Artisana Nut Butters

Fresh peanut butter and almond butter have permanent shelf space in our cabinets because we love to spread it on crackers, toast, crisp apples, and even on California dates. With no added sweeteners or salt, these natural butters are delicious on their own and from time to time, we’ve been known to take a spoonful and enjoy the butter au natural.

When my daughter asked me about other nut butters and suggested we buy a nut grinder and make our own natural nut butters, I looked at our counters filled with machines and thought  a better idea would be to seek out a company that makes nut butters without any added sugar or salt – not an easy task because most nut butters – almond, pecan, walnut, macadamia, and cashew – have salt, sugar and other additives. Artisana – based out of Oakland, California – is the exception though; the company produces raw or roasted organic nut butters in both jars and single serve packets, which are convenient for lunch boxes, travel, and to keep handy as a snack on the go.

Artisana makes eight (8) nut butters, each distinctively tasty and spreadable although I am partial to the almond and cashew butters. Certified organic and kosher, these nut butters are made of organic nuts and contain no additives, absolutely nothing else:

• Almond
• Roasted Almond
• Pecan
• Walnut
• Cashew
• Roasted Cashew
• Macadamia
• Coconut

The pecan, walnut, and macadamia nut butters also contain organic raw cashews because the cashew nut makes these butters more creamy and spreadable. The cashews also act as a natural sweetener to temper the natural bitterness inherent in the skin of pecans and walnuts.

Most of the butters are packaged in either a 16 ounce jar which range in price from $10 – $18, depending on the type of nut butter or an 8 ounce jar that range from $8 – $12, also depending on the variety chosen.

Six of the butters – almond, pecan, walnut, cashew, macadamia cashew and coconut – (five of which are pictured below) also come in 1.19 ounce single serve squeeze packets. The packets sell for $1.79 to $1.99 each or from $16 -$18 for a box containing ten packets. Most of the nut butters can be purchased from health food stores, Whole Foods and also on-line through Co Vitality, who carries nearly every size jar and single serve packet available of Artisana nut butters. The company also provides a list of e-retailers that carry their products.