Calories in Almond Butter: the Posh Jar Costs More
Twice the price does not mean half the energy. The calories in almond butter run to 641 per 100 g, which is 103 for a level 16 g tablespoon, and that is more than the peanut butter it usually replaces, not less. People swap jars expecting a lighter spread and quietly buy a heavier one.
You'd need to walk about 21 minutes to burn the 103 calories in a level 16 g tablespoon.
How long does it take to burn off almond butter?
A level 16 g tablespoon is 103 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 103 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 21 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 13 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 15 min |
| Jogging | 12 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 23 min |
Times are for a 154 lb (11 st) adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (16 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Almond butter nutrition at a glance
- Spoon-by-spoon numbers
- The jar against the whole almond
- Almond butter against the other spreads
- Most popular almond butter brands
- FAQ
Almond butter nutrition at a glance
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per tbsp (~16 g) | %RI* per tbsp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 641 kcal / 2,682 kJ | 103 kcal / 431 kJ | 5% |
| Protein | 20.7 g | 3.3 g | 7% |
| Carbohydrate | 21.1 g | 3.4 g | 1% |
| of which sugars | 4.0 g | 0.6 g | 1% |
| Fat | 52.7 g | 8.4 g | 12% |
| Fibre | 10.0 g | 1.6 g | – |
| Salt | 0.01 g | trace | 0% |
*%RI = percentage of the reference intake for an average adult (2,000 kcal; 70 g fat, 260 g carbohydrate, 90 g sugars, 50 g protein, 6 g salt).
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from CoFID, the UK government’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified August 2026. How we verify our data →
The shape of the jar is simple: just over half fat at 52.7 g per 100 g, a solid 20.7 g of protein, and noticeably more carbohydrate than peanut butter carries, 21.1 g against 13.1 g. Fat at 9 kcal per gram is what drives the total to 641.
None of this makes almond butter a mistake. It makes it a concentrated food that deserves a measured spoon, the same respect the NHS asks us to give all high-fat foods: fine in small amounts, unforgiving by the ladle.
Spoon-by-spoon numbers
| Portion | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Level teaspoon | ~8 g | 51 kcal |
| Level tablespoon | ~16 g | 103 kcal |
| Heaped tablespoon | ~25 g | 160 kcal |
A heaped spoon is the natural spoon, and at 160 kcal it costs more than half as much again as the level one. Stirred into porridge or spread under banana on toast, the heap vanishes from sight and from the diary at the same moment.
The arithmetic worth memorising is per teaspoon: 51. Every casual scrape, dip and jar-lid lick is a 50-calorie event, and three of those a day outweigh a slice of bread.
The jar against the whole almond
Whole almonds log at 598 kcal per 100 g in our database; the ground jar runs at 641. Grinding does not create calories, but jar recipes and the loss of water weight leave the spread a little denser than the nut it came from. The practical difference is speed: 100 g of whole almonds takes a while to chew, and 100 g of almond butter disappears into two slices of toast.
That chewing time is not a joke, it is the portion control. A handful of almonds announces itself; a spread hides. If snacking past your target is the problem, the whole nut is the safer format of the same food.
Almond butter against the other spreads
| Spread | Per 100 g | Per tbsp | Protein per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almond butter | 641 kcal | 103 kcal | 20.7 g |
| Peanut butter | 607 kcal | 97 kcal | 22.8 g |
| Whole almonds | 598 kcal | 96 kcal | 21.0 g |
| Butter | 744 kcal | 104 kcal (~14 g) | 0.6 g |
The verdict: peanut butter beats almond butter on both counts that a food diary cares about, fewer calories and more protein, and costs less per jar. Almond butter's case is taste and variety, not numbers. If you love it, budget the honest 103 per spoon and enjoy it; if you were buying it as the "lighter" option, the label never promised that. The full head-to-head lives in our almond butter vs peanut butter comparison.
Most popular almond butter brands in the United Kingdom
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United Kingdom, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each label.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Meridian Almond Butter | 650 kcal |
| Pip & Nut Smooth Almond Butter | 577 kcal |
| Manilife Mainline Almond Butter | 594 kcal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in a tablespoon of almond butter?
A level 16 g tablespoon is 103 kcal. A heaped spoon weighs nearer 25 g and reaches 160 kcal. At 641 kcal per 100 g, almond butter punishes guesswork more than almost anything else in the cupboard, so weigh the spoon once and learn its look.
How many calories in almond butter per 100 g?
641 kcal per 100 g, which is 2,682 kJ. That comes with 20.7 g of protein, 21.1 g of carbohydrate and 52.7 g of fat. It sits slightly above peanut butter's 607 and above whole almonds at 598 in our database.
Does almond butter have more calories than peanut butter?
Yes. Almond butter is 641 kcal per 100 g against peanut butter's 607, or 103 versus 97 for a level tablespoon. The swap many people make for "health" reasons costs about 34 extra calories per 100 g and gives up 2.1 g of protein.
Is almond butter healthier than peanut butter?
On the macros we track, no: peanut butter has fewer calories and more protein per 100 g. Both are fat-first foods with real protein attached. Choose almond for the flavour and rotation, not because the jar is lighter. It is not.
Are whole almonds better than almond butter for calories?
Whole almonds log at 598 kcal per 100 g against the jar's 641, a modest gap. The bigger difference is pace: nuts get chewed and counted, spread gets scraped and forgotten. If portions slip, the whole nut is the same food with brakes fitted.
How much protein is in almond butter?
20.7 g per 100 g, or 3.3 g in a level tablespoon. Respectable for a spread, though a spoonful still delivers two and a half times more fat than protein. Treat it as a flavour with benefits rather than a protein source.
Is almond butter good for weight loss?
It fits if it is measured: 103 kcal per level tablespoon with 3.3 g of protein. The risk is dose, not identity, since 641 kcal per 100 g leaves no room for the eyeballed heap. A teaspoon habit at 51 kcal is the version most deficits can afford.
Why does almond butter have more carbs than peanut butter?
Almond butter carries 21.1 g of carbohydrate per 100 g against peanut butter's 13.1 g, a difference of 8 g that comes from the nuts themselves. Per tablespoon it is 3.4 g against 2.1 g, small in absolute terms but visible to anyone logging carbs tightly.
Similar foods
- Peanut butter — 97 kcal per tablespoon
- Pistachios — 180 kcal per 30 g kernels
- Mayonnaise — 103 kcal a tablespoon
- Margarine — 48 kcal per scrape
- Almonds — 166 kcal per 30 g handful
- Butter — 52 kcal per thin scrape
Count the spread, not the guess
Point BodyPal at the toast and it logs the almond butter that is actually on it, heap included, which is the number the jar was never going to volunteer.
