What Nut Butters Are Paleo? (2024)

What Nut Butters Are Paleo? (1)

Is nut butter paleofriendly?

Nut butter is a tasty way to getan extra dose of healthy fats and protein in your meals and snacks - but is nut butter allowed on a Paleo diet? In short, it depends.

The basic premise of the paleo diet is to eat foods that prehistoric humans would have eaten during the Paleolithic era. That means lean meats and fish, vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, and anything else that our early ancestors could have hunted or gathered. While your great-great-great-great-great grandma probably wasn't grinding up almonds on a rock to spread on her paleopancakes, the paleo diet does encourage consumption of nuts and seeds with one caveat - no peanuts.Peanuts are technically legumes, which are not paleo compliant, and that means peanut butter is off limits for paleo eaters. All other nuts and seeds are fair game, so if nuts and seeds are the only ingredients, snack away!

However, many big name nut butters you find on grocery store shelves include other ingredients thatmay or may not be paleo, so you'll have to take a closer look at the ingredient label.

What Nut Butters Are Paleo? (2)

Paleo Compliant Nut Butter Ingredients

Manynut butters include extra ingredients like sweeteners, oils, and flavors that can make shopping for a suitable nut butter more confusing. While it's not an exhaustive list, here are some common nut butter ingredients that are paleo approved:

Approved Nuts & Seeds

  • Almonds
  • Cashews
  • Hazelnuts
  • Pistachios
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Pecans
  • Brazil nuts
  • Hazelnuts
  • Coconut
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Chia seeds
  • Hemp seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Flax seeds

ApprovedOils

  • Coconut oil
  • Palm oil
  • Almond oil
  • MCT oil
  • Pumpkin seed oil
  • Macadamia nut oil
  • Walnut oil
  • Flaxseed oil

Approved Sweeteners

  • Coconut sugar
  • Honey
  • Maple syrup
  • Monk fruit
  • Lucuma
  • Stevia
  • Erythritol
  • Xylitol (but it'shotly debated, so many paleo eaters choose to avoid it)

Other Ingredients

  • Salt
  • Cinnamon
  • Flavorings from natural sources (like real vanilla extract, unsweetened cocoa powder, cacao, or berries)

What Nut Butters Are Paleo? (3)

Nut Butter Ingredients to Avoid on a Paleo Diet

While there are many paleo nut butter options out there, most conventional nut butters you see on store shelves include ingredients that are not allowed on a paleo diet.Steer clear of these non-paleo nut butter ingredients:

Non-CompliantOils

  • Anything hydrogenated
  • Canola oil
  • Sunflower seed oil (the seeds themselves are fine, but not the oil on its own)
  • Peanut oil
  • Soybean oil
  • Rapeseed oil
  • Vegetable oil
  • Cottonseed oil

Non-CompliantSweeteners

  • Sugar
  • High fructose corn syrup
  • Corn syrup solids
  • Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, etc.)
  • Brown rice syrup
  • Agave

Other Non-Paleo Ingredients

  • Artificial flavors of any kind
  • Artificial preservatives
  • Dairy, including in chocolate ingredients

Which nut butters are paleo friendly?

If you're a nut butter lover, you're in luck! If approved nuts and seeds are the only ingredients, or if the ingredients are on the approved list above, you're ready to get snackin'.

Most Yumbutter flavors (excluding our Peanut Butter and Peanut Keto) include paleo friendly ingredients, so all these options are safe:

  1. Creamy Almond Butter, Superfood Almond Butter, Inergy Almond Butter Minis, No Sugar Added Almond Butter, and Plant Protein + Probiotic Almond Butter
  2. Cashew Butter
  3. Sunflower Seed Butter
  4. Keto Nut Butters - Pecan, Chocolate Almond, and Macadamia

What Nut Butters Are Paleo? (4)

SHOP YUMBUTTER

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What Nut Butters Are Paleo? (2024)

FAQs

What Nut Butters Are Paleo? ›

The short answer is yes. Nut butters made from cashews, macadamias, hazelnuts, and almonds are all Paleo, but there's a stipulation: they must only contain nuts. If additives, preservatives, or flavorings are included on the label, it isn't Paleo.

What is a paleo substitute for almond butter? ›

Coconut butter is a tasty alternative if you can't or choose not to eat tree nuts. Macadamia nut butter is interesting because macadamias have the best fatty acid profile of any nuts.

What nut butters are not inflammatory? ›

We chose the following ingredients that have anti-inflammatory properties to combine into delicious healthy nut & seed butters:
  • Walnuts: Have the highest amount of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) than any other nut. ...
  • Hemp seeds: ...
  • Brazil Nuts: ...
  • Cashews: ...
  • Ginger: ...
  • Curry powder or turmeric: ...
  • Dried apricots: ...
  • Cacao:
Jan 12, 2019

What butter is OK on paleo? ›

Strict paleo adherents may avoid it due to its dairy origin. However, many who follow a more relaxed paleo meal plan, sometimes referred to as “primal,” may include grass-fed butter or ghee in moderation.

Is peanut butter ok for paleo? ›

Peanuts are technically legumes, which are not paleo compliant, and that means peanut butter is off limits for paleo eaters. All other nuts and seeds are fair game, so if nuts and seeds are the only ingredients, snack away!

What nut butter is allowed on a paleo diet? ›

The short answer is yes. Nut butters made from cashews, macadamias, hazelnuts, and almonds are all Paleo, but there's a stipulation: they must only contain nuts. If additives, preservatives, or flavorings are included on the label, it isn't Paleo.

Are almonds OK for paleo? ›

Nuts and seeds such as macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds play an important role on the paleo diet. As do healthy fats and oils from fruits or nuts (extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil coconut oil, walnut oil, etc.).

Why is ghee Paleo but not butter? ›

That's why ghee is a better Paleo oil than butter. Ghee is lactose and casein-free dairy, whereas butter contains lactose and casein. The risk of dairy allergy is more with butter, and ghee is allergy risk-free. Food sensitivity is the reason Why is ghee paleo and not butter.

Is pistachio butter Paleo? ›

It also packs 7 grams of protein per serving and is Vegan, Gluten Free, Keto and Paleo friendly.

What dairy is best for Paleo diet? ›

Many people on a paleo diet today also include some sources of full-fat dairy, such as butter, cream, yogurt or whole milk. It's ideal if the dairy you eat or drink is from grass-fed cows.

Can you eat bananas on a paleo diet? ›

Many paleo followers wonder if bananas are paleo because of their higher sugar content. They are considered paleo. One medium banana has 113 calories, 2 grams of fiber and 26 grams of carbohydrates. Bananas are an unprocessed, whole food with a good source of potassium.

What nuts are not paleo? ›

Contrary to what most people think, peanuts are legumes and legumes are not paleo due to their harmful effects on digestion and nutrient absorption. While nuts are extremely healthy and encouraged on the paleo diet, especially walnuts and almonds, they are not intended to be eaten in unlimited quantities.

What can you use to replace almond butter? ›

What is a good substitute for almond butter?
  • Cashew butter. Cashew butter has a mild buttery flavor and similar consistency, making it a great alternative to almond butter in various recipes. ...
  • Sunflower seed butter. ...
  • Peanut butter. ...
  • Tahini. ...
  • Oat butter. ...
  • Coconut butter.
Aug 9, 2023

What is a substitute for almond and peanut butter? ›

What Are Peanut and Nut Butter Alternatives? As Yawitz explains, substitutes for peanut butter and nut butters use a variety of ingredients such as soy nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, coconut, and even oats—many of which can increase nutrient diversity in the diet.

Is Justin's almond butter paleo? ›

Jarred nut butter with just almonds and palm oil is Paleo, so go ahead and enjoy taking your packs of Justin's Almond Butter and a banana with you on a hike, to the office, or as a post-workout snack.

What is a paleo substitute for almond flour? ›

Cassava Flour

The newfound darling in the paleo world! Made from the cassava root, it is soft, powdery, and very similar to wheat flour. I love using cassava flour to make these Cassava Flour Pancakes. In most cases, you can substitute cassava flour at a 1:1 ratio for almond flour.

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