I Asked 3 Food Experts To Name the Best Peanut Butter—They All Said the Same Brand

With all the peanut butter options on store shelves, choosing a jar can feel overwhelming and random. Luckily, all three experts I asked for their favorite peanut butter said the same brand.

Jul 31, 2024 - 16:00

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A close up shot of an open jar of peanut butter with a spoon taking out a scoop — Simply Recipes / Getty Images

How in the world is a person supposed to choose a brand of peanut butter? With dozens of options on grocery shelves, choosing a single jar seems utterly impossible. Do you go for the nostalgia factor and grab the peanut butter that Mom used in your PB&J’s as a kid?

Do you choose natural or organic? Do you go with the shortest ingredient list, like a jar containing just ground peanuts and salt? Should you buy something that separates, or that never needs stirring? With so many options to choose from and so many questions, I turned to food experts to get the lowdown on the best peanut butter brand that you can buy.

The Pros I Asked

Jessica Formicola: Emmy-nominated food judge, founder of Savory Experiments, recipe developer, and author of Beef It Up!
Toby Amidor: Registered dietician and author of 10 cookbooks, including The Healthy Meal Prep and Up Your Veggies
Imene “Imsen” Senouci: Recipe developer and author of Ambitious Foodie

The Best Peanut Butter Brand, According to the Experts

Skippy Natural Creamy peanut butter spread — Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Retailer below

While there are many opinions out there, it seems food experts are on the same page when it comes to choosing peanut butter: go with what you know. In this case, it’s Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread.

“Since I was a kid, I have liked Skippy! Not too sweet and also not salty,” says Formicola. “I prefer the smooth. Part of it is nostalgia from childhood, but as a chef and recipe developer, I find that it bakes well and doesn't have the tendency to separate. I get a nice peanut butter flavor, but not overly sweet for savory dishes, like a satay sauce.”

Nutritionally, Skippy Natural Peanut Butter is relatively the same compared to normal Skippy Creamy. However, what differentiates the two is the ingredients: Skippy Creamy includes hydrogenated vegetable oil, while Skippy Natural contains palm oil.

Hydrogenated oil is usually used to prevent separation between the solids and the oil in the peanut butter. However, Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread doesn’t separate like other natural peanut butter tends to do. Because hydrogenated oil can create trans fats, negatively impacting your blood cholesterol levels, many dietitians like Amidor suggest going the natural route.

When it comes to using peanut butter in her home, Amidor loves to prepare peanut butter energy bites, peanut butter cherry smoothies, peanut butter cookies, and peanut butter-banana icebox bars.

In contrast, Senouci also enjoys the Skippy Super Chunky variety as well. “It’s known for its balance of creamy and chunky textures, making it versatile for both spreads and cooking,” she says.

“Crunchy is [also] amazing for desserts and adding texture and variation; sometimes I even use both in cookies and peanut butter blondies,” adds Formicola.

Now that you know which jar to grab at the store, you might as well start bookmarking some tasty peanut butter recipes yourself! I love to mix up this chocolate peanut butter icebox cake, shrimp spring rolls with peanut sauce, and African chicken peanut stew—perfect for the cooler months!