ThePaleoList Answers: Is Almond Butter Paleo?

is almond butter paleo

Admit it, you’ve eaten spoonfuls (maybe jars) of peanut butter at a sitting, but peanuts are legumes and don’t necessarily fit into paleo or primal guidelines. Almond butter seems like a paleo alternative right? Well, Alisa at paleoinpdx took on Almond Butter this week due to reader request. Keep the requests coming! We welcome your submissions here and via the Is It Paleo mobile app.

Enter Alisa:

What is Almond Butter?

Almond butter, otherwise known as heaven on a spoon, is simply a paste made from ground almonds. Often times, the almonds are roasted first and then blended with a little sea salt to produce the creamy or chunky paste we know as almond butter. Spread on apple slices, used in sauces, or eaten straight from the jar, this stuff is dangerously delicious.

Almond butter can easily be made at home with a food processor or high-powered blender. All you do is throw in some almonds – raw or toasted – and sea salt, then blend until a smooth and creamy paste forms. Once done, pour it into a jar and store in the fridge. It’s that simple.

Is Almond Butter Paleo?

There’s no question that almond butter is paleo, but when purchased from the store, watch out for hidden sugars. It’s not unusual to find evaporated cane juice in the list of ingredients. Also, if possible, opt for raw varieties because heating nuts and seeds causes oxidation, as you may recall from the tahini post.

Additionally, watch your consumption because like other nuts and seeds, almonds contain anti-nutrients and higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids. Sure, a little bit each day won’t hurt you, but that’s not the whole picture here. It’s easy to go overboard with almond butter and it has a tendency to be addictive. One spoonful leads to another, which leads to another, and so on and so forth. As Mark Sisson says, “[Nuts] are often too available, too plentiful, and way too easy to consume in excess. What drew our ancestors to nuts – the caloric density and the fat content – is what makes them “dangerous” to modern man.”

On the plus side, almonds and therefore, almond butter are rich in magnesium, vitamin E, calcium and potassium, but remember to take it easy and consume in moderation! Making your own almond butter can be much more healthy and nutritious than purchasing it from the store, so check out the video below which might help you make your own!