If you have a peanut or tree nut allergy, more peanut butter alternatives are available to you than ever before.
I know, because I have a life-threatening peanut allergy, so I’ve been meticulously shopping for and sampling peanut-free nut and seed butters for decades. I’ve written about traveling with food allergies and shopping for allergy-safe chocolate for Wirecutter, and I’ve covered food allergies for Bon Appétit and Vice. For years, I was a freelance food writer for publications including Eater, Epicurious, and Taste. And at Wirecutter, I specialize in sustainability and environmental health issues, including the ins and outs of regulations, disclosures, and certifications.
For this guide, we decided to focus on peanut butter alternatives that would be suitable for people with both peanut and tree nut allergies, so we eliminated almond butters from testing. To keep things manageable, we also eliminated sesame tahini, though it can be delicious in lieu of PB on toast and in recipes; tahini is a category unto itself, and deserves its own guide.
From there, I researched peanut-free and tree-nut-free spreads, polled my colleagues who are parents, and compiled a list for testing. I combed through ingredient lists, FAQs, and allergen statements and reached out to Trader Joe’s to understand the spreads’ suitability for people with peanut and tree nut allergies. All of our picks are free from the top eight allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans).
I then organized a panel for brand-concealed testing. We ate each of the 10 spreads three ways: on their own off a spoon, on untoasted white sandwich bread, and with strawberry jam. We noted aroma, flavor, texture, spreadability on the untoasted bread, drippiness, and homogeneity, as well as how it tasted in a classic combination with jam, and we compared across spreads. Two of our panelists have severe top nine food allergies, four typically eat peanut butter, and one has never tasted peanut butter.
We did not judge spreads by how similar they tasted to peanut butter. Instead, we checked for their deliciousness in typical PB applications (like on jam sandwiches), balanced flavor, pleasing texture, and lack of off aftertastes. Since some people turn to spreads for a vegetarian source of protein, I also considered protein per serving.
This article was edited by Marguerite Preston and Megan Beauchamp.
