Honey Nut Butters Spread Across Food Categories

Honey Nut Butters

Nut butters in a jar have come a long way! The traditional spread has become increasingly popular over the years, permeating to other applications beyond a simple sandwich spread.

Honey Nut Butters:

• are a source of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates, making them a satisfying and nutritious ingredient in a number of products.

• showcase versatility. Honey nut butters can be spread on toast, bagels or crackers for a quick and easy snack. They can be used as filling for sandwiches, added to smoothies, as a sauce or dressing additive or as an ingredient in baked goods, such as cookies, brownies or muffins. They add a sweet, nutty flavor and help keep baked goods moist.

• are a wonderful binder in food bars. Various granola and energy bars contain honey nut butters as a source of protein and flavor. Using honey nut butters as a base also helps bind together loose ingredients like nuts, fruits and seeds.

Trends Propelling Nut Butters

A number of recent hot trends are serving as a catalyst for product manufacturers to use honey nut butters in a wide variety of categories.

Protein: One in five consumers said they raised their protein intake in the last year, according to Innova Market Insights, with 17% seeking high protein products. Protein is a key selling point for product marketers due to universal recognition among consumers and perceived health halo.

In fact, bakery and snacks were both named by Innova as the top food categories that would trend in the protein segment in 2023. We see this in a number of honey nut butter product releases designed to promote protein:

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter/Double Chocolate Almond Butter, Bobo’s
Each bar is packed with 15 grams of plant-based protein and made with clean, recognizable ingredients like honey, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, peanut butter and coconut oil. They’re gluten-free, kosher and come with no GMOs.

Photo Credit: Bobo's
Photo Credit: Wella Bar

Powerful Peanut Chilled Organic Protein Bar, Wella Bar
Wella’s Peanut Butter & Honey provides 13 grams of protein, proudly displayed on the front of the package. The gluten-free bar is a unique refrigerated bar, designed to stand out in a consumer-centric category.

Functional Energy: Market research firm Mintel shares that 56% of consumers are interested in better-for-you products with energy claims. Honey is an all-natural energy source, providing 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon. A few new honey nut butter snack products are marrying energy through convenience, a powerhouse combination showing consumers they can nosh any time of day.

Peanut Butter Honey Energy Bar, Kize
Kize Life Changing Bar is not only known for helping a good cause, but having transparent packaging that shows consumers exactly what they’re getting. In this case, it’s five ingredients including honey and peanut butter, along with sustainable energy claims in a gluten-free bar.

Photo Credit: Kize
Photo Credit: Simply Fuel

Peanut Butter Honey Almond Protein Balls, Simply Fuel
Simple, quality, clean ingredients provide all-natural energy in whole food protein energy balls. The 12-pack also includes probiotics, a unique spin on a creative concept: an on-the-go power snack ball.

Simple, Delicious Flavor: There’s no denying that honey and nut butter combined within a spread provides an exquisite taste with a creamy texture. Consumers who love this powerhouse combination have been delighted with unique CPG releases that provide the same flavor, yet go beyond the traditional spread concept.

Honey Peanut Butter Superfood Cereal, Purely Elizabeth
Marrying taste and nutrition, this Vitamin D infused cereal provides 6 grams of fiber in each serving. Each box combines honey with peanut butter, almonds, crispy oats and ancient grain flakes within superfood clusters for an irresistible honey nut butter taste.

Photo Credit: Purely Elizabeth
Photo Credit: Kate's Read Food

Almond and Peanut Butter Variety Packs, Kate’s Real Food
Powered by honey, nut butters and oats, the variety packs offer an assortment of customer favorites. These bars use whole food ingredients only and fuel active consumers with a delicious, convenient way to get their honey nut butter flavor fix in an energy bar.

Ready to formulate the next unique honey nut butter product? Email [email protected] for more information.