, it’ll keep you fuller for longer.
Be it a classic sandwich spread, sophisticated sauce ingredient, comfort food condiment, or vegan substitute, there’s a healthy nut butter or creamy spread for every occasion. Here’s a breakdown of some of Thistle’s favorites:
Almond Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 9 g fat | 3 g carbs | 3.4 g protein | 1.6 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: Almond butter is high in monounsaturated fat, which is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. It’s also high in Vitamin E, which protects your cells from oxidative damage and fights plaque in your arteries. Other nutrients found in almond butter include magnesium, manganese, and potassium.
Flavor Profile: Nutty and rich.
Uses: Sometimes simple is best: spread some of this nut butter on slices of fruit. This creamy, crunchy, and refreshing combo, means your body will more readily absorb fruits’ fat-soluble vitamins. Almond butter is also delicious in oatmeal, smoothies, and baked goods.
Try this almond butter recipe: Super Seed Nut Butter
To Buy: Whether you like it creamy or crunchy, look for varieties of almond butter with no added sugar, salt, and oils. Or make it yourself with a strong food processor!
On Our Menu: Fig & Hazelnut Bar — sweet, nutty, and chewy — this bar is the perfect snack to get you through the afternoon
Cashew Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 8 g fat | 4.4 g carbs | 2.8 g protein | .3 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: 80% of the fat in cashew butter is unsaturated, which helps reduce LDL cholesterol, so eat up! You’ll also get some calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K. Finally, lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in cashew butter, play an important role in eye health.
Flavor Profile: Creamy, mild, and slightly sweet.
Uses: Cashew butter is delicious in oatmeal, perfect for rich desserts, and makes an excellent substitute for peanut butter.
Try these cashew butter recipes: Banana-Coconut Cream Pudding | Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
To Buy: Like all nut butter, choose cashew butter products with short, clean ingredient lists that contain no added sugar, salt, and oils. Once opened, store in the fridge. This variety of nut butter loses its freshness fast.
On Our Menu: We love to use cashew butter in some of our snacks and breakfast sauces, like in our Vanilla Cashew Cream.
Hazelnut Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 9 g fat | 2.5 g carbs | 2.2 g protein | 1.4 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: This nut butter stands out for being high in vitamin E, copper, folate, and manganese. Hazelnut butter also has a decent amount of thiamin and magnesium. Full of heart-healthy fats, hazelnut butter is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Flavor Profile: Sweet and smooth.
Uses: Perhaps the most dessert-friendly nut butter on this list, hazelnut butter pairs perfectly with chocolate and any sweet treats that include warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Try this hazelnut butter recipe: Next Level Nut Butter & Jelly
To Buy: Choose a sugar and salt-free hazelnut butter variety. Customize the spread with spices and/or natural sweeteners of your choice. Heads up: Because you need to remove as many of the papery hazelnut skins as possible to ensure a smooth texture, this is the trickiest nut butter to make yourself.
On Our Menu: Hazelnut Cacao Spread — you’ll find it in some of our breakfast muffins.
Peanut Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 8.4 g fat | 3.6 g carbs | 4.1 g protein | 1.4 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: Yes, peanut butter technically comes from a legume, but no nut butter list would be complete without it! If it’s protein you’re after, reach for peanut butter. It packs more plant-based protein than any other nut butter. Additionally, the oleic acid and antioxidants found in peanut butter may help lower the risk of developing diabetes. There’s also plenty of vitamins and minerals to go around. Peanut butter is rich in vitamin E, niacin, copper, and manganese.
Flavor Profile: Nutty, earthy, and mildly savory.
Uses: Peanut butter is great in desserts and confections like peanut butter cookies and peanut butter cups. You can also get to know its savory side via dishes like peanut noodles.
Try these peanut butter recipes: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies | Peanut Butter Mousse Cup | Chunky Monkey Smoothie & Granola
To Buy: Be it creamy or crunchy, avoid brands that contain added sweeteners, oils, salt, or stabilizers. Look for products that are labeled “natural,” and check for a super short ingredient list.
On Our Menu: We use peanut butter in several of our meals, sauces, and snacks, including the Chunky Monkey Smoothie and the Peanut Butter Ganache Bar. Also find it in our delicious Satay Sauce & Panang Sauces on some of our most popular noodle bowls.
Sunflower Seed Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 9 g fat | 3.7 g carbs | 2.8 g protein | .9 grams fiber
Micronutrients and More: Also called sun butter, this seed butter is a great option for those allergic to peanuts and tree nuts because it’s made from seeds. 90% of the fat in sunflower seed butter is of the unsaturated variety, which is both anti-inflammatory and great for cardiovascular health. Just one serving of this nut butter provides 24% of your daily vitamin E intake. Sunflower seed butter is also a great source of magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, and pantothenic acid.
Flavor Profile: Earthy and similar to peanut butter.
Uses: Keep it simple by spreading it on toast. Or get fancy by mixing sunflower seed butter with mashed beans, herbs, and spices to make a tasty dip.
Try this sunflower seed butter recipe: Brownie Batter Smoothie
To Buy: Once again, look for sunflower seed butter that’s free of salt, sugar, and other additives.
On Our Menu: We love to use it in several of our breakfasts, including smoothies and oatmeals. It’s the base of all of our oatmeals, which gives them a wonderfully creamy & toasty flavor. For a savory application, we use sunbutter to make a peanut-free Satay sauce.
Tahini
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 8 g fat | 3.2 g carbs | 2.6 g protein | 1.4 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: Add this sesame seed-based butter to the list of creamy spreads rich in anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fat. Additionally, tahini contains antioxidants called lignans and brain-friendly compounds. Those same compounds also improve your body’s detoxification process by boosting kidney and liver function.
Flavor Profile: Nutty, strong, and slightly bitter.
Uses: Tahini is an essential ingredient in hummus and many Middle Eastern sauces, salad dressings, and dips. This seed butter also makes amazing plant-based soft-serve ice cream, if you can believe it!
Try these tahini recipes: Turmeric, Black Pepper & Tahini Dressing | Beetroot Hummus
To Buy: Look for varieties with super short ingredient lists that are made with toasted sesame seeds — you’ll get more flavor, and it may offer more nutritional benefits.
On Our Menu: We love to use it in many of our salad dressings and sauces. You’ll even find it in some of Thistle’s baked foods. In our Tahini Banana Muffin, tahini imparts a deliciously nutty flavor without any actual tree nuts. The Halvah Cookie Dough Bar is a protein-packed spin on two of our favorite treats: Middle Eastern sesame Halvah & chocolate chip cookie dough.
Walnut Butter
Macronutrients: One tablespoon contains 10.5 g fat | 2.2 g carbs | 2.5 g protein | 1.1 g fiber
Micronutrients and More: There are tons of surprising health benefits packed into this nut butter. Walnut butter contains contains more ALA, a plant-source of omega 3 fats than other nuts, plus it's particularly rich in antioxidants like ellagic acid and catechins, which support our cardiovascular health. It’s also good for your gut, may curb your appetite, and improves brain function."
Flavor Profile: Earthy, buttery, and slightly bitter.
Uses: To offset the bitter taste, pair this nut butter with something sweet. Walnut butter and sweet chia jam sandwich, anyone? Or how about adding some to a pumpkin spice smoothie?
To Buy: Choose brands that are free of additives. If you choose to make this nut butter yourself, try making it with black walnuts. They’re more nutritious than more common English walnuts.
When you regularly incorporate these different types of healthy nut butter and seed butter into your diet, you’ll up your creamy spread flavor and variety game and reap all the nutritional benefits nuts and seeds have to offer. Enjoy!
