Nut butters made from walnuts, almonds and cashews are healthy and tasty alternatives to peanut butter.
Peanut butter is the soul of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the foundation of many a dessert and has certain health benefits. With its appeal to both adults and kids and its touted health advantages, it would seem that peanut butter has garnered a permanent position on most pantry shelves, but more and more people are beginning to consider alternatives for a number of reasons. Walnut butter is one of the most popular replacements for peanut butter.
Nutrition
In terms of nutrition, both walnut butter and peanut butter have their advantages. Both are high in protein and both contain omega-3 fatty acids that are conducive to heart health. Both also have antioxidants and a number of vitamins and neither contains trans fats. In many respects, peanut butter and walnut butter are equally healthy, but in terms of overall nut butter nutrition, they both have a high calorie content, coming in at around 200 calories for every 2 tbsp. This will vary from one brand to another, but for the most part they are very similar nutritionally.
Taste
Although walnut butter can be used in place of peanut butter, it does not necessarily have exactly the same taste. The taste is similar enough that walnut butter can be used as a substitute in most desserts and can still be enjoyed on sandwiches. Both are creamy and feature a deep roasted taste, but there are inherent differences in taste in the walnut and peanut. Choosing one over the other is really a matter of preference.
Price
Pricing is one of the principal points in which peanut butter differs from walnut butter. Not only is walnut butter much harder to find because there are fewer companies putting it out in grocery stores, it is significantly more expensive. Granted, brand name peanut butter can be expensive, but most grocery stores sell their own brands of peanut butter at much lower cost. In contrast, walnut butter can cost as much as double the price of brand name peanut butter in the stores that stock it. It has not achieved the level of popularity peanut butter boasts, so it is not typically seen as a grocery store brand product which would be cheaper.
Shelf Life
The length of time peanut butter and walnut butter stay fresh is one reason families love them so much. Nut butters tend to have a shelf life of nine months if they are unopened. After they're open, they can still last for several months. They don't have to be refrigerated before or after they're opened, although high temperatures will lead to them going bad more quickly.
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