Best 11 Keto Friendly Butter Brands (Grass-Fed Secret Revealed)

Most butter contains zero or very little carbs, but when it comes to the best keto friendly butter brands, the thing that sets them apart is that their grass fed, pasture raised, organic and/or non-GMO.⁶ 

As you may have guessed, these factors can greatly influence the quality of the final butter product. For example, butter made from cows that are 90%+-100% grass-fed contains more Omega-3 and Omega-6 which have an array of health benefits (heart, brain, joint, skin, and bone) — this is the grass-fed secrets that you may not have known.

So for anyone who’s shopping for the best butter, whether in the grocery store browsing online, we compiled the best low carb butter brands to make the decision making process easier.

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The Top Brands for Keto Friendly Butter (Keto Butter Brand Rankings and Nutrition Data)

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there is only 1/10th of a gram of carbohydrates in an entire cup of butter, which allows most butter brands to fall under the keto friendly category.¹

This means, technically, figuring out how much weight can you lose on keto will not be affected by the type of butter eaten, but which butter brands are more advantageous keto dieters?

Source: Stijn te Strake from Unsplash⁷

Narrowing down all the butter brands to the top 11 was done by considering brands that are a mix of grass fed, supplementary fed, pasture raised, organic, and non-GMO.

Furthermore, the final ranking of the top butter brands is based on nutritional data as well as taste.

Note, the brands are ranked from 11-1 where 1 and 2 are the top choices but you can’t go wrong with any of the options below. 

11. Horizon Organic Butter

Ingredients: Grade A Pasteurized Organic Cream from Milk and Salt

The Horizon brand of products is well known for its organic dairy milk, cheese, and butter. Their cows spend time in open air, are allowed to roam the pastures, and are fed a mix of organic and non-GMO grass, grains, and animal feed.

This allows the butter they produce to also be labeled as organic, non-GMO, and pasture raised.

Horizon Organic Butter isn’t labeled as grass fed because the percentage compared to other feed is lower than required, however, the butter produced is still high quality with a great taste. Another advantage to Horizon is its availability in most chain and small grocery stores.

You can buy Horizon organic butter here.

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10. Vital Farms Sea Salted Butter

Ingredients: Pasteurized Cream from Milk and Sea Salt

Coming in at #10 of the keto-friendly butter brands is Vital Farms. They pride themselves on their transparency and ethical farm practices. They work with farms throughout the U.S. that have been operational for decades.

Both salted and unsalted varieties of Vital Farms butter are not labeled as non-GMO due to farms not being required to provide non-GMO food in addition to the grass.

Vital Farms trusts their farmers in regards to the health and care of their cows, and this involves providing a diet of both grass and other grains and feed. In return, their cows provide milk that forms a decadent cream which is then churned into delicious 85% butterfat butter which can be purchased with or without salt at most grocery stores.

You can buy Vital Farms butter here.

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9. Kerrygold Salted Pure Irish Butter

Ingredients: Pasteurized Cream from Milk and Salt

Kerrygold sources their products from farms in Ireland that are certified by Ireland’s Grass-Fed Standard, which requires cows be fed 95% grass on average. Included in the Grass-Fed Standard is the requirement for outdoor grazing, which ensures the Irish Kerrygold cows are pasture raised.

Kerrygold’s salted butter has a butterfat content of 80%, while its unsalted butter is 82% butterfat. The grass the Irish cows feed from is high in beta-carotene which gives their butter its rich color.

You can buy Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter here.

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8. Nellie’s Free Range Pasture Raised Butter – Sea Salted

Ingredients: Pasteurized Cream and Sea Salt

Nellie’s Grass fed, pasture raised cows are housed between 40 family-owned farms throughout the Northeast and Midwest United States. They hold a Certified Humane rating which ensures the highest level of care for their farm animals.

Their cows feed off grass in the pastures as well as grains to supplement their diet.

The slow churning process used by Nellie’s gives their 84% butterfat butter a rich and creamy taste. Nellie’s butter is available with and without salt and can be found at many commercial and natural grocery stores.

Note, Nellie’s isn’t available on amazon but try out your local supermarket instead.

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7. 4th and Heart Original Grass-Fed Ghee

Ingredients: Clarified Butter from Milk

Instead of traditional butter, 4th and Heart provides a grass fed ghee, which is clarified butter. The clarifying process removes both lactose and water from butter, leaving a creamy and rich spread that makes a great alternative to typical butter.

The butter used to make 4th and Heart’s ghee is from cows raised and grass fed in pastures in New Zealand. Because of New Zealand’s stringent standards on dairy, the butter, and ultimately the ghee made from the butter, is top notch.

Ghee does not need refrigeration, so it is easy to purchase online as well as in many grocery stores.

You can buy 4th and Heart Ghee here.

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6. Cultured Ghee by Pure Traditions (Certified Truly Grass Fed)

Ingredients: Unsalted butter with milk, cream and cultures of lactic

Pure Traditions is an ingredient partner with the Irish grass fed pasture raised cows of Truly’s farms are free to graze for over 250 days of the year and are 95% grass fed. Even as we go down the list of the best keto-friendly butter brands, most aren’t 100% grass fed since this is incredibly difficulty to achieve.

Nonetheless, Truly Grass Fed’s ingredients consists of verified non-GMO ingredients to ensure the final ghee product is GMO free as well, which has all become increasingly important in many trending diets.

Their ingredients are held to the utmost standards, including sustainability. Also, as the name implies, Truly’s butter is creamy and flavorful and is sold as salted and unsalted. The same goes for any brand they sell the ingredients too. 

It is imported to the United States from Ireland and can be found at many high end grocers.

You can buy Pure Traditions Cultured Ghee here. 

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5. Carrington Farms Organic Ghee With Pink Himalayan Salt

Ingredients: Grade A Pasteurized Organic Cream from Milk and Salt

The ghee made from Carrington Farms is not only organic and GMO Free, but the cows that produce the milk for this delectable product are grass fed a majority of the time, giving the final product a savory taste that consumers can feel confident isn’t filled with any harmful ingredients.

The addition of the pink Himalayan salt allows this to replace anywhere regular salted butter is used. Because of the extra buttery taste, it is especially good during cooking when that flavor is desired to stick around.

Carrington Farms Organic Ghee can be found at natural grocers as well as many Walmart stores.

You can buy Carrington Farms Organic Ghee here. 

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4. Organic Valley Salted Butter

Ingredients: Organic Sweet Cream from Milk and Salt

Organic Valley is proud of their stance on animal care; that is why their cows graze at least 50% longer than required by organic standards. In combination, they are fed with non-GMO, organic certified foods to supplement their grass intake.

The butter at Organic Valley is expertly churned by buttermakers who have mastered the craft. This salted and unsalted butter can be found at many commercial grocery chains throughout the U.S.

You can buy Organic Valley Butter here. 

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3. Straus Family Creamery European Style Lightly Salted Organic Butter

Ingredients: Certified Organic Pasteurized Cream from Milk and Salt

The Straus Family Creamery commitment is to provide its customers high quality, organic, and sustainable products that are artisanally crafted for an impeccable taste. The Straus owned cows are free to graze on grasses near the coast that are rich in beta carotene, which transfers to their milk, and ultimately, the butter.

The butter produced by the Straus Family Creamery is 85% butterfat and is crafted European style in a 1950s era butter churn that, while a slower and more labor intensive process, results in a low moisture content butter that stands out when used in cooking and baking.

Straus Family Creamery butters, salted and unsalted, can be found at Sprouts Supermarket as well as other grocers throughout California and the West coast.

You can buy Straus Family Creamery European Style Butter here. 

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2. Kalona Super Natural Organic Pasture-Grazed Lightly Salted Butter

Ingredients: Organic Cream from Milk and Celtic Sea Salt

Small, family owned farms make up the Kalona Super Natural brand. Each farm is certified organic and supplements primarily pasture raised, grass fed cows with non-GMO, organic foods.

Milk arrives from the dairy and is quickly separated into cream and, in small batches, is churned in trusted churners that have been around for over 7 decades. Each small batch is supervised and subsequently hand packaged and sold at a variety of high end grocery stores.

You can buy Kalona Natural & Organic Butter here. 

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1. Seven Sons Grassfed Butter – Winner of the Keto-Friendly Butter Brands

Ingredients: 100% Grassfed Sweet Cream from Organic Milk and Sea Salt

Last but not least in the list of best keto-keto friendly butter brands is Seven Sons. They are a farm to table brand that produces high quality organic, non-GMO foods. Located in Indiana, this farm is committed to regenerative farming, transparency to the public, and nutrient rich foods.

Seven Sons Grassfed Butter not only meets the guidelines of what keto butter should be, it exceeds it. Cows on Seven Sons Farm are pasture raised and 100% grassfed, making this particular butter the most nutrient dense of our top butters list.

While checking off every important box on the list, the rich and flavorful taste of Seven Sons Grassfed Butter is second to none.

Ordering butter from Seven Sons is done through their website and shipped quickly in a temperature regulated box to ensure the freshest of butter is delivered right to your doorstep.

Seven Sons butter can be found at your local grocery store. 

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What Factors Make a Brand One of the Best Butters for Keto?

Many factors go into determining whether a food is healthy or not, and much of that is dependent on what a diet is focused on as well as their weight loss rules.

For a keto diet, it is known that carbs must be consumed in limited portions, but when it comes to butter, that is not an issue.

Therefore, when narrowing down what makes which butter the healthiest option while following a keto diet is where it is sourced and the additional health benefits it can potentially provide.

Butter Ingredient Sources and Health Benefits

The primary and often only ingredient in butter, aside from salt, is cream made from milk; and the important detail lies in where the milk originates.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates the dairy industry in the United States and oversees strict labeling standards in regards to organic and non-GMO products.^{2, 3}

Because of these regulations, consumers can rest assured when buying keto butter with a USDA Organic certified label, that the milk contained in that butter contains no harmful pesticides or growth regulators.

Similarly, butter that is labeled non-GMO will guarantee the cows have not been fed with any modified foods.

When it comes to grass fed butter, unless the brand is labeled as 100% grass fed, cows will still have been fed a certain portion of grains, soy, and/or corn to supplement the grass diet.

The real secret is, cows that are fed a high percentage grass diet still benefit from Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA); so any butter labeled grass fed will have these benefits.⁴

No Carb Keto Butter Alternatives (Keto Friendly Oils)

All of the above butter brands are great options for most cooking and baking needs, but there are times when an oil may be preferred over butter or ghee. The good news is that most oils fit well into a keto diet due to them being zero carbs and many having healthy fats.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has a myriad of uses, including sautéing, pan frying, and baking. When it comes to the best coconut oil for keto it is important to stay away from hydrogenated and refined coconut oils.

Hydrogenated oil contains unhealthy trans fats and refined oil rids the final product of micronutrients that can greatly benefit dieters. Instead, look for the unrefined cold pressed version that is available at a majority of grocery stores.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is also a viable option to substitute for butter. Unlike coconut oil, avocado has a milder taste and doesn’t overpower the foods that are cooking in it.

Another benefit of avocado oil is that it is a good source of lutein, which is a vitamin found in many fruits and vegetables.

Olive Oil

Not only is olive oil keto, it is full of monounsaturated fats, which are the healthiest, especially for the heart. With a very light and mild taste, have no fear of it altering the taste of food when cooking.
Extra Virgin olive oil (EVOO) has minimal processing, so it retains the most nutrients and has the smoothest taste.⁵

Other Keto Oils

There are various other oils on the market that can fit into a keto lifestyle but may have a more specific purpose than the oils listed above. The below oils are all acceptable and can even benefit a keto diet.

• MCT Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Sesame Oil
• Macadamia Oil

Best Nut Butters for Keto: Low Carb Nut Butters To Stay in Ketosis

Nut butters are not in the same category as dairy butter, but those searching out the best butter brands may also be interested to learn that there are several nut butters that can easily fit into a keto diet and provide healthy fats as well as protein.

The biggest thing to watch out for when shopping for nut butters is to make sure there is no added sugar, as this is keto’s nemesis.

The top nut butters for those on keto are:

• Macadamia Butter
• Walnut Butter
• Coconut Butter
• Almond Butter
• Peanut Butter

While shopping for butter of any kind, it is important to pay close attention to food labels to determine what is really included in the food that is being purchased.

When it comes to keto friendly butter brands, there are many available and Kalona and Seven Sons is at the top of the list, but choosing grass fed butter will guarantee consumers get the best of the best.

Frequently Asked Questions