7 Almond Butter Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you haven't already, forget about peanut butter and start incorporating almond butter into your kitchen. It's just as versatile, nutty, and rich, whether you want to make a grilled almond butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, or prefer to add it to your favorite sweet treat, like Oreo balls. But the question is: What brand of almond butter should you get? I sampled several brands to find out just that. I was utterly shocked by the range of options, from roasted, raw, and crunchy to smooth, unsalted, and everything in between. For the purpose of this ranking, I'm sticking to unflavored almond butters — although there's a world of flavored choices out there, too.

I ranked each based on my personal preference, as well as the overall flavor, texture, and ingredients. I have to clarify a couple of things first. For one, most of the butters taste relatively similar, but there are more obvious differences as we make our way to the higher-ranking picks. These picks also range quite a bit (maybe you prefer thick, raw butter, or perhaps a runny, roasted almond butter). So, this isn't as cut and dried as some other taste tests I've conducted. You'd butter be ready, because we have a lot to get through.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Let's begin at the bottom. Although it's a very popular brand, Justin's classic almond butter was my clear least favorite of the bunch. By no means was it unpalatable; it merely had a drier texture that was more difficult to work with. This is one of the more processed butters of the bunch, and is made with palm oil. The dry-roasted almonds and palm oil give it a more homogeneous consistency, which means you don't have to stir any oil in.

While this may be convenient and mess-free, it was a touch too dry and pulled apart easily. This is something I've seen happen when I leave nut butters in my cabinet for far too long, but I wouldn't expect this from a brand-new jar. I also don't think the added oil is necessary, as almond butter is naturally oily. It's nutty, as you can imagine, but not as potent in flavor as others ranked higher on this list. I appreciate the bits of almond, which add to the mouthfeel, but there are different brands out there with better flavor, texture, and ingredients.

Barney Butter has a strangely large selection of almond butters, from a crunchy one with sugar, palm oil, and almonds to the smooth one I bought. You really have to look at the ingredients and label to spot the difference. This is a smooth butter with almonds and palm fruit oil as its ingredients. It looks unlike any other almond butter on this list because there are no little specks or bits from the almond skin. Instead, this version has a Jiffy-like appearance — completely solid and smooth, no mixing needed.

This option would be good for kids who are a little too afraid to branch out from their store-bought, name-brand favorites. I quite like the silkiness and the spreadability, which make it perfect for picnic lunches. I ranked it higher than Justin's because it still has a touch of moisture and a better consistency. However, if I'm going to purchase almond butter, I would select some of the upcoming options without palm oil.

The Sprouts organic unsalted creamy almond butter is the runniest out of all of the prospects I tried. It does note that you should refrigerate after opening, presumably to firm it up. However, that first, pre-refrigeration use results in an extreme mess and caused the butter to run off the sides of my sourdough slice. Sticky fingers galore.

I appreciate that the only ingredient is organic dry roasted almonds, which gives it a leg up on the previous two brands. The texture aside, the almonds aren't especially flavorful or interesting, and instead lean toward the mild side. It left me wanting more depth, which is absolutely achievable based on the top three brands. This Sprouts option would be a great nut butter to add to a smoothie to impart nuttiness without being the main focus of the beverage. There's not much to say about this, as it is a middle-of-the-road option.

Trader Joe's raw unsalted almond butter is one of several almond butter offerings from the brand. This version keeps things simple: raw, no salt. It has a light appearance compared to some of the others on this list, likely because the nuts are not roasted. Even after mixing, it's very loose, so making a sandwich means it will dribble onto your hands and probably your pants, and create a mess. However, this might come in handy if you like to drizzle nut butter over your yogurt or smoothie bowl.

There isn't too much flavor here, either. It's nutty enough on its own, but when eating it side by side with the upcoming options, it's clear that the flavor is muted. You can taste it right when you place it on the tongue, but it fizzles out once it reaches the back of your throat. I appreciate the raw element, but the next three butters were just better than this one. 

Maisie Jane's organic smooth almond butter had the most intense almond flavor out of all the brands I tried. It's got an incredible roasty-toasty taste that gives it a lot of depth. I like the rich, uniform texture that's not too runny or firm. The butter and oil mix seamlessly and don't give your bicep a workout. The consistency holds up nicely on a piece of toast without immediately dripping off.

This nut butter has everything going for it, from flavor and texture to the organic dry-roasted California almonds. It ultimately reached third place because the toastiness is a bit intense. There's a time and place when you might want it, but I favored the higher-ranked butters a smidge more. While Maisie Jane's tastes great, I'd be more likely to pick the top two. You, however, may prefer Maisie Jane's variety if you like the deep, earthy profile of roasted almonds. There are plenty of wonderful uses for almond butter, and I could see this brand being a delight in a stew or sauce paired with other flavorful elements.

I debated if the Artisana organics raw almond butter should get the third or second spot, but ended up giving it second place. While I liked the roasted flavor of Maisie Jane's, I'd only use it for specific applications where I wouldn't mind its richness. I also wanted to put a raw almond butter in a higher position, as this might be a deciding factor for those who don't want a roasted one. Artisana organics is definitely my preferred raw butter, although it is more expensive than some of the other brands. It's made with just ground raw almonds, but you can taste the quality.

It has a buttery, nutty flavor that tastes purely of almonds, like you're chewing on a fresh one. The texture also leans more into crunchy territory with visible pieces. For this reason, it also feels less processed, like someone blitzed it quickly in a blender to keep the nuts' integrity. This is a must-buy for anyone who wants an almond butter that tastes homemade. Because it has the most gravelly texture out of the bunch, you may want to select it for specific uses, like in chia pudding or overnight oats, where you want to offset the mushiness. Try it in banana bread overnight oats paired with slivered almonds. However, you may not want to use it on a super soft piece of white bread, as it would tear the slice to shreds when you spread it on. 

At last, we've made it to my top pick: Once Again creamy almond butter. I determined this to be the winner because of its more middle-of-the-road flavor. It is more delicately roasted than Maisie Jane's, making Once Again a median between Maisie Jane's and the raw-tasting Artisana. The key here is its "lightly toasted" description. I like that the only ingredient is lightly toasted unblanched almonds, without any salt or added oil.

The brand found a way to enhance the nuttiness through roasting, without making the nuts too brown and toasty. You can also catch this in the color, as it's not quite as dark as Maisie Jane's, but not nearly as light as Artisana. This option has some texture and grittiness, but it's not nearly as "crunchy" as Artisana. It's nutty yet not dominating, and goes to show you don't need extra ingredients to create a tasty product. It is toasty, really rich, and has great ingredients and texture — all of which give it the coveted No. 1 position. If you want a great everyday nut butter, this is the one to go for.

I picked all of my almond butters, minus the Trader Joe's one, from my local Sprouts Farmers Market. There were so many options, and I tried to find the most similar ones possible. In order to narrow things down, I selected the smoothest varieties I could find, though some of them were moderately crunchy. I tried to pick raw ones for the most part, but not every brand sells one, and if it does, it may not be sold at Sprouts. Justin's, for example, does not sell a raw version.

I tried every almond butter on the same day, both by itself and with fresh, untoasted sourdough bread. I based my findings on personal preference, but noted other applications and uses for each brand of nut butter. Other ranking factors include the overall taste, texture, and ingredients.