The 14 Healthiest Brands Of Peanut Butter You Can Eat
The array of peanut butter choices on grocery store shelves can be daunting, especially when you're trying to choose wisely. It seems that no matter what you're looking for, there's a peanut butter brand that will satisfy your taste. Creamy or crunchy? Natural or organic? Mixed with other nuts or seeds? It's all there, including powdered versions, too. But which ones are the most healthy for you?
In its purest form, peanut butter is simply peanuts ground into a paste. Oftentimes, a dash of salt (and maybe some type of sweetener) will be added to bring out more flavor. It's even common that extra oils are included to stabilize and add thickness to the texture (via Everyday Health). There may be many more ingredients as well — some of them healthy, some not so much (if at all).
What we're going to focus on here are the natural-style healthier peanut butter choices with low sodium, little-to-no sugar, and definitely no unpronounceable ingredients. In this roundup are the peanut butters that taste good and will also get an approving nod from dietitians. So here's your cheat sheet to some of the best of the bunch!
Spread the Love Naked Organic Peanut Butter
What began as two lovebirds making jars of homemade peanut butter as gifts for their wedding guests has since blossomed into a bonafide successful Los Angeles enterprise. Naked, organic, and oh-so-good, Spread the Love's peanut butter is just, well, nuts! The sole ingredient is organic peanuts — that's it. There's no salt, sugar, palm oil, or preservatives in their small-batch peanut butter, and it's vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO (via PureWow). You can get it creamy or crunchy, or even in single-serve packets so you can flavor up any meal on the go.
"I love their Naked Crunch Organic Peanut Butter for its unadulterated flavor," says Executive Chef Ria Dolly Barbosa of Petite Peso in Los Angeles (via The Strategist). "My favorite snack is to put Naked Crunch and a little bit of local wildflower honey on a nice piece of toast with a few flecks of fleur de sel on top."
MaraNatha Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
Like velvet on the tongue, MaraNatha Organic Creamy Peanut Butter is not only delightfully smooth, but also absolutely delicious. It's made with just two ingredients — USDA-certified organic peanuts and a sprinkling of salt — making this peanut butter a great choice for nutrition. It's just pure goodness packaged in environment-friendly glass jars.
Unlike the mega companies, the nuts used in MaraNantha products are roasted in small batches and ground not just once, but twice, to produce the creamiest texture. The looser consistency of this peanut butter makes it super easy to scoop up in a spoon and eat right out of the jar. It's also ideal for drizzling over Medjool dates or over steamed sweet potatoes — all you need is some imagination. "We love this peanut butter because when you put it in the fridge (like you're supposed to!) it comes out tasting like peanut butter fudge," say the folks at Delish.
Teddie All Natural Peanut Butter
The family-owned Leavitt Corporation, based in Everett, Massachusetts, is a 90-year-old regional brand that makes Teddie All Natural Peanut Butter. The company originally produced candy and mixed nuts throughout the 1920s. But when the Great Depression hit, it switched gears to produce what the people direly needed, which was affordable, shelf-stable protein. That's when Teddie Peanut Butter made its debut. To this day, Teddie continues to be the peanut butter darling of the Northeast (via WCVB Boston), and it's an official partner of the Boston Celtics.
Teddie is a gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher peanut butter. When you buy a jar of Teddie's, it's all peanuts with just a dash of salt (or you can opt for the brand's salt-free version). Registered dietitian Kim Murachver of Greene Nutrition gives it two thumbs up. "It's very chunky and has a great texture and crunch," she told Today. If crunch isn't your thing, Teddie also comes in a smooth style, too.
Santa Cruz Organic Dark Roasted Peanut Butter
You can count on Santa Cruz peanut butter to be bursting with flavor from a singular source: organic roasted peanuts. There are no fillers of any kind, so you get that rich peanut flavor and texture in every bite. "It's always fresh, tastes great, spreads beautifully and it has 100% organic and non-GMO peanuts. Keeps you satisfied all day long," declares nutritionist Nikki Ostrower, who founded NAO Wellness in New York City (via The Strategist).
The brand offers both dark and light roasts, and can satisfy most palettes with its creamy and crunchy versions. There is a no-stir option as well if you don't like dealing with oil separation at the top of the jar. But be aware it gets that shelf stability with the addition of palm oil. If you're avoiding saturated fats in your diet for health reasons, you'll probably want to give those no-stir types a miss, per WebMD.
Crazy Richard's Creamy Peanut Butter
You might wonder why Crazy Richard's is, well, crazy. According to the company, the founder was super into natural foods, right down to making his own nut butters in the 1980s. Thus, his friends took to calling him "crazy" for it back then. The Philadelphia native didn't mind the moniker, because he was so committed to healthy ingredients in foods. He joined forces for 20 years with another Richard (who just happened to run Krema, the oldest peanut butter company in the U.S.) — and an incredible business partnership was born.
Crazy Richard's has no fillers or preservatives, nor even any salt. So if your goal is to cut down on sodium but still keep peanut butter in your life, you can't go wrong with this product, says Everyday Health. Being that it's just pure peanuts and nothing else, it also means that this peanut butter has a thin texture that's meant to be drizzled. "We are proud of the runny consistency of our PB and you can be too!" the company boasts. "So even if you get a jar that's more runny than the others — embrace it!"
Fix & Fogg Peanut Butter
Fix & Fogg is a New Zealand-based company founded in 2014. It was named after two characters in the classic novel, "Around the World in 80 Days." The brand produces an impressive range of nut butters (peanuts, cashews, almonds, and even an "everything butter"), all of which are non-GMO, palm oil-free, and vegan.
The enticing flavor varieties in the product line include creative combinations like "smoke and fire," "coffee and maple," and a "dark chocolate" style. While some of the options are sweetened and salted, Fix & Fogg's super crunchy and smooth peanut butters are perfect for purists: just 100% peanuts with a sprinkling of New Zealand sea salt.
"Anyone can make decent peanut butter by grinding up a bunch of honey-roasted peanuts, and that's good enough," says Jake Cohen, New York Times bestselling cookbook author (via The Strategist). "But I think seeing a company start to play around with the norms of what peanut butter can be is really exciting."
Once Again Organic No-Salt Peanut Butter
Once Again's humble beginnings started out in a small 800-square-foot basement in upstate New York. The whole-grain bakers who founded the company made the leap into peanut butter when a friend pointed out that since they already owned a barrel roaster, why not get into the nut butter biz, too? Today, the Once Again brand, which is 100% employee-owned and operated, has a 40,000-square-foot facility where it blends up a variety of nutty goodness, from peanuts and cashews to sunflowers, almonds, and toasted sesame seeds.
The variety of peanut butter options in the Once Again lineup includes what they call "American style" (no-stir, lightly sweetened and salted, with organic fruit palm oil), but if you want the bare-bones natural style with just a singular ingredient — dry-roasted organic peanuts — you'll find that, too. According to Eat This, Not That!, "It's a good low-sodium peanut butter option for those looking to watch their salt intake or those who like to cook with peanut butter and season dishes themselves."
365 Organic Peanut Butter
365 by Whole Foods Market makes several peanut butter varieties, some with less-than-optimal enhancements like salt, sugar, and palm oil. However, the brand's organic no-salt unsweetened peanut butter is a standout. Each jar is packed with 100% dry-roasted organic peanuts — and that's it. Best yet, it comes with an affordable price tag. "It's simple and nutrient-rich," says Amanda Baker Lemein, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant (via Today). "There are no added oils, sugars, or salt, and for the price, this organic product is a winner in my book."
Natural peanut butters like 365 and other brands will have a thinner texture than traditional spreads, plus a layer of oil that rises to the top of the jar. Just give it a bit of a stir! If you're keeping tabs on your sugar or sodium intake, no-salt-or-sugar natural peanut butters are heart-healthy and will help you keep your blood sugar in check, says WebMD.
Stonewall Kitchen Peanut Butter
Stonewall Kitchen has deep roots in New England, starting first in New Hampshire and eventually landing in Maine. What began as a few dozen jars of jam for local farmers' markets has evolved into a wildly successful gourmet specialty food company that's also one of Maine's largest tourist attractions (via Passport Magazine). Heck, they even operate a cooking school!
As part of Stonewall's robust list of products like dressings, grill sauces, preserves, and drink mixers (to name a few), it also produces some tasty nut butters, including peanut butter with chunky and creamy versions that are 100% roasted peanuts with a dash of salt.
Natural peanut butters such as Stonewall's have numerous health perks, says WebMD. Just one benefit, among many, is the oleic acid that peanuts contain. "When substituted for other fats in your diet, oleic acid is shown to help maintain good cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Managing these levels in your body can lower the risk of heart disease."
Adams 100% Natural Unsalted Peanut Butter
If you haven't heard of the Adams brand before, it's been around since 1916 when it was founded by a football coach in Tacoma, Washington. Today, it's part of the Smucker's family of products. According to company lore, back in the day the Tacoma townsfolk enjoyed the treat of Adams "hot peanut butter" from time to time. That's when the "freshly packed hot peanut butter was rushed to the local grocery stores" on special days. Oh boy, that sounds delish!
Adams 100% Natural Peanut Butter has an unsalted version that's simply peanuts and nothing else. In fact, Healthline ranked it as one of the six healthiest peanut butters. What this natural-style peanut butter lacks in thickness, it makes up for with its super-creamy texture and rich nutty taste. Whether you prefer crunchy or creamy styles, you'll find both in Adam's sodium-free product line. Just 190 calories per serving — that's not bad for peanut butter!
Wild Friends Classic Peanut Butter
Portland, Oregon is the home base of the Wild Friends peanut butter brand. The business was founded by two women — or as they say, two "hungry college students" — at the University of Oregon. After creating their delicious peanut butter and starting to get some retail traction, the young entrepreneurs appeared on Shark Tank looking to expand with investor assistance. They received an offer by one of the show's hosts, but ultimately passed on the deal. The duo did quite well on their own, and according to Forbes, the nut butter company is now a multimillion-dollar enterprise.
The peanut butter that Wild Friends produces is 100% roasted peanuts and some sea salt. There's no palm oil or added sugar, and all peanuts are sourced in the U.S. The velvety, drizzly texture is achieved, the company says, by its double-grind process. Today, in addition to peanut butter, Wild Friends also produces other nut butters, including hazelnut and almond spreads.
Noomi Peanut Butter
Noomi is a woman-owned business that got its start in 2018 out of a small kitchen in Hartsdale, New York. It's a proudly "drippy" peanut butter — as are most natural-style peanut butters — but this one has an ace up its sleeve.
There's a dash of delicious sweetness in every bite of Noomi, but it's not from common ol' sugar. Noomi's creative ingredient comes from the addition of Deglet Noor dates! It's a natural source of fructose that's also loaded with fiber, iron, potassium, Vitamin B, flavonoids, and disease-fighting antioxidants, per Healthline. Deglet Noor dates offer a nutty finish that's described by Specialty Produce as a taste similar to browned butter or cashews. That decadently luscious undertone sets this brand apart from the increasingly long list of artisan peanut butter competitors on the market.
"[Noomi is] made with the best ingredients: organic peanuts, sea salt, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, and dates instead of sugar. No hydrogenated oils or refined sugar!" registered dietitian Lauren Manaker (of Nutrition Now Counseling) gushed approvingly to Eat This, Not That!
Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter
Many gourmet and small-batch peanut butters come with a high price tag, but you won't find that with Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter. A lot of dietitians recommend it because it's easy on the wallet and also meets their high standards for quality foods.
Compared to other nut butters, peanuts are actually much less expensive as an ingredient. So unless you have a peanut allergy, there's no real reason other than taste preference to avoid peanut butter. "People have this halo around almond butter instead of peanut butter, but it's far more expensive and we get elitist about our food," according to Lauren Harris-Pincus, a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Nutrition Starring YOU (via Prevention).
Smucker's Natural contains just two ingredients, peanuts and salt. It also tastes good. "Smucker's has a deeper, richer taste than other peanut butters," says registered dietitian Marie Spano, who is a leading U.S.-based sports nutritionist (via Today). Smucker's Natural also gets accolades from Eat This, Not That! as the "best mainstream brand". No-salt and organic versions are also available in the company's lineup.
PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
Powdered peanut butter? Yes, it's really a thing — and it's actually really good! Powdered peanut butters such as PB2 are made of ground peanuts that have had the oil pressed out of them. Removing the oil makes powdered peanut butter lower in fat and calories than the traditional stuff. All you have to do is mix it up with water to make the product spreadable — and voila! Slather this do-it-yourself peanut butter spread on toast, celery, or whatever you want... It's also tasty when added to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, and sauces.
Powdered peanut butter is an easy way to get more healthy plant-based protein and flavor into your diet. Since it contains 85% fewer calories from fat (via Healthline), it can be an easy way to slash some calories. While some powders contain salt and sugar to enhance the overall flavor, you can also get salt- and sugar-free versions.