11 Best Flavored Nut Butters, Tested by Food Network Kitchen

A combo of cashews, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, flavored with cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla bean, sea salt and a touch of honey, this jar lives up to its promise of being like baklava. It’s just sweet enough without being cloying, with a tasty complexity from all the different nuts and spices. Tiny bits of unsweetened shredded coconut folded in mimic the texture of crackly phyllo dough (in the best way). It’s a sophisticated spread, but that doesn’t mean kids wouldn’t enjoy it. Plus: The company partners with local nonprofits in Portland, Oregon to employ women overcoming adversity.

Best for: Snacking off a spoon, on sliced fruit, on a neutral cracker or rice cake.

Birthday cake flavor is in everything these days–granola bars, protein powder, cereal, lip balm, even vodka–so it’s no wonder there are many options for it in nut butters. Our favorite by far was this jar, made simply with cashews, coconut sugar, coconut oil, pink Himalayan salt and cake batter flavoring. It’s smooth and creamy, and it screams “cake batter” without the fake or overly cloying taste we found in others. It’s also free of sprinkles, which we appreciated (you can always add your own–and hey, that might be fun on a kid’s toast). Though it has “cake” in the name, it’s gluten free.

Best for: Snacking off a spoon, on a neutral cracker or rice cake, on a waffle

Mamba is the Creole word for peanut butter, and in Haiti, the popular spread is savory and often spicy. This jar, made with peanuts, three different types of chili peppers, plus a touch of sugar and salt, is unapologetically spicy, definitely not for the heat sensitive. We love the complexity that comes from the mix of guajillo, ancho and habanero chilies, the intensity of its flavor and heat, and its bright-orange hue.

Best for: Spreading on crackers, as a sandwich spread, in sauces or marinades, on sliced fruit.

We weren’t quite sure how we would feel about the combo of mint and nut butter, but it really works. Made from roasted almonds and cashews, with coconut oil, unsweetened chocolate and maple sugar, it’s a fun flavor that mint-chip ice cream fans will adore. A great touch: The “chips” are actually cacao nibs, so you get that hit of chocolate and the texture of chips but it isn’t overly sweet. It’s also gluten- and dairy-free.

Best for: Snacking off a spoon, on a neutral cracker or rice cake, on a banana.

If almond butter and your favorite vanilla chai latte (from the good coffee place) got together, it would be this upscale jar. It’s smooth and creamy, with a perfect warm cardamom flavor and a hit of vanilla. Its mild sweetness comes from coconut sugar and lucuma, a fruit-derived natural sweetener that lends hints of butterscotch and maple syrup flavors. The company sprouts all of the nuts it uses, which it says makes the butter easier to digest and the nutrients in it more bioavailable.

Best for: Snacking off a spoon, on sliced fruit, in a dessert sauce.

This just might be the perfect chocolate-hazelnut spread. Very hazelnutty, with deep chocolate flavor, just sweet enough, rich and luscious. Made with all organic ingredients, it has just hazelnuts, coconut sugar, cacao powder, MCT oil, and vanilla. All of the company’s spreads are free of peanuts, soy, dairy, and gluten.

Best for: Snacking off a spoon, on sliced fruit, in baking or dessert sauces, on waffles or in crepes.

Fair warning: This tastes more like peanut butter cookie dough than traditional chocolate chip cookie dough. But… it tastes like peanut butter cookie dough. It’s sweet and indulgent, with hints of vanilla. Kids and adults alike will enjoy this one. It has just a touch of extra protein (9 grams per 2 tablespoons, vs. 8 grams in regular peanut butter) from whey, and though it has that peanut butter cookie dough taste, it’s gluten free.

Best for: Snacking off a spoon, on a neutral cracker or rice cake, on sliced fruit.

Upon tasting this, we immediately started thinking about fun ways to use it. This butter is very bold and spicy, with plenty of smokiness from both the chipotle and smoked paprika. It’s also got organic peanuts, salt, onion powder and white pepper. With its smooth texture, it’s perfect for sauces.

Best for: Sauces and marinades, sandwiches, cheese plates, on sliced fruit

With its mix of 7 nuts and seeds (cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, hazelnuts, and pumpkin seeds), this is a butter that’s loaded with crunch. It’s also a great option if you love chocolate, but you prefer an 85% cacao bar to milk or even semisweet chocolate. It’s rich and luscious, but definitely not sweet. Aside from all the nuts and seeds, it’s made simply with dark chocolate (very lightly sweetened with coconut sugar) and Celtic sea salt.

Best for: Snacking off a spoon, on sliced fruit, as a sandwich spread, on a neutral cracker or rice cake.

OK, so technically this and the Peanut Butter & Co below are 10 and 11 on our list, but we’re counting them as one because they scratch the same itch. With plenty of warm cinnamon flavor and a nice hit of sweetness, both of these are simple, crowd-pleasing, versatile butters, one made with peanuts, the other with almonds. You’ll reach for these easy-to-incorporate butters often, at any time of day. Both are made simply, with just peanuts or almonds, sugar, palm oil (to make them no-stir), cinnamon and salt.

Best for: Snacking off a spoon, on sliced fruit, as a sandwich spread, in baking or in dessert sauces, on a neutral cracker or rice cake, stirred into oatmeal.