Looking for an alternative to peanut butter (aka, the Reese’s peanut butter cups I was inhaling prior to the New Year), I scoured the shelves of the local Publix for something new and different from the plain almond butter I’ve been living on. Bless my lucky stars, I stumbled across this hidden gem: MaraNatha Caramel Almond spread. It was approximately $7 for the jar – a bit steep – but I decided to give it a try.
WARNING: This is NOT Paleo!
I didn’t realize until I got the jar home that it contained both soy and milk derivatives – two things you’re encouraged to avoid on the Paleo/Caveman diet. However, given the fact that I’d paid so much for the jar and was curious about the flavor, I decided to count it as my “cheat” and dig in for a spoonful.
DearSWEETLordBabyJesus.
This stuff is AMAZING. Crack-in-a-jar.
It has a rich, buttery, and sweet flavor that hits your tongue in a foodgastic explosion of taste. It’s more of a butterscotch flavor than caramel but I assure you that I mean that in a complimentary way: it’s decadent. The texture is much like normal almond butter, only it had a creamier (more sinful) residue on the tongue.
A serving consists of two tablespoons packing a whopping 190 calories, 14g fat (4g saturated), 13g carbs (11g of which are from sugar – yipes!), and only 4g of protein.
Fortunately, the flavor is very strong, so I was able to use less of it and still get a satisfying experience. The label on the package actually suggests using it on cake, so I probably should have been prepared for the ambrosial experience. Who needs cake when you have this stuff?
Confession: I ate 1/3rd of the jar the first day.
I had to hide it from myself to avoid eating more. It’s so good, it’s bad.
So, for those of you looking for a heavenly sweet treat (and not worried about the extra sugars/lack of protein), I would strongly suggest picking up a jar of this stuff. But make sure you have a sturdy padlock to put on the cabinet you store it in because I promise you it’ll be a Herculean feat to stop yourself from eating it all once you taste it.
On that note, bon appetit!
~ Tori
The Memoirs of a Yo-Yo Dieter 
I started eating this stuff about a yr and half ago and it’s killing my pocketbook but I love it. I have gone through a jar in two days many times. Two jars a week minimum when I can get it. It is very hard to find lately. My local Walmart has it but runs out constantly. It just jumped from 6.58 a jar to 7.58 a jar but still better than the one other place I’ve seen it which is a Kroger store and there it is $13 a jar, I couldn’t believe the difference. Lucky me I’m a thin person and it hasn’t made me gain weight yet. I eat it with sliced apples or a spoon or two by itself. I’m trying to find it by the case but right now amazon had the other flavored but not this one
Yeah, this stuff is my CRACK! I stopped buying it because I couldn’t control myself with it. I’d sit and spoon it out nonstop until it was all gone.
Only the BEST thing I’ve ever eaten in my life…..sooooo sinful!!! It is soo hard to find anymore and is expensive but somehow I can’t help but buy it…..
I know, the price keeps going up on it! I sometimes find it at Walmart’s Neighborhood Market, but it’s hit or miss!
This stuff is unbelievably good!! Better than many desserts. I just discovered it (Whole Foods) and was looking for a cheaper online source (hard to find so far!) and came across your blog. Maybe I should quit searching in fear of eating too much of this stuff!