As I write this post, I’m sitting in a little coffee shop in Soho munching on veggies topped with a dollop of nut butter.
Not just any ol’ nut butter.
I combined almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, pistachio nut butter, stevia, ground cinnamon and chili powder for an awesome concoction.
I swear it tastes good.
It’s like dessert on a spoon. I’ve been caught red-handed 3 times already spooning it directly into my mouth.
Hehe.
Whooopsies.
Last time I sat in a coffee shop to write my book, I couldn’t help but drool over the hot cocoa and scones staring me in the face. Yup – you guessed it. Lots of gluten and dairy that I couldn’t eat – so as you can imagine – I had a lotta distractions.
Well I got a little smarter since that last coffee shop visit and now I bring my snacks.
The theme of today’s snack is Nut Butter.
And I’m all over it.
So, while I sit here and procrastinate from writing my book – and gaze out the windows on the bustling streets – I thought of 10 fun ways for you to enjoy a bit of nut butter in your day, too.
Go ahead, try ’em out and let me know what you think.
Because life’s just a lil’ bit more fun with some nut butter in it.
And if you’ve gotta nut allergy – swap in some sunflower seed butter and you’re all set to roll.
So, I’m passing along a few of my hand-dandy nut butta tips that you can use to spike the flavor in your meals n’ snacks.
Because even if you’re not a fan of peanut butta – there’s always almond, pistachio, cashew and hazelnut too!
Does your favorite cake or cupcake recipe call for chocolate ganache or frosting? Skip the extra step and frost cakes with chocolate almond butter instead.
Whip up a sweet dip with almond butter and cream cheese; use it with fresh cut fruit and jicama sticks.
Swap peanut butter for almond butter as your go-to dip for carrot, celery sticks and apples slices.
How about some chewy, gooey chocolate almond butter balls? Combine chocolate almond butter, honey, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl; stir in shredded coconut, dates, and sunflower seeds, roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and coat in sesame seeds.
Try using almond butter instead of the usual peanut butter to make homemade chocolate almond butter cups.
Add a dollop of honey almond butter to your rice crispy treats; add a spoonful to the marshmallow batter for a creamy and protein-packed treat.
Whisk together almond butter, rice vinegar, hot sauce and gluten-free soy sauce for a sweet dipping sauce to serve with fresh spring rolls.
Use almond butter in place of the tahini in traditional hummus recipes. Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
Try a hearty gluten-free sandwich filled with almond butter, sprouts and thinly sliced red onion.
Add almond butter to butternut squash, pumpkin or sweet potato soup to kick up the protein content and add a sweet flavor to each spoonful.
I’m looking at all of your suggestions for nut butter after making the fruit nut balls with almond butter. These are on my list to try. Thanks.
Love all the ideas for using nutbutter!
Great Idea. Learning to be Dairy Free is soo hard. I just got the whole Gluten free thing down. Now my dairy issues are rearing there ugly head. Dairy was my go to when going Gluten Free. And boy do I miss dairy. ( butter and cheeses):(
Do you have a list of favorites when it comes to Dairy free products? It is crazy out there with all the products to chose from and I`m at a complete lose.
Thanks loving your site tons of great ideas!
Mary Kay
Thank you Mary Kay; so nice to hear from you! I LOVE So Delicious- their products are all amazing. I also love Daiya Cheese, which has great cheese alternatives that I use for my clients. TruRoots is great for gluten-free pasta and beans, Crunchmaster are great gluten-free crackers and SanJ is great for gluten-free soy sauce and salad dressings too. I love Canyon Bakehouse breads; they are gluten free and dairy free! I have a list of many products I like on my Products page if you’d like to check those out. Happy to help you in anyway I can!
Great post! I LOVE anything to do with nut butters & have to at least have a daily dose of it, which is almost always present in my breakfast & then reappears in snacks again later in the day. Addicted. I love your almond butter ball idea, yum! 🙂
Thanks Karey; so great to hear from you and love the spelling of your name. So unique; glad you enjoyed my ideas. Have a great night!
I love nut butters!! Your ideas here are fantastic.
Your site is great, and I’m going to share it with my Gluten Free friends! 🙂
Awe thank you so much Rachael; you are so kind! Hope you had a great weekend. Looking forward to more of your posts, too!
I really enjoy nut butters but I had not thought of adding them to squash or pumpkin soups, two of my favorite soups. Thank you for the great ideas and beautiful photos.
Thank Jennifer; great to hear from you! Let me know how you like them; have a great week!
I love your tip about adding nut butter to squash or pumpkin soup to add protein. We go through the peanut butter in this house like no bodies business! with 4 kids it’s quick and healthy to slap on an apple, banana, or just on a spoon, I am so thankful no one has an allergy to it in our home! Hope you are doing well! thanks for the great ideas ; D xoxox
Thank you Shelia; hope you enjoy these fun ideas for your kids. Have a great day; so nice to hear from you!