Tasting Notes: Barney Butter

We’re lucky enough to have companies send us their products to try, and although we’ve gotten a few doozies, we share only the best with you guys.

The butter business is booming these days, it seems. People aren’t satisfied with the regular old peanut butter anymore — and for a good reasons. Whether you or a loved one suffers from a severe peanut allergy or you’re looking for a healthier alternative to the creamy, sweet stuff there is a product for you.

What’s great about this shift is that it’s giving people with an entrepreneurial spirit the opportunity to grow a new business from their home kitchens. Justin’s Nut Butter started this way as well as these almond butter makers, Barney Butter.

Barney Butter was officially started by a mom, Jennifer Barney, in 2006 when she jarred 20 cases of her perfected almond butter and hauled them to a local grocery store. People apparently loved it and wanted more and her small business took off.

Almond butter is safe for those with peanut allergies, nutritious (no cholesterol or trans fats) and has the same consistency as peanut butter. Barney Butter is also gluten-free, all natural, made with premium California almonds in a peanut-free facility.

Barney Butter sent us over some snack packs to enjoy. They have a 90 and 180 calorie pack (so you can look after your waist line). Their almond butter had a really well balanced flavor; not too sweet or salty. I could really taste the almond-ness, but it was delicate enough to not overpower my taste buds. The texture was creamy enough to spread easily on crackers or bread.

If you’re used to peanut butter, almond butter is definitely a different flavor. It’s actually difficult to compare the two because they both have a unique taste that you should appreciate individually. The only similarity between the two is in the creaminess.

Check out Barney Butter’s website to try some for yourself, and follow them on Facebook  or Twitter if you’re into a healthy lifestyle and can appreciate a darn healthy snack every once in a while.

Yeah, we’re not done yet. Because we’re so darn guy-friendly around here, we also gave you a recipe for some cookies so you can work on being that Jack-of-all-trades that seems to impress. Check out the sidebar to the right for instructions.