We Found the Best Peanut Butter Brands for Creamy and Chunky Fans
Updated: Nov. 24, 2023
Take your PB&J to the next level by stocking up on the best peanut butter. Our Test Kitchen pros tested 21 brands to find the very best, including creamy, crunchy and natural options.
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Choosing the Best Peanut Butter
Is your house divided when it comes to what’s considered the best peanut butter? Do you have chunky fans? Kids that demand creamy PB in their sandwiches? A spouse that insists on the natural stuff?
It’s not an uncommon dilemma. What is uncommon, though, is actually knowing what the best versions of those different peanut butters are. After all, many of us have been disappointed by too-runny natural peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter that needed more bite.
If you’re looking to upgrade your pantry of peanut butter, look no further. Our team of Test Kitchen experts put 21 different options to the test to find the ones your family will love. And, we found you the ultimate peanut butter knife to scrape up every last bit from the jar, too.
How We Tested Peanut Butter
Our Test Kitchen hosts a squad of trained culinarians that love to try out the best products. For this test, our team shopped for 21 different peanut butters—that includes big-name brands and smaller ones, too—and then put them side-by-side in a blind test.
In this day-long test (testing 20+ butters is tough!), our pros sampled each product and evaluated it according to these criteria:
- Texture: For this test, our team put aside their personal preferences for creamy or chunky options. Each peanut butter was evaluated for texture. Were the crunchy ones too smooth? The smooth ones too crunchy? Were any gritty or unpleasant? Only the best get our stamp of approval.
- Flavor: A great peanut butter should have a peanut-forward flavor with just the right amount of salt. Oily or offputting flavors need not apply for this test.
- Best use: Our team is at work in our Test Kitchen every single day, so they know when a product would really suit a recipe. Pros made notes of which brands would be best for sandwiches, peanut butter cookies and more.
Best Creamy Peanut Butter
Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
Smooth peanut butter devotees, Jif Creamy Peanut Butter is the jar you want in your cupboard.
Jif’s velvety texture had our Test Kitchen dipping their spoons in for a second taste right off the bat. This super-spreadable peanut butter had a deep-roasted peanut flavor which was universally praised by our experts. After all, they know that toasted nuts always have more flavor.
Test Kitchen staffer and Recipe Editor and Tester Alicia Rooker summed up the Jif experience right: “This has the right balance of peanut flavor, sweetness and salt.”
Psst! Make one of these healthy peanut butter snacks when cravings hit.
Best Crunchy Peanut Butter
Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter
The label on this Jif peanut butter reads “extra crunchy” and you better believe it!
“This is packed with peanuts but still spreadable,” says our Test Kitchen’s Prep Kitchen Manager Catherine Ward.
And the rest of our team agrees. Cracking open this jar, you’ll see large peanut pieces rippled throughout this spread and also pick up a pleasant deep roasted peanut aroma. That nutty scent carries into the rich flavor; one that isn’t overpowered by oil or sweetness. Overall, this is a satisfying, textured peanut butter to enjoy on your morning slice of toast.
Best Natural Peanut Butter
Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
We all know Skippy as one of the biggest players in the traditional peanut butter game, but this test proved that we shouldn’t sleep on their natural line of products. Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter is now a favorite at Taste of Home.
Unlike many natural peanut butters, Skippy didn’t require any stirring to get the right consistency. Right out of the jar, this peanut butter can be spread over bread or spooned into celery to make ants on a log.
This peanut butter is a touch thinner than the traditional stuff, but thicker than most natural peanut butters. Simply put: It has a great middle-of-the-road texture. As for flavor, Skippy’s natural spread tastes like freshly roasted peanuts with a nice dose of salt.
Best for Baking
Reese’s Creamy Peanut Butter
Reese’s is one of our Test Kitchen’s favorite candies, and it’s also one of our preferred peanut butters.
Spooning this out of the jar, you’ll find that Reese’s peanut butter is super thick and creamy. This texture, according to Catherine, makes this brand ideal for baking. Recipes like Peanut Butter Cream Pie and Chocolate Scotcheroos will benefit from this decadent texture.
Flavor-wise, testers enjoyed the peanutty taste with a decent level of salt (also good to compliment all the sweet flavors in peanut butter desserts).
Best Peanut Butter for Savory Dishes
Skippy Natural Super Chunk Peanut Butter
That’s right: Skippy Natural Super Chunk Peanut Butter won over our Test Kitchen, too.
This brand of peanut butter had a light peanut aroma and very peanut-forward taste. Our team couldn’t detect any sweet flavors which makes this jar ideal for all your savory peanut butter recipes like Thai Peanut Chicken and Noodles or West African Chicken Stew.
The texture—which walks the line between creamy and crunchy—also makes it great for cooking. That being said, our Test Kitchen wouldn’t hesitate to spread this on some toast with a bit of jelly.
Check Out More Test Kitchen-Preferred Products
Peanut butter is just the start! Our Test Kitchen is constantly testing kitchen gadgets, cleaning gear and food looking for brands that deserve the right to be called Test-Kitchen Preferred.
Be sure to fill your pantry with these favorites:
Originally Published: February 04, 2022
