For those who can’t eat peanut butter (or simply don’t like it) the explosion of alternative nut butters in the last decade or so must seem heaven sent. However, a lot of these alternative butters come from “natural” (ie: high-price) companies, so it’s difficult to figure out which nut butter company truly deserves your business. To that end, we decided to test eight brands of almond butters, all available in stores or online, to decide which one is most worthy of your buck. Here’s our rankings, from best to worst.

Best Overall
Once Again Almond Butter in Creamy ($12.39 for 16 oz)

Once Again’s almond butter is not perfectly creamy; there’s a little bit of texture and oily-ness to this butter. This middle-ground between natural and factory-perfect is pretty appealing, however, for those who don’t prefer either end of the spectrum exclusively. And while we don’t love the idea of paying more than $12 for a single jar of butter, at least Once Again provides more ounces than some of our other picks with similar price points. If you’re willing to splurge a bit, Once Again’s creamy is worth your time. 

Best No-Stir Almond Butters
Barney Butter Almond Butters in Smooth or Crunchy  ($9.99 for 10 oz)

Both of these almond butters could easily pass for factory-made peanut butters. They resemble the texture of Jif or Skippy’s creamy and crunchy, respectively. If your household is picky on texture, or if you just want to switch from peanut to almond butter without being able to tell much of a difference, Barney Butter is the way to go.

Best Budget Almond Butters
Simple Truth Almond Butter in Smooth or Crunchy ($4.99 for 12 oz)

We’re not sure why some of the other brands we’ve tested here feel comfortable charging upwards of $1.26 per ounce when Simple Truth is able to provide similar quality at half the cost. Both of these butters are, like our top pick, somewhere between factory perfect and natural. The creamy has far more oil than the crunchy, but both require minimal stirring. So if you don’t want to spend $12 for almond butter, you don’t have to, so long as you’re near a Kroger or Fred Meyer.

Best Crunchy Almond Butter
Justin’s Classic Almond Butter ($9.29 for 16 oz)

Unfortunately, we could only find the sample size for this butter in stores. We’re hoping a jar full is cheaper, because if so, this is the best choice for butter lovers who love crunchy textures. Justin’s almond butter isn’t super chunky, but it has a definite crunch that’s pleasant for those who don’t prefer perfectly smooth, and has a no-stir texture that should spread on sandwiches easily.

Best Superfood Almond Butter
Yum Butter Almond Butter ($5.99 for 6.2 oz)

If you’re looking to amp up your almond butter with a bit extra, this brand includes chia and hemp seeds along with goji berries. Those ingredients distract a bit from the almond flavor, but not unpleasantly. The true drawback is the squeeze-pouch version of the product we found in stores. A more traditional jar would be easier for sandwiches, but those who take their butters on the go may prefer the pouch.

Not Our Favorites
Maranatha Almond Butter in Crunchy ($6.99 for 12 oz)

This almond butter is fine. It just tastes a bit more plain than the others, and has a kind of bitter aftertaste that we can’t place. None of the almond butters contained a great amount of sugar, but if you want an almond butter that actually tastes devoid of sweetness, Maranatha’s is the one to go with.

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