Ground Up Cinnamon Snickerdoodle Almond & Cashew Butter

Rating: 6/10

• 🥜 Category: Almond/Cashew, Smooth, Flavoured
• Country of origin: USA

Checking in from sunny Seattle, Washington, with a spontaneous mini review!

I've been staying in an aparthotel while I've been here because I wanted more excuses to check out the fancy grocery stores/delis that Seattle and its surrounds had to offer, and make myself food. Eating out all the time sounds glamorous until it isn't, you know?

I found these single nut butter sachets at Whole Foods and decided to use this one as a topping on my brown sugar and vanilla protein oats (another purchase from the same trip), with almond milk, so I have no other serving suggestions besides that and straight-out-of-the-sachet. We listen and we don't judge.

Flavour-wise, this nut butter leans heavily on the coconut. The cinnamon is more of a whisper in the background. The texture is boosted by the MCT oil. Classic almond grittiness meets cashew creaminess. It’s a familiar formula, and it works. The sweetness is nice - the honey is mild-flavoured - and the salt level is great. It isn't giving me snickerdoodle cookie, though - more a slightly sweet snickerdoodle inspired granola bowl. Pretty good, but not craveable.

Fix & Fogg Everything Butter

Rating: 7/10

• 🥜 Category: Mixed, Smooth/Crunchy, Plain
• Country of origin: New Zealand
• Serving suggestion: With overripe fruit mixed into overnight oats to make it thick and give it a savoury note; thinned with hot water and mixed with a solid combination of sweet-leaning flavours that can hold up to the intense savouriness & nuttiness (e.g. pandan, cinnamon and coconut) to make a spread, topped with a quick fruit compote

The very first time I opened this jar, I’m not going to lie, I didn’t have a lot of hope. It was giving off the same energy as opening that cupboard in the corner of the kitchen that hasn’t seen much sunlight because it’s a little awkward to get to and where you stash stuff you know you won’t use that often as well as the canned goods you know you’ll need when you forget to do a grocery shop and need to rely on pantry staples but are otherwise uninspiring… just me? This jar smelled - please forgive me for lack of creativity - dank.

But I have since spent a bit of time with it. I have in fact taken multiple spoonfuls just out the jar while I'm prepping my overnight oats. I’ll give you a summary of why; because of the combination of nuts and seeds, the texture is really addictive - thick and crunchy, and the taste is complex and leans very heavily savoury. When you pair it with really ripe, really sweet spring/summer in-season fruit (think overripe bananas and tropical fruit), spread it on toast, and add a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon and cardamom... It's great. Breakfast haters will never understand the joie de vivre that a perfectly balanced tasting morning meal inspires.

Not as versatile as a solid peanut butter, or a milder mixed nut butter, but in the right context this baby shines.

Noya ABC Butter

Rating: 8/10

• 🥜 Category: Almond/Brazil/Cashew, Smooth, Plain
• Country of origin: Australia
• Serving suggestion: Delicious as a toast topper with cinnamon and sliced fruit (any kind), or spooned generously over the top of overnight oats made with Greek yoghurt and a quick berry/banana compote

You know I'm a peanut butter girl through and through, but lately I have been experimenting with different kids of nut butters (in addition to the staple - not a replacement!!!). Ya gal cannot walk past a good deal, so when I saw Noya was on sale I thought I'd pick out the ABC because 1) I thought the acronym was cute and 2) I remember liking the Noya pistachio spread when I bought it a millennium ago.

And boy is my life better for it - this spread is lovely, spreadable and light with a subtle roasty toasty flavour. I can snack on whole almonds endlessly, but I am not the biggest fan of them if they are by their lonesome in nut butter form. The cashews in this add the creaminess and sweetness that balance the grittiness and musty note of almonds. And I can't quite pick out the specific note that the brazil nut brings to the party, but it doesn't detract from the vibe, and I am glad to know that I am getting my selenium in.