The ketogenic diet is known as a diet that makes you question who you are, largely through what you eat and your new lifestyle. Or, more precisely, what you can’t eat and what you have to avoid.

If you’ve ever been on a ketogenic diet or know someone who has, you know that you have to spend a lot of time googling, calculating, and re-googling certain foods to determine if they fit your macronutrient balance. Or maintaining “ketosis,” the state in which your body burns fat for fuel.

And you might have probably faced some very deep and personal questions about yourself as well, like the one you’re facing right now: The best nut butter for keto diet.

What Is Nut Butter?

Nut and seed butter are popular snack options on the ketogenic diet because most nuts and seeds are naturally high in fat and also in micronutrients.

Moreover, most nuts are also very high in carbs, which means you risk being kicked out of ketosis if you overdo it.

Additionally, most nuts and seeds contain anti-inflammatory and anti-nutrient omega-6 fatty acids that absorb minerals.

How Are They Made?

I can say that nut butter is made by smoothing nuts in a food grinder or blender at high speed.

Most of the producers make nut butter by grinding toasted nuts and bringing it in creamy form. Frequently extra oil is added also for a creamier texture.

If you are looking for traditional nut butter rather than mixes made specifically for keto dieters, you will choose products that contain only one ingredient: roasted walnuts.

The alternative is nut butter from a mix of different nuts, combined also with additional ketogenic ingredients like MCT oil, no-calorie sweeteners, probiotics, and even more.

Ten Best Nut Butter For Keto

If you are not a fan of nut butter mixes made specifically for a ketogenic lifestyle and would rather enjoy traditional nut butter as you can find in most grocery stores.

Below is a list of the best nut butter for keto based on the following characteristics:

• Net Carb Content: The lesser net carbs are preferred.
• Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio: If the ratio is closer is to 1: 4, it’s better and okay.
• PUFA content: A higher omega-6: 3 ratios might be less of a problem if the nut butter doesn’t have a lot of omegas in the first place.

Writing this article, I ranked nut butter based on their net carbohydrate content. It can be calculated by removing the fiber and other non-caloric carbohydrates (such as no-calorie sweeteners) from the total carbohydrate amount.

However, carbohydrates are not the only thing to think about when deciding what to eat. So I decided to take additional ranking factors into account and consider the overall health profile of walnuts and their fatty acid composition.

After doing that, my list of the best keto nut butter has changed significantly. As I wrote earlier in this article, this is a reminder that keto-friendly doesn’t necessarily mean healthy.

So below are some nut butter for the ketogenic diet that has been verified by researchers:

• Macadamia nut butter
• Coconut butter (not what you expected)
• Pili nut butter
• Pecan nut butter
• Hazelnut butter
• Almond butter
• Walnut butter
• Brazil nut butter
• Pistachio butter
• Cashew butter

Put, the only nut butter you should enjoy in substantial amounts are those made from macadamia, coconuts, and pili nuts. These three nuts have relatively low amounts of carbohydrates and favorable ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 or low amounts of omega-6.

1. Macadamia Nut Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter | www.amazon.com
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Macadamias are native to Australia and possibly the king of nuts. In addition to being high in fat and low in carbohydrates, they are rich in iron, magnesium, and potassium.

As a result, they make great keto nut butter and are often used in nut butter mixes.

Because macadamias are quite expensive, pure macadamia nut butter isn’t popular. Moreover, you can find a handful of brands, including Vör, on Amazon.  

Pros

• High in monounsaturated fats
• Low in carbohydrates
• Good omega-6: 3 ratios of 6: 1
• Few PUFA

Cons

• Expensive

2. Coconut Butter (Coconut Manna)

Macadamia Nut Butter | www.amazon.com
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Coconut products are very popular in ketone circles because coconut fat is very rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a form of saturated fatty acids.

In recent times, coconut fat and coconut butter have gotten bad views due to their high omega-6: 3 ratios of 102: 1. What a lot of people don’t know, however, is that coconut fat has very few PUFAs (about 0.1 grams per 28 grams).

This makes coconut butter a great, healthy nut butter for a ketogenic diet. The only potential downside to coconut butter (aka coconut manna) is that it doesn’t taste like traditional nut butter.

Due to that fact, most people use it for baking and cooking rather than just using it as a spoon. The two most loved coconut butter brands are Binnie’s and Nutiva, and you can find both on Amazon.

Pros

• Rich in saturated fat and MCTCT
• Low in carbohydrates
• Low in polyunsaturated fats

Cons

• Doesn’t taste like traditional nut butter

3. Pili Nut Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter | www.amazon.com
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Chances are, you’ve never heard of pili nuts unless you have been on the keto diet for a while.

The amazing thing about pili nut butter is that it only contains 1.1 grams of carbohydrates but 22.3 grams of fat. This means that a whopping 93% of the calories in this nut butter come from fat (mainly saturated and monounsaturated fat).

The only reason pili nut butter is inferior to macadamia and coconut butter is its higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3.

The best favorite brand of pili nut butter is Pili Hunters, and you can see all the different flavors they offer on Amazon.

One of their best products is the classic version, which contains only naturally harvested pili nuts, coconut manna, organic extra virgin coconut oil, and organic Himalayan salt.

Pros

• High in monounsaturated fats
• Low in carbohydrates
• Low in polyunsaturated fats

Cons

• 18: 1 ratio of omega-6: 3

4. Pecan Nut Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter | www.amazon.com
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Pecan nut butter is also relatively low in carbs and high in fat, making it a near-perfect keto option.

The downside to pecan nut butter is that it has a large ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids of 20: 1.

On the bright side, pecan nut butter is a rich source of micronutrients, including B vitamins, copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, and also zinc.

The two most loved favorite brands based on research are Purely Pecans and Georgia Grinders which could be found on Amazon.

Pros

• High in monounsaturated fats
• Very low in carbohydrates

Cons

• Omega-6: 3 ratios of 20: 1
• Higher in PUFA

5. Hazelnut Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter | www.amazon.com
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Like most nut butter is known, hazelnut butter is also a very good source of minerals and also little B vitamins. It is also very low in carbs (with only 2 grams per ounce) and it’s high in monounsaturated fatty acids. This is probably the main reason it’s been used by Perfect Keto is one of their mixes.

Moreover, while the omega-6: 3 ratio is slightly high (90: 1), hazelnut butter has less than 2.2 grams of linoleic acid per ounce. This makes it a great and possibly healthier alternative to the more popular almond butter.

Most of the favorite hazelnut nut butter brands are Vör and Georgia Grinders. Which can also be found on Amazon.

Pros

• Rich in monounsaturated fats
• Low in carbohydrates
• Nice flavor 

Cons

• Omega-6: 3 ratios of 90: 1
• Moderately rich in omega-6 fatty acids

6. Almond Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter | www.amazon.com
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Almonds are one of the most known tree nuts in the United States. According to research, Americans consumed an average of 1.6 pounds of almonds in 2016, compared to 0.25 pounds in 1970. By comparison, the total consumption of almond tree nuts in 2016 was 3.69 pounds per person.

Due to the high demand for almonds, their butter is relatively cheap (which further contributes to its popularity).

From a dietary standpoint, almond butter is higher in carbohydrates than other nut butter that have been discussed so far in this article.

The main drawback to almond nut butter is its incredibly high omega-6: 3 ratios of 1987: 1.

The recommendation is to avoid pure almond butter and instead opt for mixed butter, such as those sold by Barney, which you can find on Amazon.

Pros

• Cheap
• Relatively low in carbohydrates

Cons

• High omega-6: 3 ratios of 1987: 1
• Moderately rich in omega-6 fatty acids

7. Walnut Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter | www.amazon.com
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Walnut butter is relatively low in carbohydrates, and 84% of its energy comes from fat.

Walnut butter is also good, if not great, source of micronutrients like potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6.

Walnut butter’s main drawback is its higher omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, combined with its incredibly high amounts of linoleic acid.

On the other side, walnut butter is also a rich source of antioxidants that provide some protection for unstable polyunsaturated fatty acids.

There is no much demand for pure walnut butter, considering the lack of options in the market. If you want to try walnut butter, consider making it yourself or buying it from Amazon.

Pros

• The high content of antioxidants
• Low in carbohydrates

Cons

• Omega-6: 3 ratios of 16: 1
• Very rich in omega-6 fatty acids

8. Brazil Nut Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter | www.amazon.com
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Just like walnut butter, Brazil nut butter is mostly made up of unsaturated fats (making it prone to rancidity and oxidation). It also has an unfavorable omega-6: 3 ratios of 1000: 1.

Just Like most of the other more exotic nut butter, Brazil nut butter is not incredibly popular. One of the few options I’ve seen on Amazon is from Living Tree Community Foods.

You can still get it from Amazon if you want to give it a try.

Pros

• Good source of magnesium

Cons

• Omega-6: 3 ratios of 1000: 1
• Moderately rich in omega-6 fatty acids

9. Pistachio Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter | www.amazon.com
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While pistachio butter has fewer net carbs than cashew butter, it’s still not a great option for the ketogenic diet because consuming too much can get you out of ketosis.

On the plus side, pistachio butter has a lower omega-6: 3 ratios than many other nut butter, and most of its fat comes from monounsaturated fatty acids.

Pros

• Strong taste

Cons

• Moderately rich in carbohydrates
• Omega-6: 3 ratios of 52: 1

10. Cashew Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter | www.amazon.com
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Many people like cashew butter because it tastes sweet. One of the reasons for its sweetening is the relatively high sugar content in nuts.

The carbs in cashew butter make it far from ideal for anyone on a ketogenic diet because consuming just two to three ounces can get you out of ketosis. In addition to the carbs problem, cashew butter also has a higher omega-6: 3 ratios of 125:1.

However, unlike walnut butter and Brazil nuts, most of the fat of cashews comes from monounsaturated fatty acids.

If you wish, you can walk down to one of your local Whole Foods stores or go to Amazon; you can find numerous brands of cashew butter. A well-known favorite is Kevala and you can find their wares both in-store and online.

Pros

• Delicious taste and creamy texture
• The lower amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids

Cons

• High carbohydrate content
• Omega-6: 3 ratios of 125: 1

Best Seed Butter For Ketogenic Diet

As I’m sure you understand by now, choosing the right nut butter is tricky given the many things to consider in addition to carbohydrates versus fats.

The good news is that there is an alternative to nut butter that most people haven’t even heard of. It is called sacha inchi, and it is a seed native to the highlands of the Amazon rainforest.

Sacha Inchi Seed Butter

What’s amazing about sacha inchi is its impressive omega-6: 3 ratios of 0.7: 1. That’s right: sacha inchi has more omega-3s than omega-6s. Plus, butter made from the seeds has zero grams of net carbs, making it the perfect alternative to keto butter on the market.

The company that promotes and imports sacha inchi, makes a delicious seed butter that has been highly recommended.

You can buy Sacha Inchi Seed Butter on Amazon.

Brass Roots | www.amazon.com
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Why You Should Avoid Most Seed Butters

Except for sacha inchi seeds, most regular seed butter (for example, sunflower seed butter) are incredibly high in omega-6 fatty acids. If you must consume them, consume them in moderation, and don’t empty a full jar because of their low carb content.

How Healthy Is Nut Butter On Keto?

Unsurprisingly, the healthiest nut butter comes from the healthiest keto nuts. As read above, in the guide to the pros and cons of nut butter on a ketogenic diet, nuts are healthy because they contain healthier fats than net carbs.

This makes them an ideal snack for a ketogenic diet because they help you feel fuller and more satisfied between meals.

Nuts also contain fiber, an indigestible carbohydrate that you can subtract from the total carbohydrates in nuts to get the net carbs.

This healthy dietary fiber is one reason nuts have been investigated for their positive role in improving heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and many other medical cases.

However, some nuts don’t have the same amount of dietary fiber as others. Hence, their carbs counts are much higher, which is why nuts and nut butter are often responsible for those hidden carbs that keep them from people’s reach of ketosis.

Just like you can’t break a full container of nuts and stay in ketosis, you can’t exceed your serving size of nut butter – and that’s easier said than done, as many of them only have between one and two Tablespoons!

But nuts are also amazing because they are packed with vitamins and nutrients for their small size. You’ll find it:

• Magnesium, which regulates muscle and nerve function, helps control insulin and blood sugar levels and helps control blood pressure.
• Selenium, which protects cells from oxidative stress to prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease, thyroid problems.
• Manganese, which helps the body metabolize the food you eat so that your cells can use it.
• Vitamin E and other antioxidants, that protect cells from harmful free radicals that can lead to cancer development.

Some nuts can also be anti-inflammatory. Combining fat, fiber, magnesium, and L-arginine in nuts and nut butter can reduce the risks of diseases associated with inflammation, such as arthritis, asthma, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Is Nut Butter Unhealthy?

Despite the positive traits we’ve just discussed, nut butter, especially the ones you’ll find on your local grocery store shelves, can be unhealthy if you don’t pay attention to:

• Added sugar. Nuts naturally contain some sugar, but you don’t need to add sugar to the mix. And be prepared once you see much more than 3g of sugar per serving on the label, even if the added sugars are not listed.
• Hydrogenated oils, which can be hidden in plain sight or behind “do not stir” labels. While you may think you’ll never have to get the nut butter out of the jar again, these have much poorer oils like soybean, canola, and plant-based oils to give it that creamy texture.

These fully or partially hydrogenated oils are trans fats and the worst offenders for your body, as they are known for:

• Increases bad, bad cholesterol
• Lowers good cholesterol
• Promotes inflammation.
• Stop your body’s ability to fight.
• Inflammation
• Low-fat or low-fat options.

Nuts are a healthy form of fat, which includes saturated fat and monounsaturated fat. So to remove this fat during processing, producers need to add other ingredients like sugar and fillers to increase the nut butter because thick, natural fat normally would.  Avoid at all costs.

Did you know that the standard serving of nut butter is only two tablespoons?

If you’ve never measured your serving of nut butter, you may be close to eating twice what you’re counting in your macros.

Since the serving size is so small considering all carbs, simply keeping an eye on your portions, even with the healthiest nut butter, is not a smart idea when you are or trying to achieve ketosis. And one particular nut butter is good at lumping all these bad characteristics together into one: peanut butter.

Why should you stay away from peanut butter?

While peanut butter may suit your macro keto, it certainly isn’t on this list of the healthiest nut butter. The main reason is that peanuts and peanut butter can be highly inflammatory.

I’ve already mentioned inflammation several times, so let’s take a look at why inflammation is terrible:

1. Acute inflammation is responsible for healing your body when you stumble in front of your colleagues and scrape your knee. This is healthy and normal (although embarrassing).
2. But chronic inflammation puts your body into an alert mode all the time, which creates stress on your body and can put you at higher risk for:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Alzheimer disease

In addition to this inflammatory response, commercial peanut butter is often high in hydrogenated vegetable oils and added sugars, both of which cause serious damage to the body.

Vegetable oils contain trans fats, which are terrible for your health now and in the long run because of it:

• Increases LDL (potentially bad) cholesterol
• Lower HDL (good) cholesterol
• Increase inflammation
• Low insulin sensitivity
• Increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Induce the accumulation of body fat.

So when you finally say bye to the peanut butter jar you always loved as a kid, step up your adult game with these best nut butter.

Conclusion

So choosing a nut butter for ketogenic is a good idea to stay in ketosis as well. As the progress of the list, you can choose the one that is best for you and start leading a healthy ketogenic lifestyle.

Surprisingly, you do not need to search for any of the products because they are all available on Amazon; you have them at your fingertips with one click.

If you want to know more about keto info, please check the following link.