by Ezra Cohen Montreal

When it comes to the history of nuts, Ezra Cohen, McGill University graduate and founder of Ezra Cohen Montreal, considers himself to be a bit nutty on the topic. Nuts, after all, are at the very heart of our nut butters, and they’ve been a huge part of the human diet for centuries. In fact, archaeologists have discovered that we’ve been eating nuts—and lots of them—for at least 780,000 years.

Despite the fact that most of us regularly consume nuts, however, their origin story is not always very well known. That’s why we’ve put together this quick and handy explainer on the history of this unstoppable superfood.

Where do nuts come from?

There are a lot of types of nuts. As such, there is no singular place that all nuts can be traced back to.

The walnut, for example, is thought to originate in the Middle East, where its earliest remains can be traced back to 50,000 B.C. The pecan, on the other hand, is a nut that is only found in North America, and scientists were able to find evidence of the nut’s existence in Texas dated back to 6100 B.C. Then there’s the hazelnut, listed among the five sacred nourishments of God in a Chinese manuscript from 2838 B.C.

So how have nuts existed in so many places and during so many times throughout history? Nuts are derived from other natural wonders namely fruits, trees, and plants. And since these vary from location to location throughout the world, the nuts produced and found in these locations also vary. The way they were discovered and used has also varied. One thing is clear, however: humans knew they were on to something special when they discovered nuts, and their continued ubiquity today is really no surprise.

How many types of nuts are there?

There are 53 different types of edible nuts, but not all of them rank quite as high in popularity as the 11 that make up the core of our nut consumption:

• Peanuts
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Hazelnuts
• Pecans
• Brazil Nuts
• Cashews
• Chestnuts
• Pine Nuts
• Pistachios
• Macadamia Nuts

Stretch the list a bit further and you’ll find some other familiar names, including hickory nuts, gingko nuts, and yes, even coconuts.

The list can be further expanded if you note not just the types of nuts themselves that have enjoyed popularity among humans for centuries, but their uses. Nut oils, nut butters, and other nut products are just as important in their own right in the human diet, and represent an obsession with this wholesome category of food that clearly has no sign of dying down any time soon.

Visit our product page and learn more about how our delicious line of nut butters can be added to your favorite dishes!

Ezra Cohen, McGill University graduate and founder of Ezra Cohen Montreal, is back on the recipe blog with all of the tips and tricks you need for making smooth, creamy, and oh-so-tasty nut butters. So if you’re interested in making your own nut butter at home, read on for the expert advice you’ll want to know first.

The perfect nut butter recipe, just like the perfect crepe batter recipe or the perfect cake recipe, is all about the quality of your ingredients. Nut butters, even ones with added flavors, are actually extremely easy to make you just need to be sure you’re using the best nuts and add-ins you can find. Before we get into a recipe though, let’s go over two of the most common questions we tend to hear regarding homemade nut butters.

What kind of nuts can you use for nut butter?

If you can dream it, you can make it! Pretty much all nuts can be turned into delicious nut butters, from peanuts and hazelnuts to cashews and pistachios. Experiment and see which ones you like best.

Can you use milk or water to make nut butter more creamy?

Skip the milk and water, which can make your nut butter gritty. In fact, skip the oil too, since nuts release their natural oils when they’re ground up. If you want extra creaminess, add a touch of oil at the end, after your butter is completely smooth.

Basic Nut Butter Recipe

(Makes 1/3 cup nut butter)

This recipe uses almonds, but you can sub them out with any nut of your choice. When selecting your nut, just make sure it’s raw—not roasted and/or salted.

What you need:

1 cup of raw almonds
Sprinkle of sea salt

Directions:

1. Toast almonds for 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. Make sure not to burn them—you just want them to get them a bit aromatic. Let them cool completely.
2. Blend toasted almonds in a food processor or high-speed blender until creamy. Times will vary. Once you reach a good consistency, sprinkle in your sea salt.

And that’s it! Once you’re done with step two you can go ahead and add in any extras, such as a touch of vanilla and cinnamon, a squeeze of honey, or even some cumin. Transfer completed nut butter to a mason jar and stick it in the fridge it will last for up to four weeks (if you don’t eat it all before then).

At Ezra Cohen Montreal, we consider ourselves to be experts when it comes to nut butter. And that includes being able to answer your questions about the nutritional differences between traditional peanut butter and other nut butters.

It’s not always easy to make nutritious choices for yourself and your family. Nutrition fact information on packaging can be quite confusing, especially when you are trying to compare information between various items.

Nut butters—peanut butter included—make an excellent addition to a wholesome diet. They’re full of the protein and healthy unsaturated fats that keep your body strong and provide a strong nutritional boost to snacks and meals. That being said, peanut butter and other nut butters are not all exactly the same. So where do the differences lie? Let’s dig in.

Nut Butter vs. Peanut Butter

Traditional peanut butter has been a go-to product in American pantries for decades (in fact, Ezra Cohen, McGill University graduate and founder of Ezra Cohen Montreal bases his recipes off of a longtime love of this pantry staple). Recently, however, new nut butters have been stealing peanut butter’s place in the spotlight. Today, you’re just as likely to find a jar of creamy cashew or almond butter on someone’s shelf as you are to find a jar of standard peanut butter.
The first difference you generally find between peanut butters and other nut butters is the price. Peanuts cost less than many other nuts, so you’ll often spend less on peanut butter than you would on something like Brazil nut butter. In addition to the cost of key ingredients, price discrepancies are also tied to quality and creative flavor combinations.

Cost aside, the big differences between peanut butter and nut butters is nutritional. Here’s how they compare tablespoon to tablespoon.

*All nutritional information is for one tablespoon (16 grams) of plain varieties.

What’s the healthiest choice?

If you’re going off just the numbers, it would appear as though there is no clear winner when it comes to peanut butter and other nut butters. All will offer you a good dose of fiber and protein with limited amounts of sugar, and all are relatively low in terms of carbohydrates. When it comes to fat, keep in mind that the amounts include both saturated fats and their healthy counterparts—unsaturated fats. Generally, you will find higher amounts of unsaturated fat in nut butters and peanut butter than saturated fat.

However, there are a number of long-term beneficial health advantages by choosing nut butters over peanut butter. Many nut butters offer an extremely high dose of healthy fats and fiber, two components responsible for lowering heart disease risk and for the production of “good” cholesterol. These can even reduce the risk for onset, Type-II diabetes.
The verdict: There are certainly differences, but overall, any type of nut butter is good for you! Indulge in moderation and both peanut butter and other nut butters can be a part of a well-rounded meal plan. Need some recipe inspiration? Check out our blog or Instagram!

Start the new year right, with this delicious recipe for a nut butter infused chocolate cake from Ezra Cohen Montreal. We’ve brought together the best of both worlds in our easy chocolate cake recipe, including rich dark chocolate and our fan-favorite Natural Almond Butter. Substitute with any of our nut butter flavors for a taste that’s all your own (we bet our Salted Caramel Cashew Butter would pack a real punch!).

This chocolate cake is a spin on a classic recipe from Hershey’s Cocoa, with a dark chocolate twist and a mouthwatering almond butter infusion from the nut-obsessed mind of Ezra Cohen, McGill University graduate and founder of Ezra Cohen Montreal. We’ve also swapped in whole wheat flour instead of traditional all-purpose for a healthy spin. Try it out for a special event, or make it whenever you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Easy Dark Chocolate and Almond Butter Cake

Tasty chocolate cake with different berries on wooden table

What you’ll need:

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup Natural Almond Butter from Ezra Cohen Montreal
1-2/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat all-purpose flour
2/3 cup dark chocolate baking cocoa
1-1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1-1/3 cup whole milk (feel free to sub in almond milk, soy milk, or another non-dairy favorite)
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 177 degrees C/350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, almond butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture in batches, alternating with milk. Beat the batter until it’s smooth after each addition.
4. Pour batter into a greased 33 x 23 cm pan (13 x 9 in pan) and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, then dust the top with powdered sugar.

Want to elevate your cake with some almond butter frosting? Blend together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup Natural Almond Butter, 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk, and ¼ tsp vanilla. Apply once cake is completely cool.

Bonus tip: Cut cake into small portions and freeze for on-the-go treats whenever you need a chocolate pick-me-up!

Looking for more great nut butter dessert recipes? Try our Pull-Apart Nut Butter Muffins or our Peanut Brittle and Caramel Crunch Ice Cream Pie.