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Whether as part of a protein-packed breakfast or a weekend treat, we’ll admit to being nut butter addicts. Crunchy or smooth, we’ll take either, in TikTok mug cakes, smoothies, and yes, scooped straight out of the jar — what can we say, we’re OBSESSED.
So that you don’t waste your time with anything mediocre, we tried all the peanut, almond, cashew and hazelnut spreads, so you know which are worth stocking up on. No need to thank us....
What is the best-tasting nut butter?
- Best hazelnut spread: Mindful Bites Dark Choc Hazelnut And Choc Hazelnut Spread
- Best almond butter for gym-goers: MyProtein All-Natural Almond Butter
- Best cashew butter: Biona Cashew Nut Butter
- Best peanut butter to buy in bulk: Organic Kitchen Peanut Butter Smooth
- Best classic peanut butter: Pic's Peanut Butter Crunchy
- Best for treat day: Pana Cashew Caramel
- Best peanut butter powder: PBfit All-Natural Peanut Butter Powder
- Best deep roast peanut butter: Manilife Deep Roast Crunchy Peanut Butter
- Best chocolate almond butter: Pip & Nut Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Almond Butter
- Best savoury peanut butter for cooking: M&S Crunchy Peanut Butter with Maple & Pecan
- Best peanut butter with honey: Whole Earth Smooth Peanut Butter With Honey
Can you eat almond butter every day?
Now for the important question. How much can we legit scoff each day? Consultant Dietician Ro Huntriss (@dietitianro) explains...
“We all have different energy (calorie requirements) and this depends upon several things such as our weight, age, activity levels and whether we are trying to increase, decrease or maintain weight. Peanut butter has approximately 100 calories per serving. So one to two tablespoons per day may be reasonable for some people within the context of a healthy diet. While for others, for example those trying to lose weight, a teaspoon of nut butter accompanied by some fruit may be a more preferable snack option.”
So to summarise, yes, yes you can.
How we test
From crunchy to smooth, plain to flavoured, the Cosmo testing team scooped their way through 19 jars of nut butters to bring you this definitive list.
Mindful Bites Dark Choc Hazelnut And Choc Hazelnut Spread 2 x 185g
Like Nutella, this two-pack contains a sweet dark chocolate version and a regular tub too. Keep both for yourself, or make someone’s day with this alternative chocolate treat.
With gyms reopening, you’ll might be considering upping your protein intake. Almond butter is a great way to go about it, and this 1kg jar will ensure there’s enough to go around (tbf, your flatmate is bound to pinch some). You won’t find any added salt, sugar or palm oil here, so it’s a super healthy choice.
The only thing you’ll find in this jar is organic cashews, so how they get it so smooth and creamy is beyond us. However, we can confirm it’s delicious on anything sweet — your waffles will thank you for it.
Organic Kitchen Peanut Butter Smooth 1kg
Peanut butter can be expensive, but when you consider there’s a kilo of the stuff in this tub, we reckon it feels pretty reasonable. It’s organic too, and blended until impossibly smooth for those that don’t want the added crunch.
Pic's Peanut Butter Crunchy 1kg
With one tester saying that this NZ crunchy peanut butter tasted like a Snickers bar, and another likening it to crunchy nut cornflakes, we really don’t think there’s much more we need to say...
Is it caramel? Is it nut butter? One thing is for sure, we haven’t stopped drizzling it on everything since discovering it. The good news is that it’s also full of the good stuff, being organic, free from sugar and spiked with libido-boosting maca. Winning!
Ok, so obviously we’re not suggesting this PB powder is going to replace a creamy scoop straight from the jar. BUT, that said, it’s actually really delicious mixed into porridge, overnight oats and smoothies.
As if we could bring you a peanut butter round-up without mentioning Manilife. The brand’s deep roast is serious stuff, intensely flavoured and packed with chunky whole nuts. Chop up an apple and get scooping.
Pip & Nut Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Almond Butter 225g
We live for the Pip & Nut limited edition flavours, and we think this chocolate sea salt-spiked almond butter is our favourite yet. Also, if ever there was a girl boss to aspire to, it’s founder Pippa Murray, who basically invented the all-natural nut butter category we know today.
M&S Crunchy Peanut Butter with Maple & Pecan 227g
With maple syrup, sugar and cinnamon in the mix, you’d be forgiven for thinking M&S’ peanut butter would be one ultra-sweet scoop. But surprisingly the addition of caramelised crispy pecans gave it a savoury edge that made us want to make satay sauce.
If you’re a sweet and salty popcorn lover, we reckon you’ll love this smooth, honey-spiked nut butter. But it’s maybe not quite so suitable for scoffing in the cinema...
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
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