Know2eat

Almond butter

Prunus dulcis

What almond butter has been studied for

2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 2 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About almond butter

Almonds ground to a paste, with nothing else in the plain version. The USDA reference entry is for unsalted almond butter with no added oil or sugar, which is not what most flavoured or stabilised commercial spreads contain.

Also known as Almond paste (unsweetened), Almond spread

Heart HealthWeight Management

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Meta-analyses of almond feeding trials report small reductions in LDL and total cholesterol when almonds replace other foods. Most of that work used whole or chopped almonds rather than almond butter, which differs in how completely its fat is absorbed.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Satiety and appetite

Weight Management
Insufficient evidence

Some trials report that almonds raise fullness and do not increase total energy intake despite their energy density. Ground nut butters are easier to eat quickly and in quantity than whole nuts, so the finding may not carry over intact.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Almond butter

Ask about Almond butter

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories614 kcal31%
Protein21 g42%
Total fat55.5 g71%
Carbohydrate18.8 g7%
Fibre10.3 g37%
Total sugars4.43 g—
Water1.64 g—
Fats
Saturated fat4.15 g21%
Monounsaturated fat32.4 g—
Polyunsaturated fat13.6 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Linoleic acid (omega-6)13.6 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E24.2 mg161%
Vitamin K0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.041 mg3%
Riboflavin (B2)0.939 mg72%
Niacin (B3)3.15 mg20%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.318 mg6%
Vitamin B60.103 mg6%
Folate53 µg13%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline52.1 mg9%
Minerals
Calcium347 mg27%
Iron3.49 mg19%
Magnesium279 mg66%
Phosphorus508 mg41%
Potassium748 mg16%
Sodium7 mg0%
Zinc3.29 mg30%
Copper0.934 mg104%
Manganese2.13 mg93%
Selenium2.4 µg4%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene1 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin1 µg—
Ash3.09 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Nuts, almond butter, plain, without salt added (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168588).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • groundIncreases fat and energy absorption

    Grinding ruptures the plant cell walls that trap fat inside whole almonds, measurably increasing how much of the fat is absorbed rather than excreted. This is one of the better-documented food-structure effects in nutrition.

  • roastedChanges flavour and lipid oxidation

    Roasting before grinding improves flavour and paste texture but begins oxidising the unsaturated fat; over-roasted or long-stored nut butters develop measurable oxidation products.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Tree nut allergy

    Almond is a major regulated tree nut allergen and almond butter is a concentrated form. Shared grinding equipment in shops and factories is a common source of cross-contact with peanut and other nuts.

  • Worth knowing

    Oxalate and kidney stones

    Almonds are among the higher-oxalate nuts, and grinding them into a spread makes it easy to eat several times as many as you would whole. People who form calcium oxalate kidney stones are usually advised to be careful here.

  • Worth knowing

    Added oil, sugar and salt in commercial spreads

    Many almond butters include palm oil to stop separation, plus sugar and salt. The nutrient panel here is for the plain unsalted paste and does not describe those products.

  • Worth knowing

    Grinding raises absorbable energy

    Whole almonds pass part of their fat through the gut inside intact cell walls, so measured energy absorption is lower than the label figure. Grinding breaks those walls, so almond butter delivers more of its energy than the same weight of whole nuts does.