I have a major, serious crush…on almond butter.

For reals though.

It’s so perfectly creamy & full of protein. And on Granny Smith apples with cinnamon?

Nom.

But wait, wait, wait…let’s inspect.

When I see regular, old almond butter on the shelves of every health food stores, I silently shed a tear.

For years I believed I was being all healthy & cool eating my Justin’s almond butter cutie packets….

…& then, well, I did some research.

Research can be a funny thing, ya know? Ignorance is certainly not bliss but sometimes you kinda, really don’t want to know the real actual truth.

P.S. ask my friends & they’ll tell you I’m always using the word “delusional”…( I would call a house fly delusional given the opportunity— I just love the damn word so much ). & in my pre-research almond butter days, I was totally delusional.

Do you blame me though? My Justin’s almond butter packets were just so cute…they were literally the perfect size to throw in any white leather clutch.

Anyway I eventually discovered the packets contained roasted almond butter.

Boo.

So I went on a mission…I get fixated on certain brands, ingredients, colors, etc & this particular day I was obsessed ( like, Swimfan-stalker-obsessed ) with finding RAW, organic almond butter.

So I headed to our local Whole Foods to purchase some raw goodness…& was shocked: it was $18 dollars.

For a tub of almond butter?!

Why? Well:

This source states, “roasted nut butters are, as their name suggests, made with roasted nuts. Roasted nuts are treated with heat to bring out a toasty flavor. Raw nut butters are made from nuts that have not been heated. They are rich in monounsaturated fats, which help your heart without raising your cholesterol levels. Raw foodists say that the heating process destroys certain enzymes and makes the nuts, & their corresponding nut butters, less healthful — but these claims have not been adequately studied. Roasted nut butters are more subject to rancidity than raw butters. The roasting process may alter the polyunsaturated fats in the nuts, making them more vulnerable to oxidation. Butters are particularly susceptible to rancidity because all of the nut’s surface is exposed to air.”

If you’re not convinced, make your own almond butter at home! Also, you can read more here & raw, organic almond is avail here.

My raw almond butter is added to: apples with chia seeds, baby carrots, PB & J on an open faced sandwich, celery, banana slices, smoothies, oatmeal, a piece of dark chocolate, sweet potatoes, TSC two ingredient pancakes, &/or any baking recipes. Add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or nutmeg for added flavor.

Anyone else an almond butter fanatic? Do tell.

x. Lauryn