Almond butter vs peanut butter: minerals, calories and what grinding changes

Grinding almonds into butter changes how much energy your body takes from it. In a crossover trial where 18 healthy adults ate 1.5 oz (42 g) of almonds a day in five forms, almond butter delivered 6.53 calories per gram, close to what standard label factors predict, while whole natural almonds delivered 4.42 calories per gram. The trial was small, ran in an almond industry context and did not test peanut butter. On paper the two spreads differ most in minerals. In USDA analyses of 8 samples each, creamy almond butter had about 264 mg calcium per 3.5 oz (100 g) against about 50 mg in creamy peanut butter, and 268 mg magnesium against 193 mg. Those are per 3.5 oz (100 g), and the US dietary survey counts a tablespoon of either spread as 16 g. Peanut butter has a little more protein, about 24 g against 21 g per 3.5 oz (100 g), and less fiber, about 6.3 g against 9.7 g. Its sodium ran from 0 to 427 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) across the 8 samples, depending on whether salt was added, so the label is the only way to know.

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g, creamy almond butter carries about 264 mg calcium and 268 mg magnesium, while creamy peanut butter carries about 50 mg calcium and 193 mg magnesium, in USDA Foundation data from 8 samples each. — USDA Foundation Foods, 8 analyzed samples each of creamy almond butter and creamy peanut butter (n = 8 + 8 samples) Evidence E source
  Calcium 263.8 mg (248-278) vs 49.85 mg (45.7-57.7); magnesium 267.8 mg (247-280) vs 192.6 mg (178-212); iron 4.108 mg (3.09-4.45) vs 1.853 mg (1.68-2.13) per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• Per 100 g, creamy peanut butter has slightly more protein than creamy almond butter (about 24 g vs 21 g) but less fiber (about 6.3 g vs 9.7 g), and its sodium ran from 0 to 427 mg across 8 samples depending on added salt. — USDA Foundation Foods, 8 analyzed samples each of creamy peanut butter and creamy almond butter (n = 8 + 8 samples) Evidence E source
  Protein 23.99 g (23.15-25.33) vs 20.79 g (15.64-22.53); fiber 6.323 g (6.01-6.77) vs 9.718 g (9.24-10.3); peanut butter sodium 220.7 mg (0-427) per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• The UK composition table gives smooth peanut butter 607 calories, 22.8 g protein, 51.8 g fat, 6.7 g sugars and 350 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), a second independent figure next to USDA. — CoFID 2021, food code 14-892, peanut butter, smooth Evidence E source
  607 calories, protein 22.8 g, fat 51.8 g, saturated fat 12.78 g, total sugars 6.7 g, sodium 350 mg, calcium 37 mg, magnesium 180 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• In the US dietary survey both almond butter and peanut butter are coded at 16 g per tablespoon and 32 g for the amount in a sandwich. — USDA FNDDS portion weights, almond butter (code 42200500) and peanut butter (code 42202000) Evidence E source
  1 tablespoon = 16 g for both; sandwich guideline amount 32 g; peanut butter single serving 1.6 oz (45 g)

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover RCT in 18 adults eating 1.5 oz (42 g) of almonds a day, almond butter delivered 6.53 calories per gram, close to the label estimate, while whole natural almonds delivered only 4.42 calories per gram. — healthy adults, 5-period randomized crossover, 42 g almonds per day, 9-day collection per period (n = 18) Evidence B source
  Metabolizable energy 6.53 calories/g almond butter vs 4.42 whole natural, 4.86 whole roasted, 5.04 chopped
• Lab data suggest grinding almonds into butter frees their fat: modeled lipid available for digestion was 94.0% in almond butter, and stool microscopy found near-complete digestion of the butter but encapsulated fat left in whole and diced almonds. — artificial mastication of four almond meals plus fecal samples from volunteers Evidence D source
  94.0% lipid potentially available in almond butter; mastication lipid release 6.2% AB vs 8.9% natural almonds

What cooking and storage change

• In an RCT of 118 adults eating 2 oz (56 g) a day for 4 weeks, peanut butter did not differ from raw, roasted, salted or honey roasted peanuts in its effect on body weight or fasting blood lipids. — adults from Brazil, Ghana and the US, mean BMI 30.0, 56 g/day for 4 weeks (n = 118) Evidence B source
  No differential effect of form (peanut butter vs whole peanuts) on body weight or fasting lipids
• In a crossover RCT in 18 adults eating 1.5 oz (42 g) a day, chopped and whole almonds shifted gut bacteria versus no almonds, while almond butter produced no difference from control. — healthy adults, 5-period controlled-feeding crossover, 42 g/day, 3-week periods (n = 18) Evidence B source
  No microbiota differences between almond butter and control; chopped almonds raised Lachnospira, Roseburia, Oscillospira

What it does to your health

• In a double-blind crossover RCT in 22 adults, three diets high in monounsaturated fat, one of them built on peanuts and peanut butter, together lowered total cholesterol by 10% and LDL cholesterol by 14%. — adults, 5-period randomized double-blind crossover of controlled diets (n = 22) Evidence B source
  High-MUFA diets pooled (one built on peanuts and peanut butter): total cholesterol -10%, LDL -14%
• In a 6-month RCT in 63 healthy young adults, the 23 who ate 1.1 oz (32 g) a day of peanut butter improved on immediate memory against their own baseline (p = 0.011), a within-group change not compared with the peanut oil control butter. — healthy young adults, 25 g/day skin roasted peanuts, 32 g/day peanut butter or 32 g/day control butter for 6 months (n = 63) Evidence B source
  Immediate memory improved within the peanut butter group (p = 0.011)
• Observational data link peanut butter with a 13% lower type 2 diabetes incidence in a meta-analysis of prospective cohorts, with evidence certainty rated very low. — 8 observational studies (5 prospective, 3 cross-sectional) of nut intake and type 2 diabetes (n = 8 studies) Evidence C source
  RR 0.87 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.98), I2 50.6%, NutriGrade very low
• In a Dutch cohort of 120,852 adults aged 55-69, peanuts and tree nuts were linked with lower mortality but peanut butter was not. — Netherlands Cohort Study, men and women aged 55-69, 10-year mortality follow-up (n = 120852) Evidence C source
  Total nuts 10+ g/day HR 0.77 (95% CI 0.66-0.89); peanut butter not related to mortality

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a double-blind randomized challenge of 30 highly peanut-allergic children, touching or smelling peanut butter caused no systemic or breathing reactions, only local skin redness or itch in a few. — children with significant peanut allergy, median age 7.7 years, skin contact and inhalation challenges (n = 30) Evidence B source
  0 of 30 systemic or respiratory reactions; local erythema in 3, pruritus in 5, wheal-and-flare in 2
• A 2007 Canadian retail survey found viable Clostridium botulinum spores in 3 of 104 nut butter spreads, all of them peanut butters, and whether this matters for infant botulism is not yet known. — 92 peanut butters and 12 other nut butter spreads from retail stores in Ottawa, Canada, 2007 (n = 104 products) Evidence C source
  3/104 (3%) positive for viable C. botulinum spores

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU did not authorize the claim that two tablespoons of peanut butter a day help achieve healthy cholesterol levels and promote heart health. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7733 Evidence E source
  Status Non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In a 6-month RCT of 120 adults aged 65 and over at risk of falls, 1.5 oz (43 g) of peanut butter a day cut five-times sit-to-stand time by 1.23 s versus usual care but did not change gait speed, the primary outcome. — community-dwelling older adults aged 65+ at risk of falls, Melbourne, 43 g/day for 6 months (n = 120) Evidence B source
  5STS time -1.23 s (95% CI -2.09 to -0.37); no effect on gait speed (primary outcome)
• In 71,704 US women aged 60 and over, eating nuts 5 or more times a week was linked with 20% lower frailty risk, and peanuts and walnuts were linked with less frailty but peanut butter was not. — Nurses' Health Study, nonfrail women aged 60+, followed 1992-2016 (n = 71704) Evidence C source
  Nuts ≥5 servings/wk HR 0.80 (0.73, 0.87); peanut butter not associated

What is still unknown

• A 2023 meta-analysis on nuts and prostate cancer found too few studies on peanut butter to pool them at all, and no head-to-head trial of almond butter against peanut butter turned up in the corpus. — 11 observational studies, 287,786 participants (n = 287786) Evidence C source
  Total nuts highest vs lowest RR 0.94 (0.85-1.04); peanut butter data insufficient

The bottom line

Most of the trial evidence is about peanut butter, and most of it is small. In a double-blind crossover feeding trial in 22 adults, three diets high in monounsaturated fat lowered total cholesterol by 10% and LDL cholesterol by 14%. One of those diets was built on peanuts and peanut butter, and the reported figures pool all three. In 118 adults from Brazil, Ghana and the United States eating 2 oz (56 g) a day for 4 weeks, peanut butter did not differ from raw, roasted, salted or honey roasted peanuts in its effect on body weight or fasting blood lipids, with about 24 people per arm. In 120 adults aged 65 and over at risk of falls, 1.5 oz (43 g) of peanut butter a day for 6 months did not change gait speed, the main outcome of the trial. Five sit-to-stand repetitions got 1.23 seconds faster than with usual care (95% CI 0.37 to 2.09), in an open-label comparison. In 63 healthy young adults followed for 6 months, the 23 who ate 1.1 oz (32 g) of peanut butter a day scored better on immediate memory than at their own start (p = 0.011). That is a change within the group, and the abstract does not compare it with the control butter made from peanut oil. For almond butter the processing trials point one way. In the same five-form design with 18 adults, chopped and whole almonds shifted gut bacteria compared with eating no almonds, and almond butter produced no difference from that control. Lab data suggest the reason: in a chewing model, 94.0% of the fat in almond butter was available for digestion, a modeled figure, and stool from volunteers showed fat still sealed inside whole and diced almond cells. Cohort studies give a mixed picture that cannot show cause. Observational data link peanut butter with a 13% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes in a meta-analysis of prospective cohorts (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.98), and the authors rated the certainty of that evidence very low. In a Dutch cohort of 120,852 adults aged 55 to 69, peanuts and tree nuts were linked with lower mortality and peanut butter was not. In 71,704 US women aged 60 and over, peanuts and walnuts were linked with less frailty and peanut butter was not. The EU refused a label claim that two tablespoons of peanut butter a day help reach healthy cholesterol levels and promote heart health. A refusal means the evidence fell short when it was assessed, and it does not prove the spread has no effect. Who should be careful. In a double-blind challenge of 30 children with serious peanut allergy, touching or smelling peanut butter caused no systemic or breathing reaction, with skin redness in 3, itch in 5 and a wheal in 2 at the spot it touched. That trial covered casual contact only and says nothing about eating peanut. A 2007 survey of 104 nut butters from shops in Ottawa found viable Clostridium botulinum spores in 3, all of them peanut butters, and the authors say it is not yet known whether this plays any part in infant botulism. We have no card on tree nut allergy to almonds and none on medicines. We found no trial comparing almond butter with peanut butter head to head. A 2023 meta-analysis of nuts and prostate cancer found too few peanut butter studies to pool them at all.

Sources

1. abpb-daily-r1-01 · reference dataset
   Almond butter, creamy: Calcium 263.8 mg, range 248.0-278.0, n=8 · Magnesium 267.8 mg, range 247.0-280.0, n=8 · Iron 4.108 mg, range 3.09-4.45, n=8 | Peanut butter, creamy: Calcium 49.85 mg, range 45.7-57.7, n=8 · Magnesium 192.6 mg, range 178.0-212.0, n=8 · Iron 1.853 mg, range 1.68-2.13, n=8
   USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-29
2. abpb-daily-r1-02 · reference dataset
   Peanut butter, creamy: Protein 23.99 g, range 23.15-25.33 · Fiber, total dietary 6.323 g, range 6.01-6.77, n=8 · Sodium 220.7 mg, range 0.0-427.0, n=8 | Almond butter, creamy: Protein 20.79 g, range 15.64-22.53 · Fiber, total dietary 9.718 g, range 9.24-10.3, n=8
   USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-29
3. abpb-daily-r1-03 · reference dataset
   CoFID 14-892 Peanut butter, smooth: Energy 607 kcal · Protein 22.8 g · Fat 51.8 g · Satd FA 12.78 g · Total sugars 6.7 g · Sodium 350 mg · Calcium 37 mg · Magnesium 180 mg
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England (OGL v3.0), code 14-892 · checked 2026-09-29
4. abpb-daily-r1-04 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 42200500 Almond butter (fdc 2707533): 1 tablespoon 16 g · Guideline amount per sandwich 32 g | FNDDS 42202000 Peanut butter (fdc 2707537): 1 tablespoon 16 g · 1 single serving 45 g · Guideline amount per sandwich 32 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 (FoodData Central) · checked 2026-09-29
5. abpb-daily-r1-05 · RCT, crossover
   A 5-period randomized, crossover study in healthy individuals (n = 18) was conducted to measure the ME of different forms of almonds (42 g per day), as part of a controlled diet: whole, natural almonds; whole, roasted almonds; chopped almonds; almond butter; and control (0 g per day). ... Measured ME (kcal g-1) of whole natural almonds (4.42), whole roasted almonds (4.86), and chopped almonds (5.04) was significantly lower than predicted with Atwater factors (P < 0.001); ME of almond butter (6.53 kcal g-1) was similar to predicted (P = 0.08).
   Food Funct, 2016 · checked 2026-09-29
6. abpb-daily-r1-06 · in vitro model within RCT
   The total lipid potentially available for digestion in AB was 94.0%, which included the freely available lipid resulting from the initial sample processing and the further small amount of lipid released from the intact almond particles during mastication. ... Microstructural analysis of faecal samples from volunteers consuming NA, RA, DA and AB confirmed that some lipid in NA, RA and DA remained encapsulated within the plant tissue throughout digestion, whereas almost complete digestion was observed in the AB sample.
   Nutrients, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
7. abpb-daily-r1-07 · RCT
   One hundred and eighteen adults (forty-seven males and seventy-one females; age 29.2 (sd 8.4) years; BMI 30.0 (sd 4.5) kg/m2) from Brazil, Ghana and the United States were randomised to consume 56 g of raw unsalted (n 23), roasted unsalted (n 24), roasted salted (n 23) or honey roasted (n 24) peanuts, or peanut butter (n 24) daily for 4 weeks. Peanut form and processing did not differentially affect body weight or fasting plasma lipid responses in the total sample.
   Br J Nutr, 2010 · checked 2026-09-29
8. abpb-daily-r1-16 · RCT, crossover
   A controlled-feeding, randomized, five-period, crossover study with washouts between diet periods was conducted in healthy adults (n = 18). ... There were no differences between almond butter and control.
   Nutrients, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
9. abpb-daily-r1-08 · RCT, crossover
   A randomized, double-blind, 5-period crossover study design (n = 22) was used to examine the effects of the diets on serum lipids and lipoproteins ... The high-MUFA diets lowered total cholesterol by 10% and LDL cholesterol by 14%.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1999 · checked 2026-09-29
10. abpb-daily-r1-10 · RCT
    A three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted in 63 healthy young adults that consumed 25 g/day of skin roasted peanuts (SRP, n = 21), 32 g/d of peanut butter (PB, n = 23) or 32 g/d of a control butter made from peanut oil (free of phenolic compounds and fiber) (CB, n = 19) for six months. ... After the intervention, consumers of SRP and PB had an improved immediate memory (p = 0.046 and p = 0.011).
    Clin Nutr, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
11. abpb-daily-r1-13 · meta-analysis of cohorts
    Meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies showed an inverse association between peanut butter consumption and T2D incidence (RR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.98; I2 = 50.6%; Pheterogeneity = 0.16), whereas no association was observed between peanuts or tree nuts and T2D. ... The certainty of the evidence using NutriGrade was very low for all the exposures.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
12. abpb-daily-r1-14 · cohort
    In the Netherlands Cohort Study, 120,852 men and women aged 55-69 years provided information on dietary and lifestyle habits in 1986. ... Peanuts and tree nuts were inversely related to mortality, whereas peanut butter was not.
    Int J Epidemiol, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
13. abpb-daily-r1-11 · RCT, challenge
    Thirty children underwent the challenges (median age, 7.7 years; median peanut IgE level, >100 kIU/L; 13 with prior history of contact and 11 with inhalation reactions). None experienced a systemic or respiratory reaction. Erythema (3 subjects), pruritus without erythema (5 subjects), and wheal-and-flare reactions (2 subjects) developed only at the site of skin contact with peanut butter.
    J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2003 · checked 2026-09-29
14. abpb-daily-r1-12 · product survey
    This report details a survey that was conducted in 2007 for the presence of viable C. botulinum spores in 92 peanut butters and 12 other nut butter spreads obtained from retail grocery stores in Ottawa, Canada. ... Three of the peanut butters from the entire survey of nut butter spreads (3/104, 3%) produced cultures containing botulinum neurotoxin. ... Whether peanut butter represents a food category that may be contributing to the incidence of infant botulism has yet to be determined.
    Curr Microbiol, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
15. abpb-daily-r1-18 · regulatory register
    POL-HC-7733 Peanuts, Peanut butter, Peanut oil Consuming a small handful, about 30 grams, of peanuts a day as part of a diet low in saturated fat helps to achieve healthy cholesterol levels and promotes heart health. Consuming two tablespoons, about 30g, of peanut butter a day as part of a diet low in saturated fat helps to achieve healthy cholesterol levels and promotes heart health. Consuming two tablespoons, about 30 grams of peanut oil a day as part of a diet low in saturated fat helps to achieve healthy cholesterol levels and promotes heart health. Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7733, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
16. abpb-daily-r1-09 · RCT
    One hundred and twenty older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) at risk of falls were randomly assigned to receive peanut butter (43 g/day, n = 60) or maintain usual care (control, n = 60) for 6 months. ... At 6 months, there were no significant treatment effects on the primary outcome of gait speed or other measures of physical function (p > 0.05), with the exception that 5STS time and muscle power improved significantly more in the peanut butter compared to control group (estimated treatment effect: time, -1.23 s [95% CI, -2.09, -0.37], p = 0.006
    J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
17. abpb-daily-r1-15 · cohort
    Among 71,704 participants, 14,195 incident frailty cases occurred over 1,165,290 person-years. The adjusted HR (95% CI) for consuming ≥5 servings/wk of nuts was 0.80 (0.73, 0.87), as compared with <1 serving/mo. Higher intakes of peanuts and walnuts, but not peanut butter, were also inversely associated with frailty.
    J Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
18. abpb-daily-r1-17 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    Data on other types of nuts, including walnut, tree nuts, peanut, and peanut butter, were not sufficient for performing a meta-analysis.
    Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29