Peanut butter is a pantry essential. Packed with protein, fiber, and monounsaturated fats, this “nut” butter (peanuts are technically a legume, not a nut) is an inexpensive plant-based protein source that is incredibly versatile and nutritious.
“It can be a great addition to recipes, sandwiches, and fruit if someone is trying to add some protein, healthy fats, and vitamins to their diet,” says registered dietitian Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, of Nutrition Now Counseling.
To reap its benefits, healthy peanut butter should have just two ingredients: peanuts (duh) and sometimes a pinch of salt. But today’s manufacturers—even the “all-natural” brands advertising themselves as healthy—pack their PBs with additives you simply don’t need.
To help you avoid the less stellar jars and find the best peanut butter, we reached out to registered dietitians to find out which brands are worth buying. Here’s our definitive list of the healthiest peanut butters.
What are some benefits of peanut butter?
There are many benefits of peanut butter beyond it being the perfect spread for the easiest sandwich: PB&J.
“Peanut butter is a convenient and affordable source of healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, plant-based protein, fiber, and minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc,” says registered dietitian Elle Penner, MPH, RD, of Modern Minimalism.
“In addition to being satiating, peanut butter with no added sugar is a relatively low-carbohydrate food and does not have a significant impact on blood sugar. Studies show that people who regularly include nuts, including peanut butter, in their diets are less likely to develop heart disease or type 2 diabetes than those who rarely eat nuts.”
“Peanut butter also provides some unique nutrients, like selenium and choline, and is a great source of biotin: the vitamin famous for supporting gorgeous hair and healthy nails,” adds Manaker.
The specific types of fat in peanut butter can support your health beyond just helping you stay full: “Peanut butter is a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. These fatty acids play multiple critical roles in the body, including cellular growth, cellular maintenance (specifically of skin and hair), immune response, and reproduction,” says Rachel Fine MS, RD, CSSD, CDN, a registered dietitian, and owner of To The Pointe Nutrition.
How to choose the best peanut butter
When you’re shopping for peanut butter, there are a few things you should look out for when you check out the label.
Nutritionists shared the following nutritional criteria they look for when selecting healthy peanut butter brands:
- Short ingredient list: “As a dietitian, I choose peanut butters that contain the fewest ingredients possible. If I can select a peanut butter that contains only peanuts and a touch of salt, that is the best choice in my book,” says Manaker.
- Zero or low levels of added oils: “Oils, especially fully- or partially-hydrogenated oils, should not be in your PB. These are often added to extend shelf-life and prevent separation but can have negative impacts on blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and increase the risk of heart disease,” says Penner.
- Zero or low added sugar: Peanut butter naturally contains sugar, so you’ll often see 1-2 grams of sugar on labels even if it isn’t listed in the ingredients. It’s the added sugar you want to look out for. “Avoid added sugars like molasses, maltodextrin, corn syrup, etc. as these add empty calories,” says Penner. While it’s best to minimize your added sugar intake, a little bit in your PB is okay, according to Mikka Knapp, RDN, CLT, registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Bright BodyNutrition: “Many brands include added sugar for sweetness. It’s not a deal-breaker for me, but I do look for the lowest added sugar brand. I keep it under 2 grams of added sugar per serving. We get more than enough sugar from jelly.”
- No emulsifiers: “Emulsifiers are often added to prevent separation and give nut butters body and texture. Some research suggests emulsifiers may cause low-grade inflammation in the gut and have a negative impact on the microbiome,” says Penner.
- Skip the low-fat or reduced-fat versions: “Some lower-fat versions of peanut butter contain higher sugar amounts to make up for the missing flavor when fat is removed. Too much sugar is not the best choice either, and the fat found in peanut butter is a healthy addition to one’s diet. I do not choose reduced-fat peanut butter,” says Manaker.
FIRST…THE WORST
A really good peanut butter should have just two ingredients: peanuts (duh) and sometimes a pinch of salt. But today’s manufacturers—even the “all-natural” brands advertising themselves as healthy—pack their PBs with additives you simply don’t need. “Peanut butters are most often processed with hydrogenated oils and sugar, so make sure you check the label carefully,” cautions Stephanie Middleberg, MS, RD, CDN of Middleberg Nutrition. Here’s a look inside each jar.
Peanut Butter & Co. Smooth Operator + Crunch Time
Ingredients: Peanuts, Cane Sugar, Palm Fruit Oil, Salt
Peanuts are naturally filled with oils—and studies have found that the monounsaturated fats found in foods like nuts and olive oil are protective of brain health and function. So why does Peanut Butter & Co. add palm fruit oil to their crunchy and smooth blends? It helps with oil separation, stabilizing the mix. A better Q is, why do they add cane sugar? Still, this is by far the best of the worst—read on. And blast even more fat with these 50 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds—Fast!
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Earth Balance Peanut Butter With Flax Seed, Crunchy
Ingredients: Peanuts, Flaxseed, Peanut Oil, Agave Syrup, Palm Fruit Oil, Salt
Earth Balance, one of the first brands to bring “healthy” PBs into the mainstream, gets much love for including all-natural sugars, and fiber-filling flaxseed. But we can’t fully recommend a brand that includes added sugar at all. That’s jelly’s job!
Earth Balance Peanut Butter With Flax Seed, Creamy
Ingredients: Peanuts, Flaxseed, Peanut Oil, Agave Syrup, Palm Fruit Oil, Salt
Like the crunchy variety, but with a bit more saturated fat.
Simply Jif Creamy
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Contains 2% or less of: Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (soybean and rapeseed), Mono and Diglycerides, Molasses, Sugar, Salt
Choosy moms, please don’t choose Jif! Advertised as a healthier option compared to regular Jif, this has the same unhealthy ingredients, just rearranged. While we commend them for owning up to adding sugars to their PB, we still can’t endorse it. At least it has less sodium, which keeps it toward the bottom of this list.
Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts and Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of: Molasses, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (soybean and rapeseed), Mono and Diglycerides, Salt.
One of the best-selling peanut butters in America is made with fully hydrogenated vegetable oils—extremely hard, wax-like fats made by forcing as much hydrogen as possible onto the carbon backbone of fat molecules. To obtain a manageable consistency, food manufacturers often blend the hard fat with unhydrogenated liquid fats. Remember that next time you’re making Junior’s sandwich or want some high protein snacks.
Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts and Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of: Molasses, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (soybean and rapeseed), Mono and Diglycerides, Salt.
All the oily grossness of crunchy Jif, but with 25% more salt per serving.
Skippy Regular Peanut Butter, Creamy
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed oil) To Prevent Separation, Salt.
The battle between Skippy and Jif isn’t a war at all—they’re both made with the same sugars and oils, including saturated-fat-filled hydrogenated oils. A study published in the journal Diabetes found that while unsaturated fat can help reduce abdominal fat, saturated fat can increase waist size. Saturated fats, like the kind you’ll find in baked goods and red meat, “turn on” certain genes that increase the storage of fat in the belly, researchers say. Not all fats are bad—find out the 20 Best Full-Fat Foods for Weight Loss!
Jif Creamy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Peanuts, Corn Syrup Solids, Sugar, Pea Protein, Contains 2% or less of: Salt, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (soybean and rapeseed), Mono and Diglycerides, Molasses, Magnesium Oxide, Niacinamide, Ferric Orthophosphate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
Two words you never want to see on your food: “Reduced Fat.” When manufacturers take something out, they put something back in. In this case, that’s two kinds of sugar, a ton of Frankenstein additives, including corn syrup, the liquid sweetener and food thickener made by allowing enzymes to break corn starches into smaller sugars. It provides no nutritional value other than calories.
Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter Reduced Fat
Ingredients: Peanuts, Maltodextrin, Reduced Fat Ground Peanuts, Salt.
Be afraid of any peanut butter whose first ingredient is not peanuts. So what’s maltodextrin? It’s a caloric sweetener and flavor enhancer made from rice, potatoes, or more commonly, cornstarch. Through treatment with enzymes and acids, it can be converted into a fiber and thickening agent. Like other sugars, it has the potential to raise blood glucose and insulin levels.
Skippy Natural Peanut Butter, Creamy
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Palm Oil, Salt
Don’t be fooled by the “Natural” label—it just means the sugar inside is real sugar. That doesn’t make it any less unnecessary.
Peter Pan Crunchy
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Less than 2% of: Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (cottonseed and rapeseed), Salt, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil
It’s unfortunate that the cheaper brands of peanut butter are always the worst nutritionally. That’s the case here, as one serving of this #2 brand has nearly double the sodium of the Simply Jif Creamy PB.
And the #1 Worst Peanut Butter Is… Peter Pan Creamy Original
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Less than 2% of: Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (cottonseed and rapeseed), Salt
Hydrogenated oils, sugar, and salt compete for space in what should be a jar of simply nuts, blended. One serving has more fat than a small order of McDonald’s French Fries. If Peter Pan ate this, he’d be too fat to fly.
NEXT: SWEETENED PEANUT BUTTERS
Oh, how far we’ve come since Goober Grape. Peanut butter companies are now adding toffee, dark chocolate, and other sweets to their blends. Find out where your favorite rates here—we’ve ranked them from worst to best! And now that you know what to eat, keep the fat burn going with these essential 55 Best-Ever Ways to Boost Your Metabolism!
Goober Grape PB&J
Ingredients: Ground Roasted Peanuts, Grape Juice, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Vegetable Monoglycerides (from Palm Oil), Pectin, Salt, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate
Nostalgia is often the gateway drug to bad choices; don’t inflict them on your kids. And don’t be fooled by the cute, talking cartoon peanut on the label: One serving of Goober Grape has as much sugar as half a can of Coke.
Peanut Butter & Co White Chocolate Wonderful
Ingredients: Peanuts, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Vanilla, Palm Fruit Oil, Lecithin (from sunflowers), Salt
For a dessert spread, this is one of the healthiest, but don’t think it’s a substitute for peanut butter. Unless you’re skipping the jam.
Smucker’s Natural Creamy Peanut Butter with Honey, Creamy
Ingredients: Peanuts, Sugar, Honey, Honey Crystals, Salt
Our #1 peanut butter on the market—Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter—gets “a touch of honey” here, but also an unhealthy overdose of sugar and honey crystals. At least it’s made with no hydrogenated oils.
Wild Friends Sugar Cookie Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Coconut, Evaporated Cane Sugar, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Sea Salt
The clever cooks at Wild Friends made sugar cookies sound healthy, blending coconut into peanut spread. If it weren’t so fatty, we’d eat more.
Jif Natural Creamy Peanut Butter With Honey
Ingredients: Peanut Butter Spread (peanuts, sugar, palm oil, contains 2% or less of: salt, molasses), Honey
Oh, Jif: If you have honey, why add sugar? Four of the 6 grams to be exact.
Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams
Ingredients: Peanuts, Cane Sugar, Cocoa, Cocoa Butter, Palm Fruit Oil, Vanilla, Lecithin (From Sunflowers), Salt
“Better than Nutella.” That’s the best we can say for this bestseller. It has no hydrogenated oil, no HFCS and a nice touch of protein. If it had slightly less sugar, we’d name this one of our faves.
Justin’s Organic Peanut Butter With Honey
Ingredients: Dry Roasted Peanuts, Organic Honey Powder (organic evaporated cane sugar, organic honey), Palm Oil, Sea Salt
Justin’s has made an art out of healthful sweets—their peanut butter cups rated high on our list of the 52 Top Candies—Ranked. This Organic Peanut Butter With Honey rates high, also, with a decent sugar count.
Wild Friends Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Evaporated Cane Sugar, Pumpkin Spice Blend, Organic Vanilla, Peanut Oil, Sea Salt.
We’re into the PS trend if it means more PBs like this.
Wild Friends Gingerbread Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Peanut Oil, Organic Cane Sugar, Molasses, Organic Vanilla, Ginger, Allspice, Sea salt.
This pick is great for the holidays or any other time you’re feeling festive—and it’s probably got less sugar than any cookie you’ll find at a Christmas party.
Nuts ‘N More Chocolate Peanut
Ingredients: Peanuts, Whey Protein Isolate, Flax Meal, Cocoa, Natural Sweetener (xylitol), Peanut Oil, Natural Extract
We like the flax for added Omega 3’s but we’re staying for the chocolate.
Nuts ‘n More Toffee Crunch
Ingredients: Peanuts, Whey Protein Isolate, Organic Flax, Natural Sweetener (Xylitol), Natural Extract, Sunflower Lecithin
Satisfy your desire for Ben & Jerry’s Heath Bar Crunch for only one gram of sugar.
BuffBake Chocolate Chip Protein Peanut Spread
Ingredients: Dry Roasted Peanuts, Hormone-free Whey Protein, Chocolate Chips, Organic Coconut Sugar, Unsweetened Cocoa, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
With less fat and sugar—and way more protein—than any Skippy or Jif, this is one cookie-like spread we’d spread on our Ezekiel bread every day.
NOW: THE BEST
One thing to note before you head to the grocery store: You shouldn’t be afraid of the oil on top of your peanut butter—that’s the natural separation that occurs when brands don’t add any emulsifiers or extra oils to make peanut butter spreadable. “You can always mix the oils in when you get home and keep your peanut butter in the refrigerator to prevent natural separation,” recommends Shira Sussi, MS, RD, CDN of Shira Sussi Nutrition, and a registered dietitian at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
JIF Natural
Ingredients: Peanuts, Sugar, Palm Oil, Salt, Molasses.
While the Jif brand doesn’t meet the requirements for the best peanut butter, that doesn’t mean you need to avoid it entirely if it’s the only option available in your supermarket. Instead, just make a smart swap. “For clients who are loyal to the classic Jif brand, I recommend they switch from the original to the natural variety. The taste is identical and you avoid harmful trans fats from hydrogenated oils. The added sugars stay within my 2 grams per serving recommendation. Plus, you can’t beat the price at $2.28 a jar,” says Knapp. If you want to cut back on sugar even more, Jif now makes a No Added Sugar Creamy Peanut Butter spread!
Earth Balance Creamy Peanut + Flaxseed Spread
Ingredients: Peanuts, Sugar, Flaxseed, Palm Oil, Salt
Yes, this peanut butter has sugar, but that’s not a deal-breaker for Sandra Gultry, RDN, LDN, CPT a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified personal trainer, and founder of It’s All About Choices. “This is a natural peanut butter with the added bonus of flaxseeds that comes in at less than 1 gram of added sugar. This label is still great!”
Fix & Fogg Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Hi-oleic peanuts, sea salt
We Tasted The”World’s Best-Tasting Peanut Butter”, Fix & Fogg, and it also happens to be among the healthiest.
Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter Powder
Ingredients: Peanuts
The new wave of powdered peanut butters smashes out the fat calories, making them a favorite of dieters, leaving a dry powder that you reconstitute with water. If you’re looking for the purest peanut powder (most brands have sugar), look no further than Crazy Richard’s, a favorite of Sussi’s. (Related: Can Peanut Butter Really Help You Lose Weight?)
Noomi Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Organic dry roasted peanuts, Organic Deglet Noor dates, Grapeseed oil, Peanut oil, Atlantic sea salt
Yes, there is such thing as a healthy sweetened peanut butter. “I am loving Noomi peanut butter,” says Manaker. “It 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!”
Santa Cruz Organic Creamy Peanut Butter, Dark Roasted
Ingredients: Organic Roasted Peanuts, Salt
For a heartier, richer, roasty flavor with your peanut butter, opt for a jar from Santa Cruz, which is made from dark roasted Spanish peanuts.
NuttZo Peanut Pro Smooth
Ingredients: Peanuts, Cashews, Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Flax Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Hazelnuts, Celtic sea salt
Increasing the diversity in your diet will help to provide your body with more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it needs to function at its best. One of the easiest ways to do that is by opting for this nut butter from NuttZo, which includes a blend of seven nuts and seeds, including selenium-rich Brazil nuts and fiber-rich flaxseeds.
Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Dry roasted peanuts, Palm oil
Justin Gold took his PB from farmers’ markets to bodegas everywhere, and it’s caught on for good reason: It’s creamy and addictive, but with a super-low sodium count.
Thrive Market Organic Peanut Butter, Creamy
Ingredients: Organic Peanuts
Few ingredient lists are as simple as Thrive Market’s peanut butter. What makes this option really stand out is the fact that it only has one ingredient (peanuts), it’s organic, and it comes in at an affordable $3.49. You can thank the low cost to Thrive Market’s mission to bring healthier foods to more homes at more affordable prices. All you have to do is sign up for a yearly membership to unlock their discounted prices. An added bonus: this PB comes in a handy squeezable pouch—no need to dirty up a knife!
Teddie Smooth All Natural Smooth Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Dry roasted peanuts, Salt
Penner lists Teddie among her lists of favorite peanut butters, alongside Costco’s store brand Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter.
Wild Friends Classic Creamy Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sea Salt.
Fine recommends Wild Friends because of its simple ingredient list and solid fiber and protein count.
Once Again Organic Creamy No Salt Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Organic Peanuts
Don’t be mislead by the two grams of sugar in this jar — any sugar in Once Again’s peanut butter is natural, nothing added, hence why it’s one of Sussi’s favorites. In fact, there’s literally nothing added to this jar. Not even salt. So 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. If you do like salt, One Again also makes a salted version and a lightly sweetened version.
MaraNatha Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts, Sea Salt
Although we like this brand because of its low sodium count, we like it more because it has the smoothest texture (thanks to a unique double-grind process) without needing any added oils.
Crazy Richard’s Creamy Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Peanuts
According to Crazy Richard’s, they sneak in 540 peanuts into each jar of peanut butter—and nothing else! “My favorite peanut butter brand only has one ingredient: peanuts,” says registered dietitian Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club and owner of www.NutritionStarringYOU.com. “Crazy Richard’s peanut butter has no added oil, salt or sugar for those looking for the purest product. You can always add a touch of salt if you wish but for people limiting sodium and sugar due to medical conditions or dietary preferences, Crazy Richard’s is a fabulous choice. “
Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter Creamy
Ingredients: Peanuts, salt
Smucker’s Natural Peanut butter came up the most when we asked dietitians for the best peanut butter, including Fine and Gregg, particularly because it’s economical and it meets the dietitians’ requirements of being made of just two ingredients: peanuts and salt. This is the best mainstream brand of peanut butter on the market. Spread some on your morning toast, and don’t miss these best breakfast foods for weight loss!
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