15 Creative Uses for Nut Butter

On any given day, there’s a good chance I eat at least two different types of nut butter, if not three. The number of jars of nut and seed butter in our pantry may seem excessive, but it really elevates meals and snacks whether sweet or savory and everything in between. In this post, I’m giving you my top 15 creative nut butter uses, and rounded up over 40 recipes to help you enjoy it.

Even better, I’ve partnered with NOW to give away all 5 of the products in their new Nutty Infusions line! On top of the classic cashew, the mango chili cashew is amazing, too, and the cashew caramel is perfect to dip a piece of dark chocolate into or to drizzle over some vanilla ice cream! They also have a classic almond butter and ginger wasabi cashew, so there’s an infusion for everyone. See entry details at the bottom of this post!

Last year when I started partnering with NOW® foods, I noticed their Nutty Infusions nut butters on the website, but they weren’t yet available. I kept asking when I could order them and finally they became available in March. I’ve already gone through two of the classic roasted cashew butter – the only ingredient is dry roasted cashews and somehow it maintains the perfect texture, no stirring required, just stored normally in my pantry.

Thanks to NOW® for sponsoring this post! As always, all opinions are my own.

The 15 Best Nut Butter Uses

1. Swap Your Breakfast Topping
Add nut butter in lieu of (or along with) maple syrup on pancakes or waffles.

Use in on the go “pancake tacos“, too!
Also great to top your baby’s first pancakes.
Use in this Mocha Nut Butter Topping for S’Mores Waffles

2. Increase the Satisfaction Factor in a Pre-workout Snack

Nut Butter Stuffed Dates – add a dash of salt on top if eating before or during endurance exercise
Drizzle Over a Sweet Potato!
Almond Granola Cups via Your Choice Nutrition

3. Whip up Energy or Protein Bites

Blueberry Coconut Energy Balls via Jenna Braddock
Chocolate Almond Butter Protein Balls via Amy Gorin
4 Ingredient Pretzel PB Bites via Real You Nutrition
Banana Nut Butter Snack Bites (oat based, granola texture)
Banana Nut Energy Bites (almond flour based, creamier texture) via Perspective Portions

4. Make Protein Bars
Snickerdoodle Protein Bars (swap the peanut butter for cashew butter – they may even be better that way!)

5. Add as a Filling Toast Topping

One of the most classic nut butter uses is on toast, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring! See the link below for my favorite toast topping combos.

Toast Toppings to Fuel Your Fitness

6. Use it in or on Muffins

Flourless Banana Oatmeal Muffins via Meals with Maggie
Chickpea Flour Banana Muffins (use as a delicious topping!)
Baby Led Weaning Muffins via Whitney E RD

7. Get Healthy Fat in a Smoothie

High Protein Vanilla Smoothie  (the secret ingredient will shock you!) via Amy Gordin
Green Cashew Smoothie via Nutrisense Nutrition

8. Use it in a Stir Fry

In any Asian fusion dish that uses peanut butter, you can easily swap in cashew butter and chopped cashews for a little change.

Spicy Nut Butter Tofu via Shahzadi Devje
Spicy Peanut Tofu Stir Fry
Soba Noodle Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce via Lettuce Veg Out
Thai Noodles with Chicken via Sound Bites Nutrition

9. Make Homemade Salad Dressing

Almond Turmeric Dressing via Meals with Maggie

10. Make Blondies

Pumpkin Almond Butter Blondies via Stephanie Lee Nutrition

Carrot and White Bean Vegan Blondies (swap peanut butter for cashew butter) via It’s a Veg World
Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondie Bar (AB) via healthy inspiration
Marbled Cashew Cake Bars via Perspective Portions

11. Bake Some Cookies (or Just Eat Cookie Dough!)

Cashew Sugar Cookies via Stephanie Lee Nutrition
Dark Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Cookies with Sea Salt via Kara Lydon
5 Ingredient Flourless Cookies via Alyssa Lavy
Expedition Molasses Cookies (with cashew butter) via Gourmet Hiking
Edible Vegan Cookie Dough  via The Sensible Table (can sub sunbutter for almond butter)
Sweet Potato Vegan Cookie Dough Dip via Bucket List Tummy
PB Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough via Be Nutrition Co.

12. Create a Tasty Summer Snack

Frozen Nut Butter Banana Bites via Nourished by Nutrition
Crunchy Frozen Yogurt Snack Bites via Jenna Braddock
Drizzle almond or cashew butter over vanilla ice cream or banana ice cream

13. Elevate Bananas

Nut Butter Banana Boats via Parenting Diabetes
Nut Butter Banana Sushi via Alyssa Lavy

Or just a simple banana dipped in PB – one of my favorite nut butter uses, and also a great pre-workout snack!

14. Make a Cream Sauce for a Savory Dish

Stuffed Eggplant with Savory Nut Butter Cream via Nutri Savvy Health
Dairy-Free Creamy Tomato Sauce (swap 1 Cup cashews for 2/3 Cup cashew butter)

15. Make Your Own Nut Butter Cups

Peanut Butter Honey Eggs via Teaspoon of Spice / It doesn’t have to be Easter, just shape them any way you’d like
Pumpkin Pie Peanut Butter Cups via The Lean Green Bean
2 Ingredient Nut Butter Cups (try with cashew!) via Alissa Rumsey

The Giveaway

I’m so excited about these Nutty Infusions that I want you to try them, too. To enter, leave a comment below with your favorite nut butter uses, or one way you’d like to try it based on this blog post. Bonus entries over on Instagram! You must enter by Friday, May 31, 2019 at 11:59 PM Eastern time. Contest open to US residents only. Good luck!