Six Peanut Butter Alternatives
Here is a round-up of our six favorite peanut butter alternatives including options for store bought “nut-free peanut butter” and recipe suggestions using peanut butter alternatives.
Happy National Peanut Butter Day!
January 24 is National Peanut Butter Day. Now, why would we be celebrating a day that focuses on a top allergen? You may find peanuts or peanut butter to be the enemy, but what about spinning the day around and using it to educate others about what a peanut allergy is?
According to Food Allergy Research Education, 6.1 million people in the USA have reported having a peanut allergy. What is even more interesting is that peanut is only the 3rd most common allergen after shellfish and milk.
Luckily, today there are many peanut butter alternatives available. In Zestfull style, we want to celebrate the positive side of food allergies and share with you the many options available and uses for peanut butter alternatives.
Peanut butter is not the only nut butter
Most people automatically think of peanut butter as the most popular nut butter. For instance, people who can eat peanut butter enjoy it not only for its flavor but for the nutrition it packs with each bite.
But, with allergies on the rise, demand for peanut butter alternatives have increased. Therefore, as a result, food companies have thankfully responded with choices.
Today there are many delicious peanut butter alternatives that are nut-free and made with seeds such as flax, chia, pumpkin and sunflower. You can even find unique nut-free butter spreads made from gluten free oats, watermelon seeds and chickpeas!
Alternative spreads aren’t just for sandwiches
Sure, the classic PB & J sandwich is what many of us associate with when we think of peanut butter. However, peanut butter alternatives also make a great allergy friendly snack, dipped into fruit like apples, swirled into oats, or thrown into smoothies.
Tasty, nut-free, healthy snacks using nut butter alternatives:
- SunButter Granola using Sunflower Seed Butter
- Almond Butter Granola using Almond Butter
- Nut-free Sunflower Seed Energy Bites using Sunflower Seed Butter
- Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Energy Bites using Sunflower Seed Butter
- 5 Minute Protein Energy Balls using WowButter.
Peanut butter alternatives taste delicious in savory dishes too
Peanut butter alternatives also taste great in savory recipes that call for peanut butter. Simply substitute peanut butter (1:1 ratio) with your favorite peanut butter alternative like sunflower seed butter or WOW butter and in minutes, you’ll be enjoying this Asian Peanut Free Dipping Sauce or this Nut-free West African Peanut Stew.
Peanut butter alternatives aren’t just for people with food allergies
To sum up, the number of nut-free schools and nut-free classrooms are increasing due to children entering school with nut allergies.
Likewise, if you don’t live with a nut allergy, it can feel daunting to find nut free alternatives. If you can provide a list of safe peanut butter alternatives to family, friends and your school it will allow you to safely eat snacks together.
In addition, I’ve had many of our friends and other parents exclaim how much they love the alternatives more than peanut butter!
Our favorite peanut butter alternatives
Peanut Butter Alternative: Sunflower Seed Butter
88 Acres are the only ones I eat. They don’t look like peanut butter which is why I like them.
Allie, @miss_allergic_reactor
I love Sunbutter because it’s sweet, salty, and creamy. I also like that there are different varieties like crunchy and unsweetened, which work well for different recipes. I’ve been hooked on it since my first spoonful that I had as a kid!
Amanda, Allergy Blogger @everydayallergenfree
Peanut Butter Alternative: Soy Butter
Brands: Wow Butter & Don’t Go Nuts
I could eat peanut butter as a kid and really liked it on sandwiches, with crackers, with chocolate, etc. even though my mom is severely allergic to peanuts and tree nuts she still fed us peanut butter which I don’t think I’ll ever understand.
Fast forward many years, I have three girls and all of them have (or had) nut allergies along with other allergies. We have tried many nut butter alternatives, but have found that my girls like WOW Butter the best.
For many years we couldn’t eat it because it is soy based which my girls couldn’t eat either. Once our two youngest passed their soy challenges, we tried WOW Butter. It smells exactly like peanut butter and I hear it tastes just like it too.
Laura, Owner @rusticscoop
Peanut Butter Alternative: New Spins
Types of alternatives: Watermelon, Chickpea
Brands: Field Trip, 88 Acres
The watermelon seed butter is very similar in taste to Tahini which is used in hummus. If you have a sesame seed allergy, it’s an amazing alternative!
Shahla
*Bonus! Peanut Butter Alternative: Almond Butter
Brand: Barney Butter
Almonds are the one nut my daughter can eat. We love using Barney Butter BARE almond butter because the flavor is delicious, texture is smooth and there is no added sugar. We also like stuffing their crunchy almond butter into dates with a little shaved chocolate on top and flaky sea salt as dessert!
Shahla
Shop for your favorite alternative nut butter
