Taste Test: The Best Natural Peanut Butter

"Natural" peanut butter is loosely defined as a product that does not contain partially hydrogenated oil, the trans fat-laden ingredient that makes classic peanut butter so silky smooth. In a perfect world, natural peanut butter would contain only peanuts and salt (which three of the products featured below do have), but in reality the formula has been tinkered with a bit. So which natural peanut butters taste the best? Our test of natural, creamy, salted peanut butters will tell …

"Natural" peanut butter has been pushed by marketers over the past decade to accomodate America's sudden hyper-awareness of trans fats. Though most brands (such as Jif and Skippy) have recently eliminated trans fats by now using fully hydrogenated oils instead of partially hydrogenated oils in their classic recipe, they're also pushing "natural" brands for the more health-conscious consumer.

The problem with real natural peanut butter is that there's no emulsifying agent in the recipe (read: partially hydrogenated oil) to bind the peanut butter into a velvety texture. The result is often a mixture that eventually separates, leaving a thick, sludge-like goo at the bottom of the jar, and an unappealing, runny oil at the top that needs to be stirred. It's messy, inconvenient and unappealing, in most cases.

To counteract this issue, brands have been adding palm oil to their recipe (you'll see below that seven of the 12 peanut butters we tested contain it). Using this ingredient may be considered cheating a bit in the realm of natural peanut butter, and it's also a bit problematic in terms of your health and the environment's health. Not only is palm oil extremely high in saturated fat, but it's also controversial for the harm it causes to the environment -- rainforests and peatlands in Malaysia and Indonesia have been cleared out to increase production of the palm trees that produce palm oil. Weighing the tradeoff between eating creamier "natural" peanut butter and eating something that's potentially harmful is a decision you'll have to make for yourself.

Another interesting fact about natural peanut butter is that its nutritional label is almost identical to the label on a jar of classic peanut butter. Classic Jif, for example, contains 16 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, and 150 mg of sodium. Compare that to the numbers in the slideshow below, and you'll see there's basically no difference at all.

Check out our slideshow below to see which peanut butters tasted the best. Keep in mind that this was a blind test, meaning we judged purely on flavor and texture, without prior knowledge of the ingredients in each peanut butter. We were happy to see that the winner was a true natural.

What's your favorite brand of natural peanut butter? Leave us a comment below!

Loading Slideshow

• #1: 365 Everyday Value (from Whole Foods)

  <em>Does not need to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> This actually tastes like <em>real</em> salted peanuts. Amazing aftertaste (though not very creamy)." "Tastes like fresh-ground peanut butter. I like the peanut bits." "I really enjoy the savory taste of this one." "Tastes like I'm munching on a handful of nuts." "Somewhere between smooth and crunchy." "Great texture: the flavor's a hair on the too-subtle side." 200 calories, 16 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 90 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Peanuts, salt

• #2: Peanut Butter & Company, Smooth Operator

  <em>Does not need to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "This is nice and creamy. It's not what I'd expect out of a 'natural' peanut butter." "This is sweet, and has a nice thick stickiness you don't expect from natural." "This is what you'd expect to taste from non-natural peanut butter." "Creamy, and nice and thick. Has a great peanut butter flavor and just the right amount of salt." "Smooth, firm and reminiscent of classic Jif or Skippy." "Thick and weirdly bland, but totally acceptable." 180 calories, 15 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 100 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Peanuts, evaporated cane juice, palm fruit oil, salt

• #3: Skippy Natural

  <em>Does not need to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "Slick, oily, creamy and <em>very</em> salty." "Is this Jif?" "Luxurious -- a standout." "Initially the taste is delicious, but the aftertaste is very salty." "Slightly rich, but this would still be good with jam." 190 calories, 16 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 150 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt

• #4: Jif Natural

  <em>Does not need to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "This tastes like regular peanut butter! But it's way too sweet." "Too much weird sweetness." "This has got a great texture." "So smooth, so creamy and a bit too sweet and salty." "This is generic and inoffensive." "Very smooth texture with surprisingly full flavor." 190 calories, 16 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 80 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt, molasses

• #5: Trader Joe's Valencia

  <em>Needs to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "This instantly dried my mouth out, but it's got great real peanut flavor." "This might be hard to eat because it's so sticky, but it's very peanutty." "A decent standard." "Whoa. That really dries out my mouth! It's too bad, because the flavor is amazing." "Soupy, sticky, and intensely peanutty." "Nice flavor, but too runny." 200 calories, 16 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 85 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Dry roasted Valencia peanuts, sea salt

• #6: Smucker's Natural

  <em>Needs to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "Crunchy and dry." "Flat -- is it burned?" "Too liquid-y and thin." "Nice overall flavor, but a little too salty." "Too salty and a little soupy, but there's good flavor." "Too salty, and not nutty enough." 200 calories, 16 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 105 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Peanuts, salt

• #7: Trader Joe's Creamy Salted

  <em>Does not need to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "Way too runny, but it's got a great salty flavor." "Thin, but nice rich peanut flavor." "Very creamy, but it's got a weak flavor." "I like the consistency and flavor but it's way too salty, so loses major points." "Deep roasted flavor." 190 calories, 16 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 130 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Dry roasted peanuts, salt

• #8: 365 Organic Unsweetened

  <em>Does not need to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "Tastes like old-school cafeteria peanut butter." "This is enjoyable, but there's not much to it." "A bit sticky and a bit salty with a very roasted flavor." "Salty, a little cheap-tasting." "Off-putting savoriness, like soy sauce." 200 calories, 17 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 105 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Organic dry roasted peanuts, organic expeller pressed palm oil, sea salt

• #9: Smart Balance

  <em>Does not need to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "Way too sweet!" "This has a peculiar aftertaste." "Perfect smooth texture -- needs a bit more salt." "Nice balanced flavor -- and a little bit sweet." "Horrible chemical flavor." "<em>Very</em> strange vegetal/edamame flavor." 190 calories, 16 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 145 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Peanuts, evaporated cane juice, natural oil blend (palm fruit and flax seed oils), salt, molasses

• #10: Planter's Natural

  <em>Does not need to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "This tastes like the papery skins and the peanut shells." "This is bitter and has lost its emulsification." "I'm not sure what I'm tasting -- something is off." "There's an unpleasant aftertaste that I can't pinpoint." 190 calories, 17 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 150 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt

• #11: Trader Joe's Organic

  <em>Needs to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "Nasty, pale color and a runny texture. No peanut flavor at all." "Pale color, pale flavor." "Gummy, and needs way more salt." "Way too dry! And there's no peanut flavor." "It's got a weirdly pale color -- it's unappetizing. The flavor is a little thin." "Slimy and bland." 180 calories, 15 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 60 mg sodium <B>Ingredients:</b> Organic dry roasted peanuts, sea salt

• #12: MaraNatha

  <em>Needs to be stirred</em> <b>Comments:</b> "So sweet! And where are the peanuts? This tastes like either almonds or cashews." "What's in this? It tastes like vanilla." "That is not peanut butter." "There's an off-flavor." 180 calories, 16 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 65 mg sodium <b>Ingredients:</b> Dry roasted peanuts, organic palm oil, organic evaporated cane juice, sea salt

• WATCH: Facts About Peanut Butter

Comments

[Sandra Yang]

01:05 PM on 11/20/2012

You missed Laura Scudder's Unsalted! I took one taste and have never gone back! It has only 1 ingredient: peanuts. They only use the best peanuts to make it, so the taste is fantastic! There is oil separation but that's because it's natural. Just store it upside down and it will mix itself back together.

[Colleen Tyler Reed]

06:06 PM on 07/06/2012

Are any of these PBs without palm oil? Palm oil farming is the number one threat to wild orangutans due to the forest destruction and monoculture crop. We are trying to find a palm oil free pb! Please help! Thanks! From all of us who care for the wildlife palm oil is destroying. {:(|}

[steveg222]

09:41 PM on 06/02/2012

The best natural peanut butter I've ever had is Wegmans Natural peanut butter. It has a deep roasted flavor that can't be beat. It really stands up to toast and jelly

[Paul Holden]

09:12 AM on 03/05/2012

Koeze's several varieties of peanut butter are unquestionably the best in the world!!!

[Martha J Yurick]

07:51 AM on 03/05/2012

There is no better Peanut Butter then Jif. I was raised on it and 53 years later it is the only one I buy.

[robinbl2]

06:25 PM on 03/04/2012

I stick with regular Jiff. I just like the taste of it.

[Virginia Beringer]

01:08 PM on 03/04/2012

I like Krema natural peanut butter. Operating since 1898. Yes, Eighteen ninety-eight. It has one ingredient -- peanuts.

[Mycupcake]

06:34 PM on 03/03/2012

I am a peanut butteraholic, have been all my life. You missed Adams peanut butter, it is just peanuts and nothing else. Most of the others you surveyed had other stuff in them, that isn't natural. No wonder they didn't taste like peanuts. Adams is far and away the very best and I wouldn't give my family anything else. The crunch is just the best. Trust me, try it and you will be hoooked.

[gramrulesnow]

04:48 PM on 03/03/2012

For many, many, many years now, my favorite peanut has always been Publix Store Brand All Natural Peanut Butter. Made with peanuts and salt. It IS, most certainly, a big PITA to have to stir up the peanut butter, when you first open it, but the results and the taste sensation is totally worth the effort. When they were out of the store brand, I purchased Smuckers but always returned to Publix Brand. Next time they're 'out', I'll try the "365" brand you mentioned in place of the Smucker's (not so good anymore).

[InsuranceBroker]

04:25 PM on 03/03/2012

Shedd's has always been the best natural peanut butter.

[lensider]

04:15 PM on 03/03/2012

Old Len
I consider myself a peanut butter aficionado. Kroger brand, Creamy Peanut Butter and Honey,
beats all the rest hands down. Best price also!!!

[dvdslne]

04:07 PM on 03/03/2012

The article states, "The problem with real natural peanut butter is that there's no emulsifying agent in the recipe (read: partially hydrogenated oil) to bind the peanut butter into a velvety texture. The result is often a mixture that eventually separates, leaving a thick, sludge-like goo at the bottom of the jar, and an unappealing, runny oil at the top that needs to be stirred. It's messy, inconvenient and unappealing, in most cases." Uh, that's why you need to break out that little appliance known as a hand mixer. Duh, and leave it in the fridge. I was raised on Skippy and Peter Pan. Yuck, it just tastes like peanut flavored Crisco. MY peanut butter of choice is chunky Adams, THE absolute best. The only problem is it's hard to find it outside the Pacific Northwest but it is available online.

[williameb]

04:04 PM on 03/03/2012

You missed the best peanut butter in the USA. Its Laura Scudders. Its sold in Southern California but I don't know where else. Its peanuts and salt only. They use a top grade of peanuts. If they can't get top grade peanuts they don't make any. Peanut butter should be stored upside down in the refrigerator. That way its always at the top of the jar.

[Portann]

04:04 PM on 03/03/2012

So help me God, if I had to choose one food on earth and could have nothing else, it would be Peanut Butter. Crunchy. Lid off with a big spoon. Or on a banana peeling as I go. I love Jiff, crunchy; I know it's not natural, but it has a roasted peanut taste the others just don't have. I do love Smuckers natural though.

[Rubberfish]

04:01 PM on 03/03/2012

After reading this article I poured some shelled organic peanuts in the blender, added a pinch of seasalt, and whizzed it until it was creamy. I had to add a little oil because the peanuts stayed dry otherwise. I then let my kids taste the resulting butter, and they loved it, especially because it was warm, too. I might skip all those hydrogenated oils, molasses, sugar, honey, etc. and just make my own from now on. It's easy enough.