Best Nut Butters

By Laura Campbell

Are you nutty for nut butters? Do you go nuts for some nuts? Well, I had a look at some of the best options on the market right now and taste-tested them for you (hard job but someone has to do it).

• Pip and Nut- Pippa Murray set up Pip and Nut butter from her garden shed in 2013 after running a marathon and realising that there was no nut butter without palm oil or high in sugar on the market. Her crunchy nut butter (100% almonds or peanuts or cashews) is reasonably priced and delicious, however, it is not to some people’s liking as it is quite runny and the oil in it separates out and the jars it comes in sometimes leak. As it has a more liquid state it is great for porridge and toast but it also does mean it is easy to consume more of it and quickly eat a whole jar and so watch out if you are watching your waistline. Overall 6/10 because of the fact it is sugar-free (and therefore better for your brain and less likely to make you sugar crash and reach for a snack late in the afternoon) and British made and run by a female founder (which we need more of). She also produces interesting varieties from coconut to maple to almond Bakewell tart, which all taste amazing and are really worth a try! Prices range from £2 a 225g jar to £5 a 225g jar depending on the supermarket or nut butter variety.

Pip and Nut
Lots of varieties but very runny and jar leaks

• MANilife. This nut butter, made by Stuart McDonald, is really lovely. The smooth peanut butter also comes in 15g portioned out containers to ensure you only have a portion and so is great for a snack on the go and don’t overindulge. The texture is good and it's not too runny and the jars don’t leak and it is reasonably priced at £3-£4 for a 400ml pot. There is not a lot of variety in flavours, but if you’re someone who just likes the standard peanut butter, this is your go-to. It is not too dry, is made of just Argentinian peanut butter and is a lovely texture. A strong 9/10 for this one. It is a British based company too.

MANilife nut butter
Strong flavour

• Meridian. The Meridian peanut butter crunchy and smooth can be really quite dry, tasteless and hard to spread on toast and so I would not recommend these, but the roasted nut peanut butter has a really strong and delicious flavour that lingers on your tongue after and this MORE THAN redeems the company. Again these butters contain no palm or rapeseed oil (which is better for the environment and makes them lower in saturated fat) and there is a huge variety in the options of nut butters available from almond to cashew to hazelnut to pecan and even pistachio nut butter (the pistachio nut butter is honestly the loveliest of lovelies). I would give the crunchy peanut butter a 4/10 and the roasted nut one a 7/10. I would also recommend you check out their cashew nut butter variety as it is silky smooth and delicious (7/10) but again quite runny and their sunflower seed butter tastes epic (9/10). These are also reasonably priced from £2–4 depending on variety and again it is a British company.

Sooo much yumminess

• Whole Earth. These nut butters are pretty standard. They are not runny and the jars don’t leak and they contain no added sugar. They contain palm oil (more sat fat) but it claims to be sustainably sourced and it is a British company. Overall a strong flavoured nut butter and a good one to have in your pantry at £2-£3 a jar. I would say 7/10.

Good pantry stock

• Sun-pat. These are the cheaper branded butters and the ones often stocked in local newsagents due to the fact that they contain sugar and a preservative which tends to give them a longer shelf life. They are smooth and sweet and very nice tasting but nothing special and have limited varieties. Ignore their protein plus variety as it is the same amount of protein as any other butter, just marketed differently for a higher price tag. Again a UK based company at £1-£2 a jar. Standard 6/10.

Sun-pat
Avoid the high in protein version….its just marketing

• Marmite peanut butter. I like marmite so this is a good option for me. However the taste of the Marmite hugely overpowers the taste of the peanut butter and so if you are looking for a nutty butter, this won’t be for you. However, the marmite yeast extract does increase the vitamin B12 content of the butter and as vitamin B12 contributes to iron absorption and iron gives you energy (as iron is part of our red blood cells which carry oxygen needed for respiration which yields energy) this is the best for energy. So if you are looking for a nut butter to have before a workout, this one is the best. It also is rich in protein and monounsaturated fats which help to keep you full for longer and as it has no palm oil (low sat fat) or sugar (so no sugar low energy crash and food binge), it will help to keep you active and trim. It also has a good texture and is reasonably priced at £2.50 a jar (£1.50 in Aldi or Lidl). I would recommend and give 7/10.

Marmite peanut butter
Like spinach to popeye this gives you the best energy kick

• Asda nut butter. This nut butter is cheap at only 92p a jar and comes in a crunchy and smooth variety. However, it is pretty standard and contains sugar and palm oil. As it is the average of averages peanut butter it deserves 5/10. I would rather pay a pound more and have something that dances with my taste buds. Good for kids sandwiches though. They do have a 100% £1.50 peanut butter but it is so dry it isn’t worth it.

Standard supermarket nut butter
Great for kids sandwiches as cheap and cheerful

• Skippy. This is a US brand that is 10% sugar and so tastes good, but gives you a mid-afternoon sugar crash. It has as much sugar as some chocolate bars and so do not assume is healthy. I give it 5/10.

• Lidl Maribel nut butter. At £1.89 a jar you get a pretty standard supermarket nut butter (worth 89p) at a Holland and Barrett or Waitrose price. I would go for the Meridian. You get more for your money. Dam you Brexit. Rating 5/10.

• Morrisons nut butter. The honey roast variety is weirdly nice but again the normal brand is supermarket standard. All “low fat” means is it contains no palm oil. However peanut butter is one of the highest (mainly unsat fat and fat is not bad for you- it's needed for everything from cell membranes to making sex hormones) fat things you can get and so if you want low fat, don’t have nut butter! Nothing special. 5/10

• Biona. I don’t care if it is organic. What does that even mean anymore? It is delicious but at £5- £7 jar, you are having a laugh mate. I could get 7 jars of some other peanut butters for the same price and quality. It has no palm oil or sugar but tastes average so it gets 4/10.

So to conclude, if I were you I would go for the strong flavours and not be caught up by the “low fat” or “high protein” varieties. Ideally, you want a nut butter that is JACK HIGH in flavour and pleasure-giving, low in sugar and palm oil (so we don’t get a sugar crash or destroy the planet) and that doesn’t blow a hole in your weekly shop budget. Pretty simple really. Just read the labels and experiment and go for the one that tickles your taste buds the best. Go nutty for nut butter as food is ENJOYMENT and these butters are nothing but edible JOY!