Understanding What Nuts Are High in Biotin: Your Guide to Nutrient-Rich Snacking

November 5, 2025 •

4 min read

The daily adequate intake for biotin is 30 micrograms for adults, and nuts and seeds can help contribute significantly to that intake. Understanding what nuts are high in biotin can turn your everyday snacking into a powerful nutritional strategy for promoting overall wellness, from metabolism to healthy skin and hair.

Quick Summary

This guide explores which nuts and seeds offer the highest biotin content, detailing their benefits for hair, skin, and metabolism. It provides a comparative table and highlights other dietary sources of this essential B vitamin.

Key Points

Walnuts and Pecans: Offer some of the highest biotin content among true nuts, with walnuts providing up to 9.5 mcg in just six halves and pecans containing 65 mcg per 100g.
Sunflower Seeds: A top-tier source, with 100g containing up to 252 mcg of biotin, and a ¼-cup serving providing 2.6 mcg.
Almonds and Cashews: Contain more moderate amounts of biotin but still contribute to your daily intake alongside other valuable nutrients like healthy fats and protein.
Pair with Other Foods: For a comprehensive approach, combine nuts with other biotin-rich foods such as eggs (cooked), organ meats, legumes, and sweet potatoes.
Benefits of Biotin: Supports hair, skin, and nail health by promoting keratin production and aids in the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
Balanced Diet is Key: While nuts are beneficial, a varied diet is the best way to ensure adequate biotin intake, as deficiency is rare.

What is Biotin and Why Do We Need It?

Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a crucial role in several metabolic processes. It acts as a coenzyme for carboxylase enzymes, which are involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. This process allows your body to convert food into usable energy. Beyond its metabolic function, biotin is popularly associated with maintaining the health of hair, skin, and nails by assisting in the production of keratin, the fundamental protein that makes up these tissues.

While a true biotin deficiency is rare, incorporating biotin-rich foods into your diet is a simple and effective way to ensure you're getting adequate amounts of this essential nutrient. Nuts and seeds are among the most convenient and delicious sources, packing a nutritional punch of healthy fats, fiber, and protein alongside their biotin content.

The Nuts and Seeds with the Most Biotin

When choosing nuts and seeds to boost your biotin intake, some varieties stand out for their higher concentration of this valuable B vitamin. Pairing them with other biotin-rich foods can help you meet your daily needs easily.

Sunflower Seeds: Technically a seed, sunflower seeds are frequently grouped with nuts and are an exceptional source of biotin. A 1/4-cup serving of roasted sunflower seeds provides approximately 2.6 mcg of biotin. Other sources suggest an even higher concentration per 100 grams, making them a powerful choice.
Walnuts: Walnuts are another top contender for biotin content. Just six walnut halves can offer around 9.5 mcg of biotin, a significant amount for a single serving. Walnuts also provide heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, adding to their nutritional value.
Pecans: Like walnuts, pecans are a good source of biotin and make for a delicious and nutritious snack. A 100-gram serving of pecans contains approximately 65 mcg of biotin.
Peanuts: A popular and affordable choice, peanuts are known to have a high biotin concentration, with some sources reporting over 50 mcg per 100 grams. A 1-ounce (28g) serving of roasted peanuts provides almost 5 mcg of biotin.
Cashews: Cashews also contain biotin, making them a worthy addition to your biotin-rich diet. A 100-gram serving of raw, unsalted cashews contains approximately 21 mcg.
Almonds: While not the highest, almonds are still a good source of biotin. A 1/4-cup serving of roasted almonds contains about 1.5 mcg of biotin. They also provide vitamin E and magnesium, which complement biotin's benefits for skin health.

Comparison Table: Biotin Content in Common Nuts and Seeds

To provide a clear picture of which options offer the most biotin, here's a comparison table based on available data:


Food (per 100g)	Approximate Biotin (mcg)	Notes
Sunflower Seeds	252	One of the most concentrated sources.
Walnuts	87	Excellent source, also rich in omega-3s.
Pecans	65	A tasty and nutrient-dense choice.
Peanuts	50+	Very high in biotin and a good source of protein.
Cashews	21	Offers a decent amount of biotin alongside other minerals.
Almonds	~5	Provides a smaller but still notable amount per serving.
Macadamia Nuts	~6	Good source of healthy fats, with some biotin content.

Note: Biotin content can vary depending on the variety, growing conditions, and processing methods. Figures are based on approximate measurements and available data.

Beyond Biotin: The Holistic Benefits of Nuts

Integrating nuts into your diet offers a wide array of health benefits that work synergistically with biotin. Nuts are packed with essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals that collectively support your body's functions.

Hair and Skin Health: The healthy fats, vitamin E, and zinc found in many nuts help nourish the scalp and skin, improving elasticity and protecting against oxidative stress. Biotin, in turn, boosts keratin production for stronger hair strands and nails.
Metabolism: Biotin assists with the conversion of food to energy, and the healthy fats and protein in nuts can help regulate blood sugar levels and provide sustained energy throughout the day.
Heart Health: Many nuts, particularly walnuts, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to support cardiovascular health.

Other Dietary Sources of Biotin

While nuts and seeds are a great source, incorporating a variety of other foods can further enhance your biotin intake and provide a more balanced nutritional profile. These include:

Egg Yolks: An excellent source of biotin, with one cooked egg providing around 10 mcg. Cooking is crucial, as raw egg whites contain avidin, a protein that interferes with biotin absorption.
Organ Meats: Liver and kidney are exceptionally rich sources of biotin, with a 3-ounce serving of cooked beef liver providing over 100% of the daily value.
Legumes: Foods like peanuts, soybeans, lentils, and peas contain good amounts of biotin and are also high in protein and fiber.
Sweet Potatoes: A half-cup serving of cooked sweet potatoes offers a decent amount of biotin, along with beta-carotene, which is beneficial for skin health.
Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a high-biotin fungus. A 1-cup serving of fresh mushrooms contains a significant amount of biotin.
Avocados: This nutrient-dense fruit is rich in healthy fats, folate, and biotin.

Conclusion

To conclude, incorporating a variety of nuts and seeds into your diet is a simple and effective way to increase your biotin intake. Walnuts, pecans, and peanuts tend to offer higher amounts, while sunflower seeds are a particularly concentrated source. However, a balanced diet that includes other biotin-rich foods like eggs, organ meats, and legumes is the most comprehensive approach to meeting your nutritional needs. A handful of mixed nuts as a snack, or adding them to salads and meals, is an easy step toward promoting healthy metabolic function, skin, hair, and overall well-being. For more information on the health benefits of vitamins, consult reliable resources like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) fact sheets.

For further reading on biotin and dietary sources, visit the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Frequently Asked Questions

Among common tree nuts, walnuts and pecans are excellent sources of biotin. However, if we include seeds, sunflower seeds are an even more concentrated source, with 100 grams containing significantly more biotin.

A quarter-cup serving of roasted almonds contains about 1.5 micrograms (mcg) of biotin. While this is a modest amount, it contributes positively to your daily biotin intake, along with other nutrients like vitamin E.

Yes, peanuts are considered a very good source of biotin. Some studies have found a high concentration of biotin in peanuts, with 100 grams containing over 50 mcg.

While nuts and seeds are an excellent source, relying solely on them may not meet all your daily biotin needs, as the concentration varies. A balanced diet that includes a variety of biotin-rich foods like eggs, liver, legumes, and certain vegetables is the most effective approach.

Nutrient levels can be altered by processing, but nuts generally retain most of their nutritional value, including biotin, after roasting. For example, roasted almonds and sunflower seeds still provide biotin.

Yes, many other foods are high in biotin. Excellent sources include cooked egg yolks, organ meats (liver), legumes like soybeans, and vegetables such as sweet potatoes and mushrooms.

Biotin supports hair, skin, and nail health by aiding in the production of keratin, a key structural protein. The healthy fats and vitamin E in nuts also contribute to a healthier scalp and skin, complementing biotin's effects.