When it comes to cashew butter benefits, the fact that it tastes delicious is just the beginning.

Natural Cashew Butter is one of the best selling Ezra Cohen Montreal products. And it makes sense: this super smooth, subtly sweet nut butter has an inherently buttery flavor and is packed with protein and nutrients. We love to eat it spread onto whole grain toast; stirred into smoothies, sauces, and dressings; and baked into bread and cookies. It also makes a great snack right out of the jar!

Of course, cashew butter brings more to the table than just its great flavor. Here are four of the biggest health benefits of cashew butter, in case you needed any more reasons to add this spreadable treat to your day.

Benefit #1: It’s Full of Nutrients

Our Natural Cashew Butter definitely has no shortage of nutritional strongpoints. You’ll find calcium, iron, vitamin E, magnesium, and riboflavin (a complex B vitamin) in every single serving. So while cashews might not have the omega-3 fatty acids that you find in other nuts, they more than make up for it in other good-for-you vitamins and minerals.

Benefit #2: It Has a Ton of Protein

Protein is fuel. You need it to stay strong and focused, and it also makes the difference between whether you feel satiated or still hungry after eating. And with nearly three grams of protein per tablespoon, cashew butter is a natural choice for giving your body the energy it needs and helping you maintain a healthy diet.

Benefit #3: It’s Chockful of Fiber

Cashew butter provides you with plenty of fiber, a necessary nutrient for managing digestive health and balancing out your blood sugar levels. Research shows that eating more fiber might even help you live longer!

Benefit #4: It’s Good For Your Heart

When you eat cashew butter, you consume both the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that your body needs to regulate cholesterol levels and protect the health of your heart. Even just a couple of tablespoons a day can provide your heart with big benefits, in turn reducing your chances of heart disease.

Ezra Cohen, McGill graduate and founder of Ezra Cohen Montreal, has been promoting healthier snacking since the inception of the Ezra Cohen Montreal brand. Incorporating nut butters—including our unbeatable Natural Cashew Butter—is a great way to add more nutrients to a well-rounded diet, and can take the guesswork out of getting the nutrients that your body needs.

Looking for inventive ways to eat nut butters? Check out our recipe blog!

At Ezra Cohen Montreal we go nuts for everything peanut, so it makes sense we’d be starting our summer right with peanut butter barbecue sauce for all of our favorite grilled foods. This sauce brings a Thai spin to traditional barbecue sauce, and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser wherever or however you decide to serve it. Read on for our recipe, plus ideas for a few extra twists you can bring to this inventive sauce by playing around with different Ezra Cohen Montreal nut butters.

Peanut Butter Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup ketchup
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

Step one: Stir together peanut butter and ketchup until completely smooth and well combined, then add in other ingredients. Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper flakes you use depending on how spicy you want your sauce to be.

Step two: Pour the mixture into a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minute, or until thick.

Step three: Cool to room temperature and enjoy!

Want to change it up a little bit? Swap out peanut butter for our Brazil Nut Butter, Natural Almond Butter, or Natural Cashew Butter. All will bring a unique and complex flavor to your barbecue sauce that is totally dippable and delicious.

What Foods to Eat with Your Barbecue Sauce

Peanut Butter Barbecue Sauce is incredibly versatile, but we have a few different ways that we prefer to enjoy it. Here are a few suggestions for your next bbq.

Satay skewers. Cut up pieces of chicken or beef into bite-sized chunks. Take half of your peanut butter barbecue sauce and put it in a bowl with meat; let marinate for at least half an hour. Once marinated, put meat onto skewers and grill, basting with the rest of your sauce as they cook.

Grilled chicken sandwiches. Marinate chicken breasts in peanut butter barbecue sauce and then char on the grill. Put chicken onto sliced brioche and top with lettuce, tomato, and red onion.

Grilled peanut tofu. Take tofu out of package and cut into six strips. Wrap in towel and place something heavy on top—let sit for at least half an hour. Marinade tofu in half of your peanut butter barbecue sauce for 15 minutes and then add to a medium-hot grill brushed with oil. Grill tofu slices for 2 minutes on each side, and then glaze with remaining sauce. Enjoy on their own or make a sandwich.

For more great recipes from Ezra Cohen, McGill-grad and founder of North America’s favorite nut butters, check out the rest of our recipe blog.