7 Best Substitutes For Nut Butter In Baking
As tasty as nut butter is, it is unfortunately not everyone’s first choice due to allergies. Luckily, there are a lot of substitutes for nut butter.
Seed butter is a fantastic alternative to nut butter and can be a holy grail for people with nut allergies. If you have been looking for the healthiest and tastiest seed butter then we have compiled a list of the best nut butter substitutes just for you.
What are the best substitutes for nut butter in baking? Pumpkin, watermelon, sunflower, sesame, and hemp seeds offer the creamiest and most delicious flavor for baking.
Read below to learn about seed butter, its benefits, and some excellent substitutes for nut butter in baking.
What is Seed Butter?
Seed butter is made using the same process as nut butter. The seeds are first extracted, cleaned, and dried. Once ready, they are ground into a thick paste called seed butter.
Of course, there is no actual butter included in this process. The term “butter” here is referred to the fats that are released when the seeds are processed at high speeds.
Once the mixture is nearly homogenized, salt, sugars, and other ingredients are added for better flavor and texture.
After everything has been mixed it is packaged and can be used immediately.
There are a lot of ways to get seed butter. You can either make it at home or get it from a store. We recommend making your own seed butter since it is easy to make and is usually a more affordable alternative to commercial products.
Seed butter can generally be a better option when compared to a nut butter in terms of nutrition and makes for an excellent keto-friendly spread too.
You also get the added benefit of not having to worry much about allergens, except for sesame seeds which are becoming a more widely recognized common allergen.
You can use the same ratio for adding seed butter as nut butter too. You can use seed butter for cooking, general eating, and, of course, baking too!
Does Seed Butter Taste Like Fruit?
Seed butter does not taste like its corresponding fruit. Instead, seed butter has varying earthy, roasted, and even nutty flavors. Some seed butter is mild in flavor while others are slightly sweet with a hint of fruitiness.
In most cases, seed butter is a smooth, creamy paste that has a neutral flavor with subtle hints of earthiness and nuttiness.
The best way to get the most out of seed butter is to pair it with sweeteners. Honey or sugar make for excellent additives when making seed butter, but not all spreads require to be sweetened.
For example, tahini made from ground-roasted sesame seeds only requires a dash of neutral oil.
On the other hand, watermelon seed butter is much milder and can be paired with salt, honey, or other types of sweeteners.
7 Of The Best Substitutes For Nut Butter In Baking
Here are some of the best nut butter substitutes.
| Rank | Nut Butter Substitute | What It Tastes Like |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pumpkin Seed Butter | Mildly sweet, earthy |
| 2. | Sunflower Seed Butter | Complex, rich |
| 3. | Hemp Seed Butter | Neutral |
| 4. | Sesame Seed Butter | Nutty, earthy, and rich |
| 5. | Watermelon Seed Butter | Slightly bitter |
| 6. | Mixed Seed Butter | Varies |
| 7. | Poppy Seed Butter | Mild |
1. Pumpkin Seed Butter
Pumpkin seed butter has a very mellow and earthy flavor that resembles, you guessed it, pumpkins but doesn’t exactly taste like the fruit.
It is an excellent all-purpose substitute and can be used in the same way as many other types of nut butter.
The creamy texture along with its mildly sweet flavor can be paired with muffins, cookies, and cakes and if you don’t feel that adventurous, then a simple dollop of it over toasted bread will fulfill any afternoon craving.
You can check out my favorite pumpkin seed butter by 88 Acres. It’s keto-friendly and unsweetened so it’s a great base for baked goods.
2. Sunflower Seed Butter
Sunflower seed butter is a fan favorite and perhaps the most mainstream seed butter available right now.
It is widely used for cooking and baking purposes and offers an excellent earthy and roasted flavor that is known to be a bit more intense than peanut butter.
If you are looking for a tasty, flavorful, and rich nut butter substitute then we can’t recommend this seed butter enough. Use it as a garnish over baked goods or just enjoy it with a simple toasted slice of bread.
I have always loved the taste of SunButter’s Natural Sunflower Butter. It does contain added sugar, so if you’re looking for something less sweet, then check out their organic unsweetened version.
3. Hemp Seed Butter
Even though hemp butter is made from seeds, this delicious spread has a nuttier flavor and you can easily mistake it for any generic nut butter.
This characteristic alone makes it one of the best alternatives to nut butter.
It is healthy, common allergen-free, and you can even make it at home without breaking the bank.
All you need is hemp seeds, neutral oil, and a food processor. Blend everything until homogenous then add salt or other flavoring ingredients as necessary.
If you’re into supporting family farmers, then you will probably enjoy the Hemp Heart Butter from Living Tree Community Foods.
4. Sesame Seed Butter (Tahini)
Tahini is a seed butter that is extremely popular in the Middle East and many parts of Asia. This spread is made using ground sesame seeds and the great thing about tahini is that it is slightly more customizable.
For example, you can roast sesame seeds in different ways to alter the overall flavor of the seed butter.
Regular unroasted tahini has a nutty, earthy, and slightly sweet flavor while roasted sesame seeds provide a very developed and rich flavored tahini.
There are also lightly roasted tahini options that offer the best of both flavor profiles. The Organic Sesame Tahini from Kevala is a great example.
Tahini is unlike other types of seed butter when it comes to its uses and may even provide more utility than nut butter as it is popularly used in a wide variety of both baking and savory recipes.
Add it as a spread on bread or make tahini no-bake cookies with it.
5. Watermelon Seed Butter
While it may not taste anything like watermelons, this seed butter is known as a very healthy alternative to nut butter and can be used in similar ways too.
Flavor-wise, watermelon seed butter is known to have an earthy and mild flavor.
It can be best compared to tahini but has a slightly different nutritional profile which makes it an excellent spread for a wide variety of uses.
88 Acres makes watermelon seed butter and if you already have dried watermelon seeds, then you can also make it at home. Since it is similar to tahini, you may be able to use it as a direct substitute for it in several baked and savory recipes.
6. Mixed Seed Butter
Tired of trying the same old seed butter every day? Then this is going to be one of the best spreads that you will ever have!
There are several varieties of mixed seed butter. Some have up to seven different types of seeds while others can be made with a combination of five or less.
My favorite 5 seed butter is from Beyond The Equator. It includes chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds.
You can also customize and create your very own jar of mixed seed butter.
Pick and choose seed butter from our list and combine the ones that you love the most. Let your imagination go wild and experiment with different flavors!
We guarantee that you will come up with an awesome combination that is customized just to your taste buds.
7. Poppy Seed Butter
Poppy seed butter provides an amazingly smooth and subtly grainy texture that pairs well as a topping.
It can be used for baking goods and makes for a fantastic garnish on cupcakes, muffins, tarts, and more.
Even though poppy seed butter has a very mild flavor, it can easily pair with any ingredient.
If you were to add a bit of sugar or honey then it would surely take this seed butter up a notch, especially when compared to nut butter.
Related Questions
Seed butter is a great allergen-free alternative to nut butter and can be used in virtually the same way too. Now that you know all about the different types of seed butter, here are some related questions.
Can you make seed butter from wet seeds?
Seed butter is usually made from dried seeds. The moisture in the seeds may hinder the oil extraction process which is important in creating seed butter.
Using raw seeds will offer a different flavor especially if you opt not to roast the seeds beforehand.
Can seed butter replace regular butter?
If you are looking for better nutrition than butter then, yes, seed butter may be a suitable alternative to regular butter.
Please keep in mind that most seed butters has varying flavors and you might have to adjust their ratio/quantity based on the fat profile of the seed butter.
You may be able to use 1 tbsp of seed butter for every 1 tbsp of regular butter.
Can you freeze seed butter?
Yes. Typically, seed butter is required to be refrigerated to increase its shelf life and preserve its quality.
For long-term use, you could freeze seed butter for several months. Store the spread in a freezer-safe, airtight container.
To thaw it, store the container in the fridge overnight and mix well before using it.
