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We’re guessing you know what peanut butter is, and have had it on sandwiches and toast over the years, but what about its cousin – almond butter?
Almond butter is a tasty, nutty snack that doesn’t just happen to be incredibly tasty, but incredibly versatile and capable of boosting our health in lots of different ways too!
For more on almond butter, including how to incorporate it into your diet, how to make it and some of the health benefits, keep reading…
Almond butter is a nut butter that’s made from almonds. You can use it to give your food and drink, such as smoothies, sandwiches and cereal, some added texture and nutty flavour.1
Like most other nut butters, almond butter is recognised as being a good source of protein, around 3.4g per 16g, and vitamin E.
One tablespoon of almond butter reportedly contains almost 4mg of vitamin E, which equates to 26% towards the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin E.
Protein and vitamin E aside, almond contains potassium, calcium, manganese and magnesium.
When it comes to fat content, 1 tablespoon of almond butter contains 9g of fat, 1g of which is saturated (bad) fat and the rest, monounsaturated (5.2g) and polyunsaturated (2.2g).
Last but not least, there are 98 calories per tablespoon of almond butter; 3g of which is made up of carbs, and the rest by fibre (1.6g).
Other than tasting great and giving food a nutty crunch and almondy flavour, what are the benefits of eating almond butter?
Well, it doesn’t just happen to taste great if you’re a nut lover, it’s nutritious due to the fact it contains fibre, vitamin E and minerals, including potassium and manganese, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.
All of this goodness means that it can benefit our bodies in many ways, which includes keeping our bones and teeth strong and healthy (thanks to the calcium content) and keeping our blood glucose levels stable and bowel movements regular (thanks to the fibre content), among many other things.
For more on the health benefits associated with eating almond butter read, ‘Almond butter benefits.'
If you have a nut allergy, then you should avoid eating almond butter along with other nut products.1
Eating a small amount of almonds every day isn’t believed to cause any side effects.
However, eating lots of almonds can result in you having a high amount of fibre, vitamin E and the other minerals that are in almonds in your system, which could lead to these digestive issues:
Nausea
Abdominal pain
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Excess almond intake may also interfere with medication and cause severe allergies.
To help reduce the chance of experiencing any of these side effects, soak your almonds overnight to help minimise the risk of any allergic reactions and eat no more than 15 almonds (or the equivalent to) a day.
Almond butter is highly tasty and nutritious
As well as protein and vitamin E, it also contains fibre and monounsaturated fatty acids
Now that you’ve discovered some of the benefits that are linked to almond butter, do you quite like the idea of adding some to your diet?
You can either purchase ready-made jars of it or have a go at making it yourself. And the good news is, it’s relatively easy to make!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Level: Easy
Servings: Enough to make a 300g jar
1
Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
2
Spread the almonds on a baking tray and roast for 10 mins.
3
Remove and allow to cool.
4
Put into a food processor and whizz for 12 mins, stopping every so often to scrape the sides down.
5
Finish with a drizzle of honey.
6
Serve your almond butter spread over malt loaf or wholegrain bread. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Most ready-made almond butter tends to be available as smooth almond butter, like Pip & Nut’s Almond Butter is, or crunchy, just like Biona’s Crunchy Organic Almond Butter.
Alternatively, you can buy bags of powdered almond butter.
You can do all sorts with it, beyond simply cooking with it and spreading it on some bread or a rice cake.
The possible ways you can use nut butter, almond butter included, are widespread.
So widespread, you’ll most probably never look at a jar of nut butter in the same way again!
From simply eating a spoonful of it straight from the jar, to stirring it into hot and warm drinks and adding to your breakfast, lunch and tea, as well as your baking, there’s a place for nut butter in everyone’s lives!
So now you know what it is, why it’s good for our health and how to make it, we’re guessing you’d like to know more about using it, right?
Take a look at the 20 almond butter uses listed below for all the inspiration you need to start your almond butter journey!
Generally speaking, almond butter can be used in any recipe that contains peanut butter (you just use almond butter instead!)
You’ll find lots of recipes, both savoury and sweet, that have almond butter on the ingredients list, several of which we’ve featured below:
Almond butter goes well in lots of different recipes. You can use it to make these delicious:
Almond butter and fresh smoothies go hand-in-hand. In fact, you can add it to most smoothie recipes, including these:
As well as eating and drinking almond butter; it can also be used in a wide range of homemade beauty treatments.14
Believe it or not, the vitamin E content in almond butter means it can potentially help brighten the appearance of skin under the eyes. This is because the oil that’s in the butter sinks into pigmented skin, lightening pigmented cells over time.
1
Put some raw almonds in a blender and blitz until they are smooth.
2
Apply the mixture around your eyes, avoiding the inner area.
3
Leave on for 20 minutes and then wash off with warm water.
4
Use once a day.
The vitamin E that can be naturally found in almonds reportedly helps boost collagen production, which impacts the elasticity of our skin. It therefore can be used to manage the signs of ageing, such as wrinkles, fine lines, as well as dark spots.
1
Make a batch of fresh almond butter.
2
Add some drops of olive oil or coconut oil to it to create a paste.
3
Apply the paste to your skin and leave on for 20 minutes.
4
Wash off with warm water.
5
Use twice a week.
Almond butter can be used as skin cleanser because it reportedly helps open pores and flushes out any excess oil, skin cell debris and dirt. However, if you have oily skin, it’s best you don’t apply almond butter to your face because of its oil content, which could make your skin greasier.
1
Make some fresh almond butter and apply it to your skin.
2
Get a wet cotton ball and use it to gently cleanse your skin, using circular motions.
3
Any debris will show on the cotton ball.
4
Thoroughly wash your skin with warm water.
Almond butter can be used to help treat scalp infections, such as dandruff, because almonds reportedly have anti-fungal properties that can reduce yeast multiplication and scalp flakiness.
1
Make a batch of fresh almond butter using raw almonds.
2
Add a few drops of lime juice to the mixture and then apply the mask to your scalp.
3
Leave it to absorb into your scalp for 15 minutes.
4
Wash off with your usual shampoo, conditioner and warm water.
Almond butter is a nifty little nut butter, so nifty that you can pretty much use it in almost every area of your daily life!
From giving your food and drink an almondy boost, to tackling dandruff and cleansing your skin, the uses are endless! What are you going to try first?
Before you go, make sure you check out these ‘Almond butter breakfast ideas.’
Last updated: 21 September 2021