Peanut butter is synonymous with childhood. The majority of us adults grew up with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in our hands – and we have the pictures to prove it. Even now my husband and I enjoy a good peanut butter sandwich.
Today, though, peanut butter is no longer the only nut butter on the shelves. Peanut butter now has competition with other kinds of nut butter such as almond butter. How do these kinds of nut butter compare? Is one a healthier option than the other?
I want to make sure my family is eating as healthy as possible so I am going to compare peanut butter and almond butter side-by-side. I will be comparing everything from ingredients to the nutritional content of each kind of butter, even the taste and price of each one.
Ingredients Comparison
The first place I want to start this comparison is with the ingredients. This may seem like an obvious comparison: peanut butter is made from peanuts and almond butter is made from almonds. But not all brands contain the same ingredients.
Reading the list of ingredients will let you know what kinds of oils are used and if there are any added sugars or salt. Here is a sample list of some ingredients you can find in each kind of butter.
Butter Type |
Typical List of Ingredients |
|
Peanut Butter |
Various vegetable oils: palm, rapeseed, cottonseed, soybean Sugar, corn syrup, molasses Salt |
|
Almond Butter |
Various vegetable oils: palm, rapeseed, cottonseed, soybean, sunflower Sugar, coconut palm sugar, molasses Salt |
Peanut Butter vs Almond Butter Nutritional Comparison
For this comparison, I am only comparing peanut butter and almond butter which is made with only the respective nut. No other ingredients have been added. Serving sizes also vary for each nut butter so I will compare each one with the same serving size of 100 grams.
Best for Calorie Content
Calorie-wise, these two are very similar however peanut butter has fewer calories than almond butter. A 100-gram serving of peanut butter has 632 calories compared with almond butter’s 645 calories.
Nut Butter Type |
Calories Per 100g Serving |
|
Peanut Butter (plain, unsalted, unsweetened) |
632 kcal |
|
Almond Butter (plain, unsalted, unsweetened) |
645 kcal |
Best for Carbs & Sugar Content
Both peanuts and almonds are considered a low-carb food but does this change when the amount of nuts consumed is condensed into butter?
Here again, these two are very close but peanut butter is the better option if you are concerned with counting carbs. Plain peanut butter has almost 23 grams of carbs per serving. Plain almond butter has 21 grams.
Nut Butter Type |
Carbs Per 100g Serving |
|
Peanut Butter (plain, unsalted, unsweetened) |
22.7 g |
|
Almond Butter (plain, unsalted, unsweetened) |
21.2 g |
Since the information for this comparison is based on peanut butter and almond butter that does not have added sugar, another type of carb that I want to look closely at is fiber. Fiber is important for colon health, but it also plays a vital role in helping us maintain a healthy weight.
Almond butter is the clear winner here. Almond butter has almost 10 grams of fiber per serving compared with peanut butter’s 6.3 grams.
Nut Butter Type |
Fiber Per 100g Serving |
|
Peanut Butter (plain, unsalted, unsweetened) |
6.3 g |
|
Almond Butter (plain, unsalted, unsweetened) |
9.7 g |
Best for Protein Content
Protein is another important item to look at. Both fiber and protein are good at keeping you feeling fuller for longer but protein plays another vital role in good health. Fiber is good for removing toxins from the body but protein is good for rebuilding and strengthening our bodies.
Again, there is not a large difference between these two but peanut butter has more protein than almond butter.
Nut Butter Type |
Protein Per 100g Serving |
|
Peanut Butter (plain, unsalted, unsweetened) |
24 g |
|
Almond Butter (plain, unsalted, unsweetened) |
20.8 g |
Best for Fat Content
Nuts are high in fat but they contain both healthy and unhealthy fats. Saturated fats are unhealthy. In large amounts, saturated fat is dangerous to the heart and blood vessels.
Healthy fats, on the other hand, keep our cholesterol down, keep the heart pumping, keep the blood flowing through our blood vessels, keep the skin glowing, and even help regulate sugar levels. Both peanuts and almonds are winners when it comes to containing healthy fats but for this comparison, the winner is almond butter.
Almond butter contains a relatively low amount of saturated fats and very high amounts of both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats per serving.
Type of Fat |
Peanut Butter (100g) |
Almond Butter (100g) |
|
Saturated Fat |
8.42 g |
4.25 g |
|
Monounsaturated Fat |
30.7 g |
34.7 g |
|
Polyunsaturated Fat |
9.78 g |
12.6 g |
Best for Sodium/Salt Content
While sodium/salt has not been added to the kinds of butter being compared here, sodium/salt occurs naturally in nuts. Whether you have to monitor your sodium labels or are just being health-conscious, almond butter is the healthier choice.
Peanut butter contains over 220 mg of sodium per 100-gram serving. Almond butter only has 1 mg of sodium.
Nut Butter Type |
Sodium/Salt Per 100g Serving |
|
Peanut Butter (plain, unsalted, unsweetened) |
221 mg |
|
Almond Butter (plain, unsalted, unsweetened) |
1 mg |
Best for Vitamins/Minerals
Peanuts and almonds are powerhouses when it comes to vitamins and minerals. The chart below is a brief overview of some of the vitamins and minerals found in peanut butter and almond butter. You can find a more comprehensive list on the USDA website.
Once again, either kind of nut is a great choice but almond butter contains very high amounts of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin E.
Vitamins/Minerals |
Peanut Butter (100g) |
Almond Butter (100g) |
|
Calcium |
50 mg |
264 mg |
|
Magnesium |
193 mg |
268 mg |
|
Iron |
1.85 mg |
4.11 mg |
|
Phosphorous |
393 mg |
507 mg |
|
Potassium |
654 mg |
745 mg |
|
Niacin |
17.2 mg |
3.91 mg |
|
Vitamin E |
5.41 mg |
16.7 mg |
Best for Flavor/Texture
Peanut butter and almond butter are obviously the same when it comes to texture but there is a slight difference in flavor. I find that almond butter has a more mild taste than peanut butter but I also prefer to eat raw almonds over peanuts because of almonds’ milder taste.
Flavor is very subjective so you will have to decide who the winner is of this category.
Best for Price
Peanut butter can easily be found anywhere food is sold but there may be a slight price difference between peanut butter and almond butter, depending on where you live and what stores are available to you.
Most grocery stores offer store-brand almond butter that is very competitive with peanut butter but for the most part, almond butter usually costs a little more than peanut butter.
Overall Winner
In doing this comparison it is not hard to see that peanut butter and almond butter are similar in a lot of ways. Peanut butter is lower in calories and carbs, and higher in protein while almond butter is lower in fat and sodium but higher in vitamins and minerals. You will have to be the judge of who the ultimate winner is.
Comparison Category |
Winner (Peanut Butter or Almond Butter) |
|
Best in Calorie Content |
Peanut Butter |
|
Best in Carb Content |
Peanut Butter |
|
Best in Sugar Content |
Both are winners |
|
Best in Protein Content |
Peanut Butter |
|
Best in Fat Content |
Almond Butter |
|
Best in Sodium/Salt Content |
Almond Butter |
|
Best in Vitamins/Mineral Content |
Almond Butter |
|
Best for Price |
Both are winners |
Overall Winner |
Both are Winners |
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