Store-Bought Peanut Butter Review!

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Jars of store-bought peanut butters for our unbiased review

Peanut butter is one of our absolute favorite foods. And we’ve got proof (85+ recipes with peanut butter so far)

We love pairing peanut butter with anything chocolate (like in these no-bake cookies, freezer fudge, protein bars, and pancakes). Or providing creamy deliciousness to savory dishes (such as stew, tofu, curry, and bowls). Its versatility is basically magic.

But not all peanut butters on the market are equally delicious. So we decided to put different brands to the test!

We did a formal, side-by-side review of some of the most popular natural peanut butters on the market. Our goal was to see which brands delivered on taste, texture, and stir-ability and which ones weren’t worth the hype, saving you the time and money of doing the research yourself!

THE GROUND RULES

  • We tested 10 peanut butters. Some were purchased from Amazon (for accessibility’s sake) and others were from a variety of health food stores.
  • This review is not sponsored in any way. We were not given free product or compensated for any of our reviews, and we had no contact with any of these brands.
  • We excluded any products containing palm oil, added sweeteners, or artificial ingredients.
  • We tried to be as unbiased and objective as possible when reviewing.
  • We tested each peanut butter by the spoonful, grading on a scale of 1-5 (1 being poor, 5 being excellent) on:
    • Stir-ability
    • Taste
    • Texture
    • Overall thoughts
  • For consumer awareness, we also examined:
    • Cost per ounce (US $) — subject to variability
    • Added oils or salt
    • Glass or plastic jar (and whether BPA-free)
    • Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.)
    • If we would repurchase

RESULTS 

Jars and spoonfuls of our top three favorite brands of peanut butter

First place: Wild Friends Foods Classic Creamy
Second place: Spread the Love Organic Peanut Butter Naked
Third place: Smucker’s Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
Fourth place: 365 Organic Unsweetened & No Salt Peanut Butter
Fifth place: Fix & Fogg Peanut Butter Smooth
Sixth place: Field Day Organic Smooth & Unsalted Peanut Butter
Seventh place: Laura Scudder’s Natural Smooth Peanut Butter
Eighth place: Santa Cruz Light Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter
Ninth place: Trader Joe’s Organic Creamy No Salt Valencia Peanut Butter
Tenth place: Georgia Grinders Creamy Peanut Butter

THE REVIEW

Jar of our favorite brand of peanut butter for our unbiased review of peanut butter brands

#1: Wild Friends Foods Classic Creamy

Stir-ability: 3.25 – Visible layer of oil on top, but peanut butter underneath is creamy. Somewhat difficult to stir — clumps even after 1-2 minutes of stirring.
Taste: 5 – It tastes just as peanut butter should — perfectly peanutty, not bitter or sweet.
Texture: 4 – If you get it stirred well, it is quite creamy. But the texture tends to remain a little oily in parts and a little clumpy in others.
Overall thoughts: 4 – I love the taste and how creamy it is. Just wish it was a little easier to stir.
Approximate cost per ounce: $0.37
Added oils or salt: Sea salt
Glass or plastic jar: Plastic
Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.): Non-GMO

Overall score: 16.25/20
Would we repurchase? Yes

Jar of Spread the Love Peanut Butter for our review of the best brands of peanut butter

#2: Spread the Love Organic Peanut Butter Naked

Stir-ability: 4.25 – Very minimal layer of oil on top — creamy texture — some visible bits of unblended peanuts but in a good way. Overall fairly easy to stir — was able to get it all combined in about 20 seconds.
Taste: 3.5 – Not as good as Wild Friends, but probably because there’s no salt. It tastes quite simply like blended roasted peanuts. Not the best in terms of flavor (we weren’t blown away). But certainly love that it’s organic, high quality, and simple.
Texture: 4 – Creamy with little bits of unground peanuts. Perfect if you’re looking for a creamy PB with a little texture.
Overall thoughts: 4 – Because the taste wasn’t anything amazing (I missed the salt!) but love that it’s quality / organic / easy to stir.
Approximate cost per ounce: $0.69
Added oils or salt: None
Glass or plastic jar: Plastic
Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.): Organic, Non-GMO

Overall score: 15.75/20
Would we repurchase? Yes

Jar of Smucker's Organic Peanut Butter for our review of the best brands of natural peanut butter

#3: Smucker’s Organic Creamy Peanut Butter

Stir-ability: 4 – Very thin layer of oil visible on top. Quite creamy and relatively easy to stir — completely combined in about 30 seconds.
Taste: 4.25 – Nice flavor! Well roasted, not bitter, not sweet, not over-roasted. I definitely prefer salted PBs, but for an unsalted, this is nice.
Texture: 3.5 – Label claims “creamy,” but there are still bits of unground peanuts intact.
Overall thoughts: 3.75 – Like that it’s organic, wish it was creamier. The flavor was good overall.
Approximate cost per ounce: $0.26
Added oils or salt: None
Glass or plastic jar: Glass
Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.): Organic, Non-GMO

Overall score: 15.5/20
Would we repurchase? Yes

Jar of Whole Foods Organic Peanut Butter as part of our review of the top brands of peanut butter

#4: 365 Organic Unsweetened & No Salt Peanut Butter

Stir-ability: 3.75 – Visible layer of oil on top, ~1 inch. Relatively difficult to stir. Eventually got it to combine.
Taste: 4 – Nicely roasted, slightly naturally sweet, no bitterness. Pleasant peanut flavor overall.
Texture: 3.75 – It claims it’s “creamy,” but it definitely still has unground peanuts intact.
Overall thoughts: 3.75 – The flavor is nice, but stirring was difficult and wish it was creamier.
Approximate cost per ounce: $0.25
Added oils or salt: None
Glass or plastic jar: Plastic
Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.): Organic, Non-GMO

Overall score: 15.25/20
Would we repurchase? In a pinch, yes. But not my favorite.

Jar of Fix & Fogg Peanut Butter for our review of the most delicious brands of peanut butter

#5: Fix & Fogg Peanut Butter Smooth

Stir-ability: 3.75 – Very thin layer of oil visible on top, relatively easy to stir — minimal effort.
Taste: 3.75 – The taste is okay overall. Tastes unsalted, but the peanuts taste nicely roasted. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something tastes a little amiss.
Texture: 3.5 – Label says it’s supposed to be “smooth,” but it did have little unblended bits — not bad, just not what I was expecting.
Overall thoughts: 3.75 – Good quality. I don’t even mind the slightly gritty texture. But the flavor wasn’t anything mind-blowing.
Approximate cost per ounce: $1.14
Added oils or salt: New Zealand Sea Salt
Glass or plastic jar: Glass
Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.): Non-GMO

Overall score: 14.75/20
Would we repurchase? No

Jar of Field Day Organic Peanut Butter as part of our review of natural peanut butters

#6: Field Day Organic Smooth & Unsalted Peanut Butter

Stir-ability: 2.5 – The jar was very full, making it a bit more difficult to stir. Visible layer of oil on top. Overall a little difficult to stir and get combined.
Taste: 3.75 – Pleasant, not too bitter, naturally sweet, but nothing amazing or mind-blowing.
Texture: 4 – Very creamy with no unground nuts intact, although it was very difficult to stir, so there were clumps and oiliness, which reflects in the overall texture.
Overall thoughts: 3.75 – I like how creamy it is, but the taste is just okay and the stir-ability was an issue.
Approximate cost per ounce: $0.28
Added oils or salt: None
Glass or plastic jar: Plastic (BPA-Free)
Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.): Organic, Non-GMO

Overall score: 14/20
Would we repurchase? No

Jar of Laura Scudder's Organic Peanut Butter as part of our review of natural peanut butter brands

#7: Laura Scudder’s Natural Smooth Peanut Butter

Stir-ability: 3 – Visible layer of oil on top. Relatively difficult to stir. Couldn’t get the oil and nut butter to fully combine.
Taste: 4 – Naturally sweet, a little bitter. Tastes roasted just about perfectly.
Texture: 3.5 – Difficulty stirring, which means some creamy bits, some oily bits. It claims to be “smooth,” but there are unground bits of peanuts intact.
Overall thoughts: 3 – Not impressed overall with the texture / stir-ability. But the taste was nice.
Approximate cost per ounce: $0.31
Added oils or salt: Salt
Glass or plastic jar: Glass
Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.): Organic, Non-GMO

Overall score: 13.5/20
Would we repurchase? No

Jar of Santa Cruz Organic Peanut Butter as part of our unbiased review of the top brands of peanut butter

#8: Santa Cruz Light Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter

Stir-ability: 2.75 – Visible layer of oil on top. Quite difficult to stir. The oil and nut butter didn’t want to combine.
Taste: 4 – The flavor is pleasant. A little naturally sweet, not bitter. Well roasted. 
Texture: 3 – Label claims it’s creamy, but there are little bits of unground peanuts intact. Plus, it never really got combined because it was quite difficult to stir.
Overall thoughts: 3.5 – Not being able to mix it was frustrating. The flavor was pretty good. Wish it was creamier.
Approximate cost per ounce: $0.44
Added oils or salt: Salt
Glass or plastic jar: Glass
Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.): Organic, Non-GMO

Overall score: 13.25/20
Would we repurchase? No

Jar of Trader Joe's Peanut Butter for our unsponsored review of peanut butters on the market

#9: Trader Joe’s Organic Creamy No Salt Valencia Peanut Butter

Stir-ability: 3.75 – Visible layer of oil on top — nut butter is creamy underneath. Somewhat difficult to stir. Remained oily yet clumpy after 1 minute of stirring.
Taste: 3 – Slightly sweet (naturally), slightly bitter. Tastes a little over-roasted.
Texture: 3 – It’s supposed to be creamy but there are some little visible clumps.
Overall thoughts: 3 – Not too impressed with stir-ability, texture, or flavor. But I do love that it’s organic.
Approximate cost per ounce: $0.22
Added oils or salt: None
Glass or plastic jar: Plastic (BPA-Free)
Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.): Organic, Non-GMO

Overall score: 12.75/20
Would we repurchase? No

Jar of Georgia Grinders peanut butter for our unbiased review of the leading peanut butter brands

#10: Georgia Grinders Creamy Peanut Butter

Stir-ability: 3.75 – Visible layer of oil on top. Relatively easy to stir, but takes a little effort.
Taste: 2.5 – Not great. Tastes flat and dull. Not just because it’s unsalted. Almost “not fresh” in a way. Not a fan.
Texture: 3.25 – It is creamy, but not as creamy as Wild Friends.
Overall thoughts: 3 – Really not impressed with the flavor. Texture was okay.
Approximate cost per ounce: $0.50
Added oils or salt: Sea salt
Glass or plastic jar: Glass
Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO, etc.): Non-GMO

Overall score: 12.5/20
Would we repurchase? No


We hope you enjoyed this peanut butter review! Let us know what other brands you love in the comments below!

Curious what other products we’ve reviewed? Check out our:

Nut & Seed Butter Reviews

Superfood Reviews

Protein Powders & Bar Reviews

Reader Interactions

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  1. Evan Clark says

    Here’s an easy way to stir peanut butter. Using a spatula empty the entire jar into a medium size bowl. Using an immersion blender stir the oil into the peanut butter until smooth. Use the spatula to put the blended peanut butter back in the jar.

    • Debra says

      I do the same as Evan in a blender. I was tried of trying to mix it up in the jar, and usually spilling oil out on the counter. So now I dump it all in a blender, pour it back in the jar and stick it in the fridge.

  2. Maria says

    It’s funny but I’ve loved Trader Joe’s Organic Creamy No Salt PB for years; I just add 1/2 tsp of sea salt to it when I open it and it’s perfect. Plus the price point can’t be beat. I like to use it in my banana granola wraps for breakfast. I also like Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter Spread which I recently tried due to the stay at home order (it was the only one available at my grocery store for delivery).

  3. Sammmmmmmmm says

    Amazing breakdown. Thank you so much for the time and resources ($$$!) put into these comprehensive lists. As a peanut butta luva, I now have a few I need to explore :)

    If you haven’t already, try Santa Cruz’ DARK roasted when you have a chance. It will change your life. The light roasted one is a bit meh, as noted. BUT DA DARK??? Chile…brace yourself

  4. Jane says

    Hi there! Thanks so much for this, it’s really nice to see all these PBs side by side with the prices listed as well.
    I was wondering why you decided to include whether or not the PB is a GMO in your review. There are currently no GMO peanuts being sold anywhere and therefore it seems irrelevant.

    Cheers,
    Jane

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for letting us know, Jane! We have included info on GMOs in most of our reviews, so we kept it for consistency.

    • Alaina says

      Thanks. I don’t eat sugar so i’m always trying to find a brand low or no sugar. How did this come into your ratings?

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            Hi Bonnie, are you referring to in the peanut butter banana smoothie? If so, we do think it would work! You might want to add a little coconut milk for more richness. Let us know how it goes!

    • Jessica says

      Hello! Love your page.
      Saratoga Peanut Butter Company our of Saratoga Springs, NY has an amazing line of peanut butters and some really unique blends too! Please check them out as well as their ratings! My favorite!

  5. Alex M. says

    Thanks for this review! I am always afraid to try new nut butters because I have been unimpressed too many times (and down $10+). Also just want to share that your blog is one that I have loved for a long time and recently got my mom to start using for a healthier diet. Thank you!

  6. Jennifer says

    Where is Adams Peanut Butter? If I don’t grind it – they are my go to since child hood – and I’m old :-)

  7. Jyoti says

    I’d love to see a review of Kirkland Valencia peanut butter (Costco brand)…I personally find it to be very creamy and tasty, if a bit on the thin side.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing! Because you have to have a membership we didn’t include that one. But we’ve heard such good things!

  8. Estee says

    Dana, we buy a lot of nut butters and the first thing we do when opening is pull the nut butter out of the jar and into a food processor to incorporate everything. Once you do that it’s super smooth and no longer separates. Our favorite is Costco’s Kirkland brand. This trick has been a game changer for us and no longer trying to spend a lot of time stirring. It works for all nut butters and makes it nice and creamy.

  9. Ky says

    I love peanut butter. I was scrolling to the bottom to see a “Make your own peanut butter” recipe but I do not.
    Please give me a home-made peanut butter recipe. My only hesitation in starting my experiment is the removing the husk of the peanuts after roasting. Any easy way to do this?

      • Ky says

        Thank you Dana.
        Here we get our small raw peanuts with skin on. Problem is getting the skin off. Messy job. Oh well, I’ll just get the ones already skinned and roast it or like you, buy it already roasted and salted.
        I must try this recipe. Always wanted to make my own peanut butter because I love it and so we go through them quite fast and it is expensive to buy.

  10. Kin says

    Thanks for doing the comparison test. Won’t topple me off my platform for advocating Santa Cruz *dark roasted crunchy* as my perennial favorite. It’s been a delicious wholesome protein in a snack/in a meal for me since I discovered it 4 years ago. Now where’s that jar and my spoon… ?

    • Courtney Meijer says

      Me too! I prefer to grind my own PB at the health food store because then I can bring my own packaging. But if Santa Cruz (crunchy dark) is on sale, I stock up! It is so tasty and after it’s gone I can reuse the glass jars to get more PB!

  11. Brittany Shook says

    You simply must try Maranatha Organic PB! It is the silkiest ever.
    And then you must try Costco’s Organic PB. Second fave.

  12. Meghan A Mac-Rhyann says

    The best peanut butter I’ve ever tried is Adams. In fact, I can’t have it in my house anymore because Adams Peanut Butter and Y & S Raw Honey together are like crack cocaine to me – uncontrollably addictive :-). I can have other brands, including some you rated highly, and I’m able to control myself easily but not Adams. Also, they have the BEST heavy glass jars that I use for everything – even making those “gifts in a jar” at Christmas after adding some cute material to the lid.

  13. mb hughen says

    I would definitely add Kirkland brand organic creamy peanut butter from Costco. It is packaged as two 28oz. jars and last time I purchased it was $11.49.
    it has a great taste and though takes some work to initially stir ( I use a hand beater and refill the jar-works great) it stays blended.
    It has two ingredients: dry roasted peanuts and kosher sea salt.
    I would rate this no less than 4.75 for overall taste, texture, blendability and price.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing! We don’t have a costco membership, but will add it to our list to try in the future!

  14. Evan Clark says

    When I buy peanut butter or any nut butter I empty the jar into a bowl and stir it with my immersion blender and then put it back in the jar. That way there is no dry butter as I get to the end of the jar. Thanks for this interesting review.

  15. Ingrid Scott says

    This was an interesting review. I usually buy the Trader Joe organic creamy with sea salt and we like it.
    What I always do with all nut butters, is “stirring” it with the dough hooks of a hand held mixer for a couple of minutes. That works great. Hold on to the jar though! Just wanted to mention it.
    Thank you for your reviews!

  16. Isabel says

    Hello! Just wondering why you chose to review the Trader Joe’s Valencia peanut butter instead of their more basic, cheaper, and (what I thought was) more popular peanut butter? It’s so delicious! Thanks for the review!

  17. Alexis says

    Honestly, Georgia Grinders is by far my favorite peanut butter! I especially like their crunchy peanut butter because it is more spreadable than others I’ve tried.

  18. Jeff says

    Have you ever tried Kirkland organic natural peanut butter from Costco? It only has two ingredients, dry roasted organic peanuts and sea salt. It tastes good and is cheap at 0.21 cents and ounce. However it’s flaw is stir ability. A thick layer of oil on top and some of the nut butter is usually so dry it is hard to mix with the oil. I would pay a little more to have better stir ability. Might have to see if some of my local grocery stores carries the Smuckers.

  19. Jen Coble says

    I love when a comparison review is not controlled or influenced in any way by companies. I love nut butters and this one was very detailed and informative. I learned about brands I didn’t know existed as well as more about brands I was aware of but hesitant to try. Only one thing could have made this review over the top is the availability of each brand. Some I know where you can buy but others never heard of I’ll have to search the net to find. Thanks for the time to provide a great review.

  20. Delia says

    I suspect that the stirability of peanut butter has more to do with the amount of time it’s been in the jar than with the brand itself. Otherwise, thank you for the reviews. They are helpful.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yes, it’s always dependent of that as well. We tried to get PB that was as fresh as possible, but there will inevitably be variables.

  21. Mary says

    I use creamy peanut butter only if I can’t get crunchy.

    I’ve tried Santa Fe Organic, Laura Scudder’s Organic, Smucker’s Organic, Trader Joe’s Organic Valencia, Kirkland Organic, and Lidl Organic peanut butters.

    I eat peanut butter by the spoonful and in sandwiches. I bake with it. I use it in Thai sauces and in soups and stews. I am not bothered by a layer of peanut oil in the jar or the effort required to stir my peanut butter. I just want it to be organic, non-GMO, sugar free and taste good. My favorites are Trader Joe’s Organic Valencia and Lidl Organic crunchy peanut butters.

  22. Lori Petersen says

    I order from The Peanut Principle. They have a variety of nut butters and flavors. Their ‘Take Me Out To the Ballgame’ flavor is the best. I’ve given up on thinking of things to put it on and just eat it by the spoonful!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Largely due to its impact on the environment. There are simply better oils to choose from. Not to mention, good peanut (and nut) butter doesn’t need added oil.

  23. Dena says

    How come Teddie Peanut Butter isn’t included?? Not only is it made from USA grown peanuts but peanut butter is all they make!!
    FABULOUS taste!!!
    Excellent to cook/bake with!!

  24. Kristi says

    I, too, am a big peanut butter fan (and a big Minimalist Baker fan!)! Like it’s a food group for me. I recently tried Walmart’s Great Value Organic Creamy PB and it is delicious! Creamy! Smooth! Salted! Mixes well. Seriously addictive PB flavor. Then a friend bought me GV Organic Crunchy and whoa! If it could be better than the creamy…and it was! Like heaven. That one is hard to find though, so I “settle” for the creamy. Try it when you don’t have access to the other brands. Soooo good.

  25. Neil C. says

    One that you’re missing is Santa Cruz Dark Roasted Peanut Butter. It’s my absolute favorite and has so much more flavor (due to the dark roasting) than most other peanut butters.

  26. Carol says

    In the peanut butter review I miss a review for Adams creamy peanut butter; that is easy to find in almost any food market.
    It is creamy, full of peanut butter flavor, contains only peanut and salt and the container is glass.
    It is difficult to stir, also because we buy the big jars, but worth the trouble.

  27. Jen says

    Store natural peanut butter upside down. It forces the oil through the PB and makes stirring a million times easier (or unnecessary), and eliminates there being “dry” PB in the bottom of the jar!

  28. James says

    After exhaustively testing our own peanut butters, we have had quite different results. One of our leading factors is whether it uses a glass jar as I’m not a fan of plastics being used for shipping and storing goods in general, but we were limited to a tiny fraction of your reviewed butters because of that. I found that The multiple roast and texture options Santa Cruz offers to be a big winner. I like being able to vary what I use in recipes to match my desired flavor profile. For stir-ability are you manually stirring per use or spending time fully reintegrating the entire jar? I have found that I spend 5 minutes upfront to ensure better consistency and texture and jars don’t last more than 2 weeks in our house making that decision way less on my mind.

    Thanks for the review and as always we look forward to more amazing recipes to try.

  29. sigi rosenberg says

    I’m curious why you chose to include both salted and unsalted (salted is exponentially better, for all nut butters)! Not a super fair comparison. For a few $ on Amazon, you can get a nut butter stirrer which makes the total PITA ob of stirring natural nut butters super easy, even for the toughest blends.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      We saw the butter stirrers! They look slick. We’re always trying to minimize appliances and tools only to the neccesary. But if you use it and love it, go for it! We included salted and unsalted as some brands seemed to only have one or the other. We largely tried to judge based on the peanut quality / flavor.

  30. Kevin Klug says

    If I remember correctly, your 7th place and your 3rd place are actually the same peanut butter from the same facility, but packaged and labeled differently. Chew on that ?

  31. AmyK says

    #7, Laura Scudders is my favorite. I might be in the minority, but I love my pb a little dry with some bits in it. I find natural pbs are too runny, so I pour off a little of the oil then store it upside down, not in the fridge (never lasts long enough to spoil anyway). The dry pb chunks at the bottom are my favorite. Mmmm.

  32. Marissa says

    I find it incredibly interesting that smuckers came in 3rd. Very accessible and affordable, especially when compared to other pricey ones.
    Love PB :)

  33. Haeley says

    Oh my goodness, this is the review I didn’t know I NEEDED. I’ve used exclusively Laura Scudder’s for years now but lately I’ve been wondering what other options there were- my husband is a peanut butter fiend but HATES natural pb because of the oil and clumps. I’ll have to try the Wild Friends, and hopefully we’ll make a convert of him yet! I hate buying Jif. So many unnecessary ingredients.

  34. Danielle says

    Thanks for all the PB info!!! We use the Costco brand organic peanut butter. It comes in two huge jars and tastes the best out of any that I’ve tried. I simply either shake it or turn it upside down for a day or so and it usually incorporates the oil quite nicely.

  35. Nina says

    Hi,will their be any further homemade peanut butter recipes,the struggle is real when it comes in buying artificial flavour free peanut butter