What Is A Good Substitute For Almond Butter?

Originally posted on June 25, 2021 @ 7:45 am

What Is Almond Butter?

Almond butter is a gritty-textured paste that comes from grinding raw or roasted almonds, which many might confuse with peanut butter. The consistency of the butter depends with how you want yours to turn out, so you can either have it smooth or crunchy. Around the kitchen, it falls in the category of regular nut butter, meaning that you can use almond butter as a spread, on your toast or by adding it into your smoothies.

Other than that, other almond butter recipes revolve around baking and making candies, just as you would with peanut butter. Such flexibility is credited to the fact that this particular butter perfectly complements a number of flavours, so there’s something for everyone and every dish. However, does a substitute for almond butter exists? If yes, then what is a good substitute for almond butter?

What Does Almond Butter Taste Like?

As mentioned, almond butter is another version of a peanut butter fix, meaning that the tastes are closely tied. It’s equally creamy and nutty and the difference you’ll experience is how powerful the flavour is pronounced, unlike in the case of peanut butter.

Depending on whether the one you have at hand is commercial or home-made, you can also find that the taste in different brands somehow varies. We have natural varieties and the sweetened or flavour-infused options and with that you can pick the pack which suits your needs.

Why Would You Want To Substitute Almond Butter?

Before we dwell on why you would want a substitute for almond butter, first of all what is a good substitute for almond butter that you might think of? However, here are some reasons why you might seriously need that almond butter substitute.

• Something new. Just like peanut butter, you can also get bored of using almond butter, prompting you shake up your regular ingredients. Alternating nutty ingredients will also help you balance out different nutrients so that you get the most out of your recipes.
• It’s costly. Almond butter can be made at home and outsourced, but either way, you’ll have to incur extra costs than you would on regular nuts. Just as the commercial ones, almonds are also expensive, and when you add that to the butter extraction process, you’ll definitely opt for an almond butter substitute.
• You can’t find any. One of the reasons why peanut butter is vastly used in most homes is that not many can get their hands on good almonds or almond butter for that matter. There are also those days when you happen to run out of the few pieces you stocked up or prepared, but then your store equally runs out. So instead of cancelling your cooking spree, just substitute almond butter with something else.

The 5 Best Almond Butter Alternatives in Recipes

• Peanut butter.

This is the best, easiest and readily available almond butter substitute. The two go hand in hand, so you can always replace almond butter with peanut butter in most recipes. As mentioned, all of them have options that you can pick from in terms of consistency, so if the recipe calls for say smooth almond butter, you can easily substitute that with smooth peanut butter. In addition to that, you can comfortably substitute almond butter with peanut butter in equal measures, so you don’t have to use extra or additional nuts.

• Cashew Butter.

This is another relatively close nutty almond butter substitute which will give you similar results. There’s much similarity in terms of texture, taste and aroma, however, cashew butter outmatches the rest because of its monounsaturated fats which are healthier. It’s also creamier than almond butter and peanut butter, only that its protein levels are relatively on the lower side.

• Sunflower Seed Butter.

Here is a great choice for those who can’t stand either peanut or cashew butter. It has a thicker consistency similar to that of almond butter, and with that you can even use it as a spread. The taste is equally forward and delectable, only that it doesn’t match how creamy almond butter is.

• Walnut Butter.

If you don’t have almond to make your butter at home, you can simply have them replaced with walnuts. However much not-so-popular it is, this variant is growing in popularity, considering the healthy omega fatty acids it brings home. Unlike most nuts, walnut butter is versatile enough and can be used in both vegan and non-vegan cuisines.

• Coconut butter

If you love the taste of coconut and happen to be allergic to nuts, here is one of the non-nutty substitutes you can use.  It’s still possible to spice things up by using coconut butter in place of almond butter when other options don’t suit you. Extracted from coconut flesh, this butter has with it a rich and creamy taste, closer to that of almond butter.

Vegan Substitutes for Almond Butter

Compared to other nut butters, almond butter is considered friendlier to vegans, however for the substitutes, some nut products will not work out. In that case, you can try these:

• Mashed bananas or avocados.

You can also get something buttery the fruity way if you’re vegan. Depending on what goes well with you, mashed bananas or avocados will give your baked goods something similar to almond infused ones. These two have healthy fats which can replace both almond butter and regular butter, so you can also use them as spreads and toppings with much ease.

• Vegan butter.

This mostly works great in baked goods or when almond butter was used as a spread because in other dishes, the consistency will be different. Vegan-friendly or unsalted butter will give you equal amounts of healthy, soft and moist pastries. You can substitute the two in equal measures, that is, ration 1:1.

Tips on Using the Replacement for Almond Butter

• Consider nut-based options. Except for those who are nut-intolerant, I highly recommend that you stick to the nut-based options when looking for something to substitute almond butter. This will help you get something close, if not exact, in terms of taste, customizable texture and aroma.
• Consistency. This is not difficult to achieve when using nut butters because of the similarities across. Something to pay attention to is the formulation of the almond butter that the recipe calls for whether it’s crunchy, smooth, stir or no-stir. You have to ensure that whatever you use matches the description stated in the recipe for better texture.

Conclusion

So, when it comes to serious matters only, what is a good substitute for almond butter? Almond butter still stands out because of its mystic taste, nutritional value and versatility in recipes. This means that when looking for a good almond butter substitute, that’s what should inform the choice you make, so focus on getting the right balance.With the right details surrounding almond butter and its substitutes at hand, you’re guaranteed to get the best results.