10 Deliciously Addictive Craft Nut Butters
Whether you grew up on Jif, Peter Pan or Skippy – or maybe your parents were a little bit hippy and fed you PB&Js spread with Adams, the OG natural peanut butter – it’s time to expand your taste buds. If you take a stroll down the spreads aisle at your local supermarket, you’ll notice the offerings have greatly expanded since you were a kid. According to Mintel, the nut-based and sweets spread category grew to $3.9 billion in 2018, due in large part to greater awareness of the health benefits associated with nut butter, including heart-healthy fats and satiating protein.
Unlike many big brands that have added sugar, oils and preservatives, however, a new crop of companies is producing craft nut (and nut-free) butters using only the best ingredients. Some are even incorporating nuts such as pistachios and pecans to create unique textures and flavors. We stirred, spooned and sampled our way through the latest small-batch spreads to bring you 10 of our favorites.
Reid’s
Melinda Bastiaanse has always loved the delectable combination of peanut butter and honey. Once she got certified as a health coach, the Holland, Michigan-based mom began taking nutrition more seriously and started making her own peanut butters. “People kept telling me that I needed to sell them,” she says. Taking inspiration from her peanut-butter-loving grandfather, whose middle name was Reid, she launched her company about five years ago. Not only does she make unique peanut butter flavors, like maple crunch and blueberry (she makes the latter using dried Michigan blueberries), she also now has honeybees and sells raw honey. Reid’s newest variety, whipped cinnamon honey, is spoon-worthy.