Peanut Butter Substitutes

Out of peanut butter? These are the swaps that actually work, with conversion ratios for any recipe size and notes on how each one changes the result.

Need to convert peanut butter between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the peanut butter converter.

What to use instead of peanut butter

  • Almond Butter

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup peanut butter = 1 cup almond butter

    Almond butter swaps 1:1 by volume for peanut butter and is a touch lighter per cup (256 g vs 268 g). It tastes milder and slightly sweeter, so cookies and bars come out less salty; texture and bake time stay the same. Pick unsweetened to match peanut butter most closely.

    See almond butter substitutes →

  • Sunflower Seed Butter

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup peanut butter = 1 cup sunflower seed butter

    Sunflower seed butter is the nut-free 1:1 swap, lighter per cup (250 g vs 268 g). It works in the same cookies, bars, and sauces with an earthier, more savoury taste. Note it can react with baking soda and tint a bake slightly green, which is harmless.

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  • Hulled Tahini

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup peanut butter = 1 cup hulled tahini

    Hulled tahini swaps 1:1 for peanut butter in satay, sauces, and bars, and pours looser (240 g vs 268 g per cup). It is more savoury and a little bitter, so add a touch of honey in sweet bakes; both are smooth pastes that bind a recipe the same way.

    See hulled tahini substitutes →

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for peanut butter?
There are 3 workable substitutes for peanut butter, depending on what you have on hand and which property of peanut butter matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1 cup peanut butter = 1 cup almond butter. Each option below lists the conversion ratio for any recipe size, plus notes on how the swap changes the texture, flavour, rise, or browning.
Will substituting peanut butter change how my recipe turns out?
Yes, every swap trades one property for another: fat content, moisture, acidity, or protein. The notes on each substitute describe what changes in texture, flavour, rise, or browning, so you can choose the swap that matters least for your recipe. Open the peanut butter converter
How do I measure peanut butter accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The peanut butter converter on this site converts between cups, grams, ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the peanut butter converter

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