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.
Spread the Love
Husband-and-wife team Val and Zach Fishbain never expected their love to also sprout a business. When planning their wedding and brainstorming ideas for favors, Val, who already loved to make homemade peanut butter in her Vitamix blender, thought it would make a perfect gift. So she whipped up 150 jars. Wedding guests loved it so much that the Fishbains turned nut butters into a business. Based in Los Angeles, Spread the Love makes both almond butter and peanut butter. The top seller is Naked organic peanut butter, which is lighter in color than most nut butters (due to a special roasting technique) and has a perfectly drizzly consistency. The single-serve packets, which come in boxes of 10, are also super handy for travelers.
See more: 8 Fun Facts About Peanuts (Infographic)