There are so many peanut butter in the grocery store. I grew up on that classic creamy JIF, so if you’re like me, this should be an interesting experiment. Needless to say, there are so many brands of peanut butter out there, so we decided to put them to the ultimate taste test to reveal which were our favorites.
The Blind Taste Test:
We decided to stick to all creamy peanut butters that we could find as to me this feels like the industry standard for crave-able peanut butter. From no sugar to natural and Big companies to husband & wife companies, we define good peanut butter by it’s texture, it’s salty flavor, and the taste of the processed roasted peanut. This should be interesting
The Brands:
JIF Natural Peanut Butter:
This peanut butter spoons beautifully. It has a very peanut-y flavor compared to the normal JIF and that ultra processed smoothness leaves me wanting some sweetness. 4/5
Crazy Richards 100% Peanuts:
Our first two-ingredient peanut butter we tasted. Time to bust out the butter knife and start stirring. I can go on a tangent about stirring peanut butter, but I won’t and we will continue the review. This peanut butter is very liquid-y as natural peanut butters are without any sugar or stabilizers. The peanuts in this didn’t have much flavor which just makes me believe the peanuts weren’t roasted very well. 2/5
JIF Creamy Peanut Butter:
This one we all know and love. It’s creamy and sugary in all the best ways. Maybe I am biased, but this is the gold standard of peanut butter and it’s what I think of when someone says peanut butter. Jif knows what they’re doing. 5/5
Trader Joe’s Creamy Unsalted Peanut Butter:
The price of this peanut butter is the most attractive aspect of this jar. It’s VERY unsalted and very noticeable when you taste it. It feels more sticky in your mouth when it’s lacking salt. When I start to worry about my cholesterol in my older age this will be a peanut butter considered. 3/5
JIF No Sugar Added:
Another creamy peanut butter from JIF that just ends up tasting like it’s missing something because of the familiar JIF smoothness. The flavor reminds me of the natural peanut butter from JIF minus the sugar. 3/5
Adam’s Natural Peanut Butter:
I love the way this jar looks and the peanut butter actually looks so good, but wait until you put it in your mouth. It is TACKY! Warning keep milk nearby. The saltiness is on point and I actually don’t mind the homemade touch and flavor of the peanuts in this.
Kroger Brand Creamy Peanut Butter:
From first taste it reminds you of JIF with the creamy texture and sugary flavor, but the peanut taste is noticeably off. 2/5
Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter:
I never had this growing up, but I was shockingly surprised how good this tasted. It reminded me of JIF and had a nice balance of sweet and salty. Can’t go wrong. 5/5
Trader Joe’s Organic Creamy Peanut Butter:
Another inexpensive peanut butter product that I would not buy. Very tacky peanut butter that lacks salt. It falls flat for me compared to the other peanut butters we’ve tasted. 3/5
Skippy Natural Peanut Butter:
In between tasting the other peanut butters, tasting this was just like heaven. A beautiful balance of sweet and salty, but not as good as the original Skippy. I do have to say it does taste better than the JIF natural. 4/5
Trader Joe’s Creamy No-Stir:
I was excited for this peanut butter because it does have a bit of sugar added. The texture is divine, but then the flavor comes in to play. BLAND. BORING. 3/5
Once Again Creamy Peanut Butter:
This peanut butter brand excited me because it was made by a small couple with a cute story. Branding is everything though because this peanut butter had a very OFF taste to me. The peanuts weren’t coming through and needed a flavor adjustment. A very tacky peanut butter that I will probably never approach again. 1/5
Field Day Organic Peanut Butter:
A liquid-y salty peanut butter that I found absolutely divine. Out of all the stir peanut butters this is by far my favorite because the flavor feels right and it actually brings something unique to the peanut butter game. 4/5
Justin’s Natural Creamy Peanut Butter:
First bite is met with textured pieces of peanut butter. I don’t know if that’s to show it’s homemade or not, but I didn’t mind it. This was noticeably missing salt for me which ends up at 3/5 for me.
Woodstock Organic Peanut Butter:
This tasted like old peanuts or not roasted enough peanuts. I dig the texture of this one, but the flavor is just not hitting. 2/5
Santa Cruz Creamy Peanut Butter:
I’ve seen this jar before and have always wanted to try it. Has noticeable flecks of peanuts in the creamy version which I’m not a fan of. Very tacky in your mouth. The flavor is there with the peanuts I will admit, but it’s just one of those peanut butter I know I will never buy. 3/5
CB’s Nuts Organic Peanut Butter:
I was recommended this peanut butter when scoping out jars for this project. Tacky flavor right from the get go with a good roasted peanut flavor. Frankly this was a big let down. Somehow it tastes like there was honey in it, but it’s just two ingredients. 3/5
MaraNatha Organic Peanut Butter:
A good texture right from the start with a hit of roasted salty peanuts, but as the flavor sits it becomes almost rancid. The flavor of this lingers on my tongue in the worst way. 2/5
So, which creamy peanut butter reigns supreme?!
The Final Verdict:
After a huge glass of milk and a walk around the building, it turns out the top peanut butter brands are made by the big companies. I hate to say that because I love small businesses and I’d like to lift up some small businesses here, but I also have to report the truth to you. Skippy and JIF have a tried and true tested product that tastes absolutely unmatched. When tasting some of the two-ingredient no sugar peanut butters there were a few that did stand out. The Field Day peanut butter had a wonderfully crave-able saltiness to there peanut butter that I would totally buy again. I hope you learned from this and can avoid buying any varieties that don’t serve you. We have lots of peanut butter and jellies to make now!