5 Ways To Give Your Favorite Nut Butter A Nutrition Makeover

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Mmm… nut butter. It tastes great on toast, it’s oatmeal’s perfect match and, hell, it’s even an ideal treat on its own by the spoonful. Whether you prefer peanuts, almonds, cashews or pistachios, you know that nut butter is one of those things that makes your days that much brighter.

Unfortunately, a lot of nut butter products on the market today aren’t exactly the picture of health. They’re chock full of sweeteners and additives that take away from the overall nutritional value the food provides. But when done right, nut butter can be one serious superfood. Check out the following five ways to give your favorite nut butter a major health upgrade — and likely boost the flavor at the same time.

1. Blend it yourself.

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First things first: Cut out that middleman. If you want your nut butter to pack the best nutritional punch, you’re best off grabbing a handful of lightly roasted, unsalted nuts, tossing them in a blender or food processor with a little olive or coconut oil, and whipping up a batch yourself. It’s also incredibly easy, so we doubt you’ll miss your storebought jar once you give it a whirl and see just how good your fresh ingredients taste.

2. Spice it up.

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We take our cues here from Julie Fox, the flavor genius behind Julie’s Real nut butters and granolas. She combines almonds and cashews with bold flavors like cinnamon, vanilla bean, coconut, espresso and cacao, which jazzes up the creations in entirely new ways. Not to mention, each of these ingredients brings its own nutritional benefits to the table. So when you feel like your excitement for your breakfast is beginning to waver, start experimenting with what’s in that spice rack and on that pantry shelf. You won’t be disappointed.

3. Nix the sweet stuff.

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We know, we know, we’re spoiling a bit of the fun here, but it’s no surprise that avoiding added sugars and sugar substitutes will serve your body well. So trade that honey or agave in for a naturally sweeter nut like cashews, maybe blend some freshly chopped dates into the butter for an added sweetness or top your nut butter with pieces of fresh fruit like sweet berries or banana slices instead. (We think properly blended nut butter can successfully stand alone on the flavor front, though.)

4. Make a fun nut medley.

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Who says you have to stick with just almonds or peanuts? Grab handfuls of your favorites — hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, whatever floats your boat — and blend them all together to create a decadent tasting mixed nut butter that boasts that many more nutritional benefits. It’s basically our mission in life to recreate Trader Joe’s Mixed Nut Butter in our own kitchens. That stuff checks all the boxes in all the best ways.

5. Mix in other superfoods.

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Oh yeah, we’re going there. Want to up the fiber content of your breakfast? Blend some chia seeds or flaxseeds into that fresh nut butter that’s topping your morning oats. Want to give it a little sweet kick? Add some dried goji berries to the mix. There are so many acai bowl toppings that typically sit next to your nut butter that can be blended right in for use in other meals. We have a feeling your PB&J sandwiches will never be the same after this one.