The best and worst nut butters revealed by analysis of 50 jars

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to countless items on the supermarket shelf – and peanut and nut butters are no exception. As more Australians start to pay proper attention to ingredient and nutrition labelling, we become more active, informed and health-conscious consumers.

Which is why it’s never too early to learn that more than 40 per cent of 50 supermarket nut butters have added oils and sugar but 60 per cent out of the 35 peanut options have at most two simple ingredients: nuts and salt.

An analysis of peanut and nut butters sold at Coles, Woolworths and Aldi shows how a simple swap can easily benefit your health.

Nutrition Plus dietitian Melanie McGrice said that alongside being delicious, peanuts were rich in protein*.

They also have high levels of “good fats” which can reduce heart disease, improve aches and pains and even help women with fertility.

“Nuts are a fantastic food to eat and nut butters are an easy way to consume your daily serving of them,” Ms McGrice said.

While it’s better to just eat a handful of nuts to avoid added sugars and salts, spreads can still be healthy, depending on what you buy.

“A tablespoon a day can actually have some good benefits,” Ms McGrice said.

“Nut butters are a great source of nutrition … and add to protein intake.”

Like most foods, it’s important to eat in moderation. Let’s face it: peanut butter on a hot piece of toast is simply delicious, but that makes it very easy to get carried away.

Most brands have varying nutritional panels and ingredient lists, so we’ve analysed 50 nut butters and spreads to find the best and worst options.

The best peanut butters are below.

#1 Coles Organic Smooth and Coles Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter.
Cost: $5.40 | 375g

This peanut butter is made with hi-oleic* peanuts, which gives it more nutrients than regular butters.

Ms McGrice said nuts high in oleic acid had more “good” fats.

Hi-oleic nuts are naturally bred to have a different oil composition than a regular peanut.

This increases their mono-unsaturated* fat content and reduces the level of saturated fats.

“Unsaturated fats are better for heart health than saturated fats,” Ms McGrice said.

“They can minimise inflammation* which can reduce the risk of heart disease, infertility, aches and pains.”

#2 Mayver’s Unsalted Smunchy Peanut Butter.
Cost: $6.30 | 375g

Made with just 100 per cent roasted peanuts, this butter was one of the experts’ top choices.

Ms McGrice said the more peanuts, the better, because there was less room for additives.

Protein is another benefit of this peanut butter: one tablespoon has the same amount as a cup of brown rice.

#3 Macro Organic Smooth Peanut Butter.
Cost: $5.40 | 375g

It’s practically identical to the Coles organic option but uses regular peanuts instead of oleic ones.

Ms McGrice said this difference was the potential cause of the brand’s slightly higher saturated fats.

However, it is still a perfectly fine option and one of the only four with no added salt.

#4 Bega Simply Nuts Smooth Natural Peanut Butter
Cost: $8.40 | 650g

The Bega option is slightly higher in sodium – because of added salts – but is still a good pick.

It is the best option with added salt, given the portion of nuts is still incredibly high (99.5 per cent).

While it has 147mg of sodium per 100g, it’s well under the 400mg target, Ms McGrice said.

Worst picks:

#1 Coles Peanut Butter Crunchy and Coles Peanut Butter Smooth.
Cost: $3.40 | 500g

While it is still made of 91 per cent peanuts, there is another nine per cent left for added sugar, palm oils and salt.

Ms McGrice said ideally, there shouldn’t be any added oils, but if there needed to be, it should be one higher in mono and polyunsaturated fats.

“Canola or olive oil would be a better option than hydrogenated palm oil,” she said.

Palm oils are high in saturated fats, which cause inflammation and can increase the risk of heart disease.

While it has 30g of protein per 100g, it’s better to pick options with cleaner ingredients, Ms McGrice said.

A spokeswoman for Coles said some nut butters were an indulgent product and intended as a treat.

“For customers looking for options with simpler ingredients, Coles Organic Peanut Butter is made with 100 per cent organic Australian peanuts and contains no added sugar or preservatives, providing a healthy alternative within our Own Brand range,” she said.

#2 Bramwell’s Smooth and Bramwell’s Crunchy Peanut Butter.
Cost: $3.09 | 500g.

These Aldi exclusive options are among the worst for heart health, given the palm oil used.

Made with 90 per cent peanuts, the 10 per cent leftover made way for added salt, sugar and palm oils.

Plus it had around 11g of saturated fats per 100g – it’s better to stick below 3g, Ms McGrice said.

A spokeswoman for Aldi said the peanut butter had a four Health Star Rating – but Health Star Ratings, some of which are self-rated, are controversial and have been widely criticised.

“All ingredients and nutritional information are clearly listed on our packaging to help shoppers make informed choices, including our Bramwell's peanut butter range,” she said.

#3 Bega Crunchy and Bega Smooth Peanut Butter.
Cost: $4.80 | 375g

While it is a household favourite, the Bega Crunchy and Smooth options don’t make the cut, experts said.

With one of the lowest levels of peanut concentration (86 per cent), there is much more room for added ingredients.

In addition to a non-specified vegetable oil, it has added sugar, salt and antioxidant 320 listed online.

Ms McGrice said we should aim to have less than 400mg of sodium per 100g, but these options have around 540mg – the second highest sodium of all analysed options.

A spokeswoman for Bega said they stopped using antioxidant 320 in November 2025.

“The websites for Coles and Woolworths are in the process of being updated,” she said.

She said vegetable oil was included to support texture and stability and that the peanut butter was nutritious.

“Across the Bega Peanut Butter range, we use carefully selected ingredients with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives,” she said.

“It provides a source of protein, vitamin B3 and magnesium, making it a nutritious and convenient everyday choice for Aussies.”

Mixed nuts:

The more variety of nuts in a spread, the better, experts said.

Ms McGrice said that when there is a large portion of nuts in a product, there is less room for oils, added sugars and preservatives.

Ingredients are listed in descending order, so the primary ingredient always comes first.

All four mixed options that we found in stores were seemingly healthy enough but one was a nutritional standout.

The best are below.

#1 Mayver’s Pure Goodness Everything butter.
Cost: $6.30 | 280g

Purely made with a wide variety of mixed nuts and seeds, this butter has very little to be ashamed of.

“The wide variety of nuts gives a wide variety of antioxidants and micronutrients,” Ms McGrice said.

In every 100g, there is 23g of protein, a teaspoon of naturally occurring sugar and only 6g of sodium.

#2 Noya ABC Brazil and Cashew Nut Butter.
Cost: $9.50 | 250g

This nut butter is one of the best, with high protein, low sugar, sodium and a lower saturated fat content.

With a whopping 25g of protein, 4.2g of sugar and no added oils or preservatives, it’s a very clean pick.

#3 Macro Natural Brazil almond and cashew spread.
Cost: $6 | 250g

Just almonds, brazil nuts and cashews make this spread a great snack.

It’s practically identical to the Mayver’s pick but has a slightly higher saturated fat content (8.9g per 100g).

NOT AS GOOD:

Fix and Fogg Everything butter.
Cost: $7.30 | 275g

While certainly not unhealthy, this option isn’t as good as the best.

Its one and only downfall was added salt, which spikes the sodium to 182mg per 100g.

While it has added oils, it’s sesame, which is high in unsaturated fats and likely to only be included in a very small amount.

A spokeswoman for Fix and Fogg said salt was added for flavour.

“A blend of milder nuts and seeds carries flavour differently to straight roasted peanuts, so a touch more sea salt brings out the taste of the mix,” she said.

“At 27mg of sodium per 15g served for Everything Butter, it makes up under 2 per cent of the 2000mg daily sodium target the National Health and Medical Research Council suggests for Australian adults.”

Almond butters:

Ms McGrice said almonds tend to be full of nutrients.

“They have lots of vitamin E, which is a really rich antioxidant and combats free radicals,” she said.

Free radicals are stress particles that can cause damage to our cells over time.

Almonds are also known for being rich in mono-unsaturated fats, which are particularly good for heart health.

The best are below.

#1 Coles Australian Almond Butter.
Cost: $6 | 250g

This option has no added oils, around 5.8g of protein per tablespoon and is simply blended almonds.

With similar protein (19g) to a 100g tin of salmon, a teaspoon can be a good snack for when you’re hungry.

#2 Oh So Natural Wholefoods Almond Spread.
Cost: $5.69 | 240g

This is another clean pick, just made with roasted almonds and is practically identical to the Coles option.

It’s lower in saturated fats (4g per 100g) but has slightly less protein.

#3 Macro Natural Almond Spread.
Cost: $6 | 250g

This option is a little higher in sugar but is still a great pick.

With just over a teaspoon of natural sugar in every 100g serve, it’s a little sweeter but it is still made from just almonds.

LESS GOOD:

#1 Bega Almond Spread Crunchy.
Cost: $5.50 | 325g

The small portion of almonds, added vegetable oils and sweetener makes this a less healthy pick.

There is only 23g of almonds in every 100g while other options have 100g.

Plus it has a much higher sugar content than all other almond options (19g per 100g).

A spokeswoman for Bega said they used vegetable oil to deliver texture and taste.

“In our Bega Crunchy Almond Spread … vegetable oil is used to deliver a consistent texture and taste experience,” she said.

“Our wider range includes Bega Simply Nuts, made with over 99 per cent peanuts and a pinch of salt, as well as Bega Peanut Butter No Added Sugar or Salt options to cater for different preferences.”

Cashew butters:

Cashews contain all nine essential amino acids*, alongside mono-unsaturated fatty acids and magnesium*.

These nutrients reduce blood pressure, improve our metabolism* and can strengthen our immune system, Ms McGrice said.

They are a great pick, but harder to find in spread forms.

All three cashew butters we found are healthy, with just cashews or a mix of nuts.

The best are below.

#1 Coles cashew butter.
Cost: $6.20 | 250g

With just cashews in the ingredients, this is a top pick, according to Ms McGrice.

It’s slightly higher in sugar (5.4g) than almond spreads but this is all occurring naturally, she said.

#2 Macro natural cashew spread.
Cost: $6 | 250g

Like the Coles options, this spread is made with just cashews but has a slightly higher sugar content per 100g (6.3g).

It also has an impressive 21g of protein per 100g – that’s around the same as a tin of tuna.

#3 Noya ABC Almond Brazil and Cashew butter
Cost: $9.50 | 250g

While technically not a cashew butter, cashews are the second ingredient, which means there’s likely to be a large amount of them.

It has a large 25.3g of protein per 100g and is slightly lower in saturated fats (5.1g per 100g) to the other options.

Pistachio butter:

Pistachios are good for weight loss in their natural forms but tend to be full of sugar in spreads.

Ms McGrice said pistachios are naturally sweeter than peanuts and have good amounts of mono-unsaturated fats.

“Pistachios naturally contain more carbohydrates* (than other nuts) making them taste sweeter,” she said.

However, two of the only three available spreads sold in supermarkets had palm oil in their ingredients, which has the opposite effect on heart health.

They also all had added sugars.

All three options are ranked from worst to best below.

#1 Pistachio Papi Smooth Spread.
Cost: $12 | 200g

While not healthy, it is better nutritionally than the other two options, Ms McGrice said.

There is only 16g of pistachio in every 100g, meaning there plenty of room an unhealthy ingredient: palm oil.

The inclusion of this oil is likely the cause of its excessive saturated fat level (16.8g) – the highest among all analysed options.

Sugar is also excessively high at 8g per tablespoon (20g).

Pistachio Papi was contacted for comment.

#2 Coles Pistachio Spread.
Cost: $8.80 | 330g

This should be considered more of a sweet treat than a healthy spread.

And sweet it is: with sugar listed as the first ingredient, Ms McGrice said it spiked the sweetness to three teaspoons per serving (17g).

Palm oil is the third ingredient, which can push up its saturated fats (9.17g per 100g).

A spokeswoman for Coles said some of their nut butters and spreads were created as a treat option.

When asked about sugar contents and palm oil, she said there were other options in their range (Coles Organic) which had no added sugar or preservatives.

#3 Pistabella Pistachio Spread – Healthiest pistachio option.
Cost: $10 | 200g

This pistachio spread has a high sugar content and only has 15g of pistachio per 100g.

Sugar is the first ingredient and it has added emulsifiers* and flavourings too but it does not have palm oil, making it the best performing of the pistachio options.

A spokesman for Pistabella said it was a sweet spread, not a nut butter.

“Pistabella is a sweet spread, sitting alongside chocolate hazelnut, biscuit, and dessert spreads, not a nut butter,” he said.

He said it was made with Turkish pistachios, had no palm oil and had a significantly more intense flavour than other commercial varieties.

“Within the sweet spread category, Pistabella is among the most premium products on the shelf, driven by the quality of ingredients used,” he said.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• antioxidants: a chemical substance, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, or betacarotene, thought to protect body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation
• protein: a large, complex molecule made up of chains of amino acids that is essential for life
• hi-oleic: any oil that is high in mono-unsaturated fats, like olive and canola oil
• mono-unsaturated: class of fats associated with a low cholesterol content of the blood
• inflammation: a painful redness or swelling of a part of your body that results from an infection, injury, or illness
• amino acids: any of the chemical substances found in plants and animals that combine to make protein
• magnesium: chemical element that is a silver-white metal
• metabolism: all the chemical processes in your body, especially those that cause food to be used for energy and growth
• carbohydrates: substances found in certain kinds of food, that provide you with energy
• emulsifiers: a substance used in food manufacturing which helps to combine liquids of different thicknesses

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QUICK QUIZ

1. Nuts are a really good source of what essential complex molecule essential for our bodies?
2. What are some of the potential benefits of “good fats” in some peanut butters?
3. What nutritional features do cashew butters have?
4. Pistachio spreads tend to be higher in what ingredient?
5. What is another feature that reduces nutritional value in two of three available pistachio spreads?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. A nutty slogan
You’ve probably heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” With all of their potential health benefits, nut butters deserve to have their own saying too! Brainstorm some different slogan options for your favourite nut butter. Bonus points for using rhyme, alliteration or a pun.

Then create a print advertisement suitable for a food magazine, that features your nut butter and favourite slogan.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

2. Extension
Write a vivid description for a slice of nut butter toast. How amazingly delicious can you make this simple snack sound?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

VCOP ACTIVITY
VCOP dodgeball
The normal rules of dodgeball apply. Two teams throw soft balls at each other and if you get hit, you have to sit out. The team who knocks out all the players on the other team, wins.

VCOP challenge: when you get eliminated, collect a mini-whiteboard and a basic clause from the sidelines. Up-level the sentence (make it better) by adding VCOP. When you show the teacher your completed sentence, you can return to the game.

Play for a set amount of time and the team with the most players left on the court wins.

Support: use the “Up-Level It” card set – players have to complete one card from the set instead of completing all VCOP challenges.

What can you come up with?