Ingredient guide · dossier № 28
Almond Butter
MB2 · Ambrosia Activationoptionalnut & seed
Single-ingredient (100% almonds), certified organic, ideally raw or sprouted — no palm oil, added sugar, or salt.
Where to buy
- Artisana Organics$15.19-23.59 / 14 oz (Thrive Market sale vs. ShelHealth list)USDA Organic, truly raw (unroasted), single-ingredient, no palm oil; the raw benchmark
- Once Again$20.99 / 16 oz (direct)USDA Organic, lightly toasted, single-ingredient, salt-free, glass jar; employee-owned co-op
- Kevala$13.69 / 12 oz creamy (dry-roasted; organic only in 36 lb bulk at $473.64)California dry-roasted almonds; good value, but retail jars are 'premium natural' rather than certified organic
- MaraNatha~$12-15 / 12 oz organic raw creamy; price approximate as of July 2026USDA Organic raw creamy line, widely stocked at Sprouts/Whole Foods; check label — many MaraNatha SKUs are conventional
Role in the beverage
An optional nut-and-seed addition (rank 16): a spoonful blends into the drink as a natural creamer, adding body, monounsaturated fat, and a mild marzipan note that plays well with cacao and honey. It’s one of the two “creamy” options in the category alongside tahini.
Quality criteria
The label should read exactly one ingredient: almonds (organic). No palm oil, no cane sugar, no salt. Raw vs roasted is the real choice — raw (Artisana, MaraNatha raw line) is lighter and lets the honey and vanilla through; roasted (Once Again, Kevala) is nuttier and more assertive in a blended drink. Note the US quirk: even “raw” domestic almonds are pasteurized (steam for organic — fine; PPO fumigation is prohibited for organic, one more reason the certification matters). Sprouted almond butter (soaked and dehydrated before grinding, e.g. Dastony/Living Tree Community) is the boutique tier — arguably more digestible, definitely more expensive — a fine upgrade but not required. Oil separation on top is a good sign; stir it back in.
Where to buy
Artisana Organics (artisanamarket.com) raw almond butter, 14 oz: USDA Organic, unroasted California almonds, nothing else. Seen at $15.19 on sale at Thrive Market and $23.59 at ShelHealth (verified July 2026); also at Whole Foods, Target, and Amazon — expect ~$17-24 depending on retailer.
Once Again (onceagain.com) organic lightly-toasted creamy almond butter, 16 oz glass jar, salt-free: $20.99 direct from the employee-owned co-op (verified July 2026), with 10-15% case discounts.
Kevala (kevala.net) is the value roasted option at $13.69/12 oz (verified July 2026), made from California dry-roasted almonds — but note the retail jars are “premium natural,” not certified organic; Kevala’s organic almond butter is only sold as 36 lb foodservice bulk ($473.64). If organic is non-negotiable, treat Kevala as the fallback.
MaraNatha (maranathafoods.com) makes a USDA Organic raw creamy almond butter (8 oz and 12 oz) stocked at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Mother’s Market, and Vitacost — roughly $12-15 for 12 oz, price approximate as of July 2026. Read the label carefully: most MaraNatha shelf presence is their conventional roasted line.
Backpacking form
Nut butter in a jar is heavy and messy on trail. Two good options: fold organic blanched almond flour (or freeze-dried almond butter powder) into the dry mix for body, or pack Artisana’s 1.15 oz single-serve squeeze packets of raw almond butter — shelf-stable, portion-controlled, and they knead into a hot drink easily.