Hazelnut butter

This article is about the nut butter produced from ground hazelnuts. For other uses, see Hazelnut butter (disambiguation).
Hazelnut butter
Type Spread
Main ingredients Hazelnuts
Cookbook: Hazelnut butter  Media: Hazelnut butter

Hazelnut butter is a food spread made from crushed and blended hazelnuts. More commonly found in Europe, hazelnut butter is also familiar when mixed with chocolate as a chief ingredient in Nutella. Hazelnut butter is available in both crunchy and smooth varieties, and can be made from either raw or roasted hazelnuts.

Hazelnut butter is high in natural fats and susceptible to oil separation, so it should be stirred before use to evenly distribute the oils and refrigerated after opening to slow re-separation and prevent spoilage.[1]

Nutritional information

Hazelnut butter is high in monounsaturated fats, particularly oleic acid,[2] shown to play a role in reducing the adverse effects of low-density lipoprotein (LDL).[3] Hazelnut butter is also a good source of dietary protein and vitamin E.

Raw food enthusiasts believe the butter made from unroasted hazelnuts possesses greater nutritional value and more beneficial enzymes, both of which would otherwise be destroyed in the roasting process. Some also advocate that butter prepared from raw hazelnuts should remain refrigerated both before and after opening to minimize oxidation and rancidity.

As an alternative to peanut butter

Hazelnut butter can be used in dishes that call for peanut butter, and as an alternative for those with peanut allergies. Hazelnut butter contains more than twice as much vitamin E as peanut butter and is higher in cholesterol-reducing monounsaturated fat.[4][5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "What is Hazelnut Butter?". Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Hazelnut". The International Nut and Dried Fruit Foundation. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  3. ↑ Perricone, Nicholas (2002). The Perricone Prescription : A Physician's 28-day Program for Total Body and Face Rejuvenation. New York: HarperResource. pp. 66–67. ISBN 0-06-018879-0.
  4. ↑ "Nutrient data for 12120, Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts".
  5. ↑ "Nutrient data for 16087, Peanuts, all types, raw".
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/16/2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.