Categories: Nut Butters, Toppings & Spreads

8 May 2012, Comments (8)

Earth Balance Crunchy Coconut & Peanut Spread

Author: Healthnuttxo

Something new!!!!

Browsing for a new peanut butter to buy at Whole Foods ( at 2 jars a week, I’m getting a little bored of my usuals you could say…) I saw this gem on the bottom shelf. WHY it was hiding all the way down there is beyond me, but a good eye can spot it. Earth Balance Crunchy Coconut & Peanut Spread. At first I wasn’t going to buy it, afraid the coconut would be, well, weird with peanut butter. But then I thought why not, and it was an average price for peanut butter (don’t remember the exact $$, but a little more than a usual plain jar I believe).

I opened up the jar and did a tiny stir. Mmm.

It’s really quite good! A thick peanut butter with tons of crunchy chopped peanuts. It’s sweet yet salty, and you can definitely taste the coconut. The coconut wasn’t too overpowering, but definitely provided a good amount of flavor.

I would say the peanut butter part reminded me of what Skippy or Jif peanut butter tasted like, as it was sweeter and saltier than I am used to. However, only 2 grams of sugar and 95 mg of sodium per serving, so really not that bad at all!

I also really liked how crunchy the chopped peanuts were. They tasted very fresh, and added a really good texture to the peanut butter. While there is a lot going on, crunchy peanuts and coconut flavor, all in all, it’s a good combination. It did say “no stir” on the top, and I did have a tiny bit of oil separation but not too bad at all. This spread is also gluten free and vegan. Yay!

Overall, 4 1/2 stars. A must try!

5 Apr 2012, Comments (11)

Truwhip the Natural Whipped Topping

Author: Healthnuttxo

Um………confession time.

I am a Cool-Whip addict. But seriously.

I KNOW, it’s full of not-so-good for you ingredients, I think I’ve even seen the really evil ones like HFCS or trans fats, and I KNOW it practically has no nutritional value and I KNOW why don’t I just eat natural whipped cream?

Well, I can’t explain it. Something about cool-whip. Good enough for me to eat straight from the container. (Don’t judge me…)

SO, in hopes to find a healthier alternative, I saw Truwhip the Natural Whipped Topping at Whole Foods. YES I thought, FINALLY a healthier alternative. This one was made with natural ingredients, was gluten free, trans fat free, and gave me a bit more piece of mind. It was also around the same price, at 3 dollars a container.

Notice the dent I made…. :D

So how was it? It was fluffy and light, just like Cool-Whip. But it certainly had a different, odd, taste. Almost like a fake vanilla marshmallow? Odd. It was sweet, and melted in my mouth, and did not have that oily feel to it but a very natural one which was a plus. BUT, if definitely had some weird flavor to it I really couldn’t not think of how to describe!

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t horrible at all, it was different! It had a pleasant sweetness, and was almost vanilla/tapioca in flavor. It was good, but not amazing. One thing I noticed though was that it didn’t have that chemically aftertaste I get with Cool-Whip (sorry Cool-Whip…you’re amazing and all but that aftertaste has to GO!!). So that was definitely a plus.

Although the question is, buy Cool Whip, love the flavor, and dislike the aftertaste? Or buy Truwhip, better ingredients, not crazy about the flavor, but good aftertaste? Decisions, decisions.

Overall, I would give it 3.5 stars. Would I buy it again? Maybe. Only if Cool Whip wasn’t available…. ;’)

good thing I just got a manicure! :)

9 Jan 2012, Comments (8)

Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

Another nut butter to add to my addiction and to subtract money out of my wallet (*sigh*…that wallet never had a chance against any nut butters). Insert, Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter. One of the tastiest I have tried from Peanut Butter & Co., this one is also gluten free and vegan

SIDENOTE: How cute is that monkey?! With a barbell!

This was a thick peanut butter- not much stirring required, hardly any actually. Look here, didn’t even move as I turned my fork to the side. (WHHHHAAAAAT you don’t eat nut butter out of the jar with a fork, too?)

The peanut butter has a mild sweetness, but I can definitely taste both the maple and the peanut butter. It has a roasted peanut taste, and then a hint of maple flavor. Not too salty or too sweet, but just right. I ate this directly from the jar, like most of my nut butters, and I can’t get enough of it. This isn’t my first jar, and it will not be my last.

One thing different from other peanut butters is I can “taste” and detect the granules- like a very mild grittiness to the peanut butter. Not like sand, or like anything that would ruin the peanut butter, but it is not 100% smooth.

Overall, delicious and addictive. A made a significant dent in my jar the first night. I’m too ashamed to show you the picture and I also don’t want to think about possibly eating 3-4 servings in one sitting, so I’m going to pretend it never happened. (*What peanut butter??*) I get remarks all the time about how fast I can finish a jar of peanut butter, and quite frankly, it doesn’t bother me a bit. Heart healthy fats, protein, and hey, I can think of worse things to inhale on a 2-3 day basis (sad, yet true. Shelf life of a jar of peanut butter in my house is 3 days tops).

One thing, is these are a bit pricy, I’ve seen them as much as 6+ dollars for a jar. So, from me, this one gets 4.5 stars =)

What’s your favorite flavor/variety from Peanut Butter & Co. if you have tried it? Mine is this one here.

13 Dec 2011, Comments (8)

Justin’s Nut Butter Maple Almond Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

I finally bought a jar of this stuff. I pass by it almost every time I go to Whole Foods (probably because I ALWAYS go down the nut butter aisle).

What stops me? This jar of Justin’s Nut Butter was so good, so why not buy another?

the 10 dollar price tag. My wallet cries everytime I buy nut butter. So pricy. But so worth it. Keep on crying, wallet.

So I bought this nut butter, and home it went. I opened it up and noticed considerably oil separation, so a little stirring and I stored it upside down ( a trick I learned from a friend! keeps the oil on the bottom!!) until I got to try it.

Yea I eat my nut butters with plastic forks. Don’t you?

The first thing I noticed- it was THICK. I tried this when I was already a bit thirsty, and that was a mistake. It literally stuck to my mouth. So, have some water on hand!

It had a mild sweetness, and mild maple flavor. The predominant flavor is definitely ALMOND. It has the gritty texture I find most almond butters do, and every now and then a rush of salty flavor would happen. It was a bit “pasty” but not bad.

And while it’s quite good, it’s not amazing. I wish it was sweeter, or saltier, or both. I wish I could taste the maple flavor more, because I’m not sure I would be able to say “this is MAPLE almond butter” if I was given a blind taste test. And you know me (or hopefully you have picked up on) and that I LOVE maple flavored things. (Like these cookies? YUMM!)

Overall, 3 stars. I don’t know if I would buy this again, especially since it is 10 dollars,  but I want to try more Justin’s Nut Butters! Just have to save up some money first…. =P

Whats the most you EVER spent on nut butter??

26 Aug 2011, Comments (4)

Artisana 100% Organic Raw Almond Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

The one thing I turn to when I’m insatiably hungry is almonds. They ALWAYS make my hunger pains quite down a little bit and hold me over until I can eat my next meal. However, I am picky when it comes to my almonds. I like them roasted, salted, or even flavored (cinnamon, honey, etc.). So would I really like the Artisana 100% Organic Raw Almond Butter ? I was afraid it would be bland -the only ingredient was 100%  Organic Raw Almonds after all. But who knows- and I was certainly not one to not try it =)

I opened the jar and saw a small layer of oil on the top. This little guy needed some stirring…

After stirring, it changed colors a little bit. There were brown speckles that looked almost like a bunch of cinnamon was waiting on the bottom of the jar. I figured it was the brown coating of almonds that had settled.

After mixing, the almond butter was fluid like, but not super runny. I took a taste of it and…..just as I suspected. Bland.

But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It had texture, it was a bit grainy but also smooth. It literally tasted just like raw almonds do, and nothing else. Not a hint of salt, or sweetness really. I kind of liked it was raw, so that I could smear it on toast and drizzle with honey, or add a pinch of salt to suit my preferences.

I wouldn’t say this would replace my consumption of roasted almond butters or peanut butters, but it was certainly different. If you like the taste of raw almonds, you might dig this. Me on the other hand, I like my almonds roasted, salted, and seasoned. 2 1/2 stars for me.

The nutritional fact on this little (but SO CUTE) jars was too tiny to see, so heres the basics.

1 tbsp is 94 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar and 4 grams of protein.

How do you like your almonds? Raw? Candy coated? Let me know!

I got this jar as a free sample. My opinion remains unchanged and unaffected regardless of the fact that it was free.
12 Jul 2011, Comments (16)

Lotus Biscoff Spread

Author: Healthnuttxo

Remember my love for Lotus Biscoff Cookies?

Well take that love, multiply by 100, and put it in a jar. Literally.

This stuff is BEYOND amazing. I’ve gone through almost 3 jars already (not at once…over a few days!!), and plan on ordering more soon when I run out. I don’t even put it on anything, I eat it straight from the jar. That’s how good it is.

The first time I bought it, I saw it at a specialty store. Biscoff? What is that? I thought (turns out, I tried Biscoff spread BEFORE the cookies!)

Once I got home, I took a spoon out and tried some. Oh my goodness. It was like candy in a jar. Not saying it was super sweet like candy, but so delicious like candy.

Why, yes. Half that jar IS gone. And lets just say I did not share...

The consistency is super smooth, and light. No bumps at all, and no oil separation. It’s sweet, and I can certainly taste the delicious-ness of the Biscoff Cookies. The best way to describe it if you never had a Biscoff Cookie is that I think it tastes almost like cinnamon graham crackers that were grinded up and made into this delicious spread. It’s soooo good! (Am I gushing too much? Is it OK that I love this spread that much?!?!)

So. Overall, I guess my only complaint is that this isn’t filling at all. As in, I could TOTALLY eat the whole jar in a day, so having it near me has my will power being tempted all day long. Which makes sense, seeing as it only has .5 grams of protein per serving. My other complaint would be is that the store I originally bought it from doesn’t carry it anymore, so I have to buy it online. But honestly, this is so delicious I could never stop eating it! 5 stars and on the list of my favorite things EVER!

Have you ever had Biscoff Cookies or Biscoff Spread? If so, what’s your favorite way to eat it? Honestly, all I need is a spoon =)

8 Jun 2011, Comments (15)

Peanut Butter & Co. The Bees Knees Peanut Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

Source

Along with the delicious Cinna Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter I won a little while ago, my 2nd jar I won was the Bees Knees from Peanut Butter & Co.

One thing I noticed about this peanut butter was that it wasn’t vegan. I remember seeing a vegan label on some of the Peanut Butter & Co.’s peanut butter, which made me curious as to why this one wasn’t. After doing some research, I saw that honey wasn’t vegan! Who knew! (If anyone knows for sure, please correct me!)

Anyway-

Onto the peanut butter. In a word? It was….Delicious! Thick, smooth, and very peanut buttery. It had little granules in it,  along with a pleasant sweetness from the honey. I like that you can taste both the honey and the peanut butter. I had mine directly from the spoon (when does that not happen?), but I think it would be AWESOME on a peanut butter and banana sandwich! (kind of like the Elvis sandwich!!)

I even thought the label was cute- the monkey looks like a bee!

Overall, really tasty!  It was a tad high in sugar, but not too terrible. I would definitely buy this one in the future 4 1/2 stars

2 Tbsp is 180 calories, 14 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.

15 May 2011, Comments (11)

Peanut Butter & Co. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

Source

I won an awesome contest where I got 3 free jars of Peanut Butter & Co. Peanut Butter. Of the three I chose, I picked one of my favorites, White Chocolate Wonderful, and this one, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl.

I opened my jar, and saw no oil separation, so that was a plus. Another thing I noticed, was a lot of the raisins were on the bottom! Here’s a pic of the bottom of my jar, so you can see for yourself.

Even after eating  a serving or so, there still was very minimal raisins on top.

I wasn’t really complaining however,  because it’s not like I couldn’t easily stir it. AND, the peanut butter by itself, even without the raisins, was so delicious!

It was a smooth peanut butter, but if you “chew” the peanut butter, you can detect granules similar in consistency to sugar. The cinnamon flavor was certainly prominent, which I liked. You can taste both the sweetness and the cinnamon flavor, with the beautiful flavor of a rich peanut butter. The raisins were soft, chewy and sweet. It was really delicious. Honestly, all I needed was a spoon, and I was happy (;

Overall, 4 1/2 stars. Certainly delicious. I liked it both when I tried it with the raisins and without the raisins. I’ll just have a few extra “surprises” waiting for me at the bottom of my jar (:

What’s your favorite food involving raisins? I happen to be fond of chocolate covered raisins (;

And here’s a snapshot of the nutritional facts.

5 May 2011, Comments (7)

Sunland Raspberry Natural Peanut Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

Yep. You read correctly. Raspberry Peanut Butter. You KNOW I was excited to try this when I saw it in the store! Immediately into my cart it went for me to buy and well… enjoy !

On my drive home, I couldn’t imagine what this was going to taste like. Very tart? Very fruity? Awkward tasting?

Here’s what it looked like straight from the jar (of course, I had already eaten some at this point!)- a very thick peanut butter, HARDLY any oil separation or stirring required!

I would say predominantly, it was a sweet peanut butter, with an awesome raspberry flavor. Not a fake raspberry flavor, which I really enjoyed! It had a slight tart flavor that raspberries often have, and also a slight salty after taste. It really was incredibly tasty! I have only eaten it straight from the jar as of yet, but I think it would rock on oatmeal or toast too.

I also like that it wasn’t a super runny peanut butter. I do love super runny nut butters, but sometimes they are not practical for eating straight from the jar with a spoon (been there, done that….lets just say I got peanut butter EVERY where!!). This one literally sticked on the spoon!

Overall, pretty good. My only thing was that it was a tad high in sugar, and lower in protein than other nut butters I have had in the past. 4 1/2 stars

And, by request, here’s the nutritional breakdown in picture form, straight from the jar!

If you could put ANY fruit in a peanut butter, what would it be? I think mango or strawberry peanut butter would be really tasty!

1 May 2011, Comments (7)

Justins Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

Yesterday, I decided to go to Target (haha I will admit, a lot of afternoons are spent at Target!). And then, I spotted it on the shelf-and I had to have it. Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. But ten DOLLARS? Was it worth the hefty price of over 10 dollars for a jar? I debated. Ah, why not? I stuck it in my cart, bought it, and took it home.

I opened the jar and found I needed to stir it up a bit. There were “pockets” of hard peanut butter, and softer, more oily parts, but nothing a quick stir couldn’t fix. After a minute or so, a smooth, dark brown nut butter awaited for me to devour, I mean eat (;

Here’s how it looked

I took a spoonful and gave it a taste. It was pretty good! The first thing I noticed was a bit of a salty zing it had to it. I wasn’t expecting any saltiness, just sweet, so it caught me a bit off guard. However, I liked it. It had a rather intense hazelnut flavor, balanced beautifully with some chocolatey goodness. I loved how smooth it was after I stirred it up, and it’s mildly sweet flavor. Yum!

To be in love with a nut butter, I have to be able to eat a big spoonful of it, as is, straight from the jar. I think this nut butter is a bit too intense to eat a large quantity of, but it’s still delicious. I remember growing up having chocolate hazelnut spread on white bread and eating it as a sandwich. I think I would definitely do that again, this time with whole wheat of course (;

4 stars. It was a bit pricy, but pretty good. I liked that it had some fiber, but it was a little low in protein. I’d probably get it again, but I don’t think I’m going to eat it as fast as I eat my other peanut butters.

2 tbsp is 190 calories, 16 grams of fat, 11 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar and 4 grams of protein.

What’s your favorite way to eat chocolate hazelnut butter?Please leave me some ideas below! And… Last day to enter the Silk Giveaway here!

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