If you have a peanut allergy, you need to find a substitute for peanut butter for baking, protein balls, shakes, smoothies, snacks, and sandwiches. Since our daughter developed a peanut allergy at age 1, we’ve been pleased to find many peanut butter alternatives made in peanut free facilities.
The best substitutes for peanut butter are: Sunflower Butter, Almond Butter, Soy Butter, and Cashew Butter. A few less common alternatives for peanut butter are Tahini (Sesame Seed Butter), Hazelnut Butter, Walnut Butter, Pecan Butter, Pumpkin Seed Butter, or Coconut Butter.
Read on to see where to buy common and unique peanut free “peanut butters,” some of which are tree nut free, soy free, dairy free, gluten free, and more!
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BEST PEANUT BUTTER SUBSTITUTES
The best peanut butter substitutes are:
- safe for your allergies
- have consistency similar to peanut butter
- taste good
With those criteria in mind, here are our go-to alternatives for when a recipe calls for peanut butter.
1. Sunflower Butter
Sunflower butter is made from ground sunflower seeds, so this is a great option if you can’t eat peanuts or tree nuts.
Some brands that make Sunflower Butter in a peanut free facility are:
- SunButter
- Dastony
- Blue Mountain Organics
- 88 Acres
SunButter is the most popular sunflower butter brand and it’s our favorite. Read our SunButter Review to learn more about the ingredients and why we love it so much.
Peanut Butter vs SunButter
SunButter can be used 1:1 to replace peanut butter in cookies and other baking, protein balls, smoothies, and granola bars. It spreads easily and can be used on bread to make a SunButter + Jelly Sandwich too.
📍We used SunButter to make Peanut Butter + Jelly Rice Cake Sandwiches in our Nut Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Soy Free Lunches.
2. Almond Butter
Almond butter is another great substitute for peanut butter for people who can safely eat almonds.
Some brands that make Almond Butter in a peanut free facility are:
- Barney Butter
- Artisana Organics
- Blue Mountain Organics
- Zinke Orchards
Barney Butter is a popular peanut free facility almond butter, which you can get in: Smooth, Crunchy, No Added Sugar or Salt, Chocolate, and Powdered Almond Butter.
Almond butter can be used 1-for-1 as a substitute for peanut butter in cookies, protein balls, smoothies, and other baking.
📍Many tree nuts are made in facilities with peanuts, but we found 11 Almonds Made in Peanut Free Facilities
3. Soy Butter
Soy butter is made from ground soybeans, and is a great option if you can eat soy.
Two brands that make Soybean Butter in a peanut free facility are:
- WowButter
- Don’t Go Nuts
WOWBUTTER is the most popular soy butter brand and is another great peanut butter alternative for people who are allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, or sunflower seeds. Read our WOWBUTTER Review to learn more about it.
Peanut Butter vs Soy Butter
Soy Butter can be used 1:1 to replace peanut butter in cookies and other baking, protein balls, smoothies, and granola bars. The texture is similar to peanut butter, so it spreads easily and is used by many families to make SoyButter + Jelly Sandwiches.
📍Related: Peanut Free Multivitamins for Kids and Adults
4. Cashew Butter
Another alternative to peanut butter for those who can eat tree nuts is cashew butter, which is made from ground cashews.
Some brands that make Cashew Butter in a peanut free facility are:
- Artisana Organics
- Nutty Infusions
- Blue Mountain Organics
Our family enjoys Artisana Organics Raw Cashew Butter. The only ingredient is 100% organic, pure cashews.
Peanut Butter vs Cashew Butter
Cashew Butter is super creamy. It’s excellent for spreading on toast, rice cakes, or celery for “ants on a log.”
📍We love cashews and found these 14 Peanut Free Cashews and Cashew Butters in our research
UNIQUE PEANUT BUTTER SUBSTITUTES
A few less common alternatives for peanut butter are Tahini (Sesame Seed Butter), Hazelnut Butter, Walnut Butter, Pecan Butter, Pumpkin Seed Butter, or Coconut Butter.
5. Tahini
Tahini is sometimes also called Seasame Seed Butter, as it’s made from sesame seeds.
Some brands that make Tahini in a peanut free facility are:
- Artisana Organics
- Blue Mountain Organics
- Dastony
📍 Did you know Peanuts are common in Bird Seed? Here are some Peanut Free Bird Seed Options
6. Hazelnut Butter
Hazelnut butter is made from ground hazelnuts, but beware that some hazelnut butters are made with hazelnuts and other tree nuts.
Some brands that make Hazelnut Butter in a peanut free facility are:
- Blue Mountain Organics
- Dastony
- Artisana Organics Hazelnut Cacao Spread
Dastony Hazelnut Butter is made from 100% organic raw hazelnuts. It can be used to spread on bread, crackers, vegetables, or added to smoothies.
Artisana Hazelnut Cacao Spread is a sweet treat that’s sweetened with coconut sugar. Like Artisana’s other peanut butter alternatives, their machinery “processes a variety of tree nuts, coconut, and seeds but does not process peanuts, gluten, dairy or soy.”
📍 Need an allergy alert bracelet? These are the Best Allergy Bracelets for Kids.
7. Walnut Butter
Pretty much any tree nut can be ground into a nut butter, and walnuts are no exception.
Some brands that make Walnut Butter in a peanut free facility are:
- Artisana Organics
- Blue Mountain Organics
Artisana Organics Raw Walnut Butter is made from walnuts and cashews, probably to create a more creamy texture.
📍We found facilities that make Peanut Free Walnuts too!
8. Pecan Butter
Pecan butter is made from Pecans, and there are a couple of brands that manufacture pecan butter in a dedicated peanut-free facility.
Some brands that make Pecan Butter in a peanut free facility are:
- Artisana Organics
- Blue Mountain Organics
Artisana Organics Pecan Butter is made from organic pecans and cashews, so if you can have both of those tree nuts, this is another safe peanut butter alternative for you to try. Like pecans, pecan butter has a grainier texture than peanut butter.
📍 Don’t miss these 7 Store-Bought Peanut Free Cookie Brands
9. Pumpkin Seed Butter
Pumpkin seed butter is made from ground pumpkin seeds, so this another unique alternative for peanut butter.
Some brands that make Pumpkin Seed Butter in a peanut free facility are:
- Gerbs
- 88 Acres
- Dastony
- Blue Mountain Organics
Gerbs is a popular choice for pumpkin seed butter. Their certified allergen statement states: “Our entire product line is: Gluten, Wheat, Peanut, Tree-Nut, Soy, Egg, Milk/Dairy, Sesame, Mustard, Shellfish & Fish FREE!”
📍 Speaking of pumpkins, are you familiar with What the Teal Pumpkin Project Means?
10. Coconut Butter
Coconut butter, made from coconuts, can be used in place of peanut butter in some recipes.
Some brands that make Coconut Butter in a peanut free facility are:
- Artisana Organics
- Blue Mountain Organics
Artisana Organics Raw Coconut Butter is a naturally sweet treat that can be spread on toast, pancakes, and no-bake cookies in place of peanut butter or other tree nut butters.
Note: It’s easy to spread in warm temperatures, but hardens and needs to be warmed up in cooler temperatures (similar to coconut oil).
📍 Love chocolate? Grab some of these 6 Yummy Peanut Free Brownie Mixes for a sweet treat this weekend.
RAISE CONFIDENT KIDS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES
ALWAYS CHECK LABELS YOURSELF
Ingredients and manufacturing procedures can change over time. Please recheck food labels to make sure they fit your dietary needs before eating.
I am a constantly-researching food allergy mom. However, I am not a medical professional and nothing on this blog should take the place of your doctor’s recommendations.
SHARE THESE PEANUT BUTTER SUBSTITUTES WITH FOOD ALLERGY PARENTS
Living with food allergies is hard, but a caring community makes a huge difference!
💙 It’s our mission to reduce the stress and food overwhelm by families affected by food allergies.
Would you take a moment to share this list of peanut free peanut butters on Pinterest, Facebook, or email? 💌
Thanks for helping our food allergy community thrive!
-Val at Food Allergy Parents 🍽💙
MORE RESOURCES FOR PEANUT ALLERGY FAMILIES
PEANUT FREE SNACKS
Don’t forget to download your free ALLERGY-FRIENDLY SNACK GUIDE.
All snacks on this list have ingredients that are:
- Free From the Top 8 Allergens (including peanuts)
- Available to easily order online.
I created this for my fellow food allergy community to make food allergy shopping online a little easier for you. Enjoy!
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