Sweet-salty, nutty, creamy and/or crunchy, our Top Picks in the Big Peanut Butter Review display a balance of these facets, and more. Why do you need to know which is the BEST Peanut Butter for you? Because there are so many brands and variants available now, that it was time we did this review! We picked over 15 jars of creamy, crunchy and 100% natural Peanut Butters; after tasting, testing and sandwich-making a category that is full of popular, local and new brands we can share with you our top recommendations.
Also Read: Peanut Butter For Weight Loss
Table of Contents
Mishry Top Pick: Best Peanut Butter (Creamy)
We tasted Peanut Butters from 6 brands that do the creamy version. Some tasted strangely industrial, some were ‘natural’ but not quite, and some just didn’t bring in a balance of taste and texture. We zeroed in on Dr. Oetkar FunFoods Peanut Butter as the Best Creamy Peanut Butter amongst the brands we reviewed. Honestly, we were pleasantly surprised how Funfoods Peanut Butter Creamy holds its own against popular American brands like Skippy and American Garden. The peanut butter by Funfoods is creamy and has a silky smooth consistency. It tastes of freshly roasted peanuts with a balance of salty and sweet and is easy to spread on untoasted bread as well. It was the best ‘creamy’ peanut butter amongst the brands we reviewed.
Funfoods Peanut Butter Creamy
Dr. Oetker Fun Foods Peanut Butter Creamy, 925g
The peanut butter by Funfoods is creamy and has a silky smooth consistency. It tastes of freshly roasted peanuts and is the Best ‘Creamy’ Peanut Butter amongst the brands we reviewed.
Size: 925 gm, Price: Rs. 275*
*At the time of review
Mishry Top Pick: Best Peanut Butter (Crunchy)
There were several brands we tasted for maximum crunch and flavor. Amongst them all, Skippy Peanut Butter – Extra Crunchy came out tops. It is not only the crunchiest peanut butter we reviewed, but the non-crunchy part is also silky smooth, giving it an overall great texture. Crunchy peanut butter, as we know, is thicker than its creamy counterpart, but often it can be so thick that it is difficult to spread on a slice of bread/toast. Skippy Peanut Butter Extra Crunch has no such issues. Its delicious creamy-crunchy taste and texture stood out the most.
Skippy Peanut Butter Extra Crunch
Skippy Peanut Butter Extra Crunchy Super Chunk, 462g
It is not only the crunchiest peanut butter we reviewed, but the non-crunchy part is also silky smooth, giving it an overall great texture and flavor.
Size: 462 gm, Price: Rs. 440*
*At the time of review
Mishry Top Pick: Best Peanut Butter Healthy
More and more people now want 100% natural peanut butter variants, and obviously, these are healthier options. Not just from a quality standpoint, in the absence of added vegetable oils like Palm Oil (read why palm oil is added in the sections below), you get fewer ’empty’ calories. Commercial Peanut Butters will also sometimes be loaded with sodium and sugar too, both of which can be bad in excess. Happy Jars 100% Natural Jaggery Creamy Peanut Butter – our Top Pick for the Healthiest Peanut Butter is not only tasty and creamy, but it also has no added sugar, no oil and no preservatives. It uses jaggery for mild sweetness and the nutty flavors of jaggery and peanuts are very well balanced. We liked the grainy texture as well. Happy Jars does a wide range of peanut butter types, this one stood out the most for us.
Happy Jars 100% Natural Peanut Butter (Jaggery Creamy)
Happy Jars 100% Natural Jaggery Creamy Peanut Butter 290g
Our Top Pick for the Healthiest Peanut Butter is not only tasty and creamy, but it also has no added sugar, no oil and no preservatives. It uses jaggery for mild sweetness and the nutty flavors of jaggery and peanuts are very well balanced.
Size: 290 gm, Price: Rs. 250*
*At the time of review
The Brands We Picked
Firstly, none of the brands we picked contained any trans fats – even if they didn’t come under the ‘healthy’ category. Trans fats are extremely harmful and show up when partially hydrogenated oils are used. All commercial brands we picked used Palm Oil (which is not a source of trans fats), but you may still choose to skip that for health reasons. Our list is extensive and includes both commercial, as well as more boutique brands that are nationally available.
Peanut Butter (Crunchy)
Funfoods Crunchy Peanut Butter (Buy on Amazon)
Veeba Crunchy Peanut Butter (Buy on Amazon)
Skippy Super Chunky Peanut Butter (Buy on Amazon)
American Garden Chunky Peanut Butter (Buy on Amazon)
Pintola Classic Peanut Butter (Buy on Amazon)
Peanut Butter (Creamy)
Funfoods Creamy Peanut Butter (Buy on Amazon)
Veeba Creamy Peanut Butter (Buy on Amazon)
Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (Buy on Amazon)
American Garden Creamy Peanut Butter (Buy on Amazon)
Peanut Butter (Healthy)
Happy Jars Peanut Butter (creamy) (Buy on Amazon)
Happy Jars Peanut Butter (crunchy) (Buy on Amazon)
Just Amazin Peanut Butter (creamy) (Buy on Amazon)
The Butternut Co Unsweetened Peanut Butter (creamy) (Buy on Amazon)
How We Picked Our Brands
We picked a wide range of brands that do either creamy or crunchy or both types of peanut butter. We picked only those that DO NOT use hydrogenated oils and contain no trans fats.
Other than that, we picked brands that are widely available. A lot of really small, boutique brands also do small batches of nut-butters that are good. But since they don’t retail at stores, or on nationally available portals, we chose not to include them. There are two reasons for that. 1. We wanted to review products that are built for larger consumption, and not just restricted to neighborhoods within single cities. 2. When you create a product for larger consumption a lot goes into how the recipe, labeling, and packaging is designed. All these are a measure of how well the product will travel. Now with most things available on your mobile phone, there is a larger scope for brands to create good quality products at higher quantities.
Furthermore, we also picked up some brands that have unsweetened or more healthy options of peanut butter with no oil and no added preservatives or added sugar.
We picked a wide range of brands that do either creamy or crunchy or both types of peanut butter. We picked only those that DO NOT use hydrogenated oils and contain no trans fats.
Team Mishry
Who Is It For?
Peanut butter can be used for many purposes. It is often consumed for its sweet roasted flavor, which makes it a great spread for your morning toast. However, its nutritional content also makes it a good source of protein and fiber, due to which it is often cited as a great pre or post-workout meal.
What We Were Looking For:
Peanut Butters come in multiple variants – creamy, crunchy and now even healthy and all-natural. There are even ‘flavors’ like dark chocolate available by some new brands.
But some basics remain the same – Traditional Peanut Butters were made using a combination of peanuts and oil, and sugar for sweetness. Earlier, partially hydrogenated oils were used to make peanut butter, but once the movement away from hydrogenated oils began (as hydrogenated oils were found to increase cholesterol levels more than even saturated fats do) palm oil began to be used in making peanut butter commercially.
What Is Palm Oil & What Does It Do?
Palm oil is edible vegetable oil obtained from either the palm fruit or palm kernel seed. Oil made from the palm fruit is marginally better than that made from the seeds. Having said that, this distinction is hardly ever seen on nutrition labels. In both cases, palm oil contributes to saturated fats.
Why Is Palm Oil Used?
Because it is amongst the cheapest sources of vegetable oil, that does not contribute trans fats. Its primary role is to avoid the separation of oil and stabilize the butter. Some amount of oil separation in natural peanut butter is to be expected. Adding palm oil helps thicken the butter, and also gives them an extended shelf life, sometimes of over a year.
How We Tested (Our Tasting Process)
Since everyone is aware of the different variants in the texture of peanut butter, namely creamy and chunky, and make their purchases accordingly, we decided to review them based on this parameter. Due to this distinction, we have a top pick in both of these categories, thus skipping the whole debate about which texture results in a better product.
Apart from the two categories, we added another field that included peanut butter that is natural, and a healthier alternative. This even includes products that are unsweetened and have 100% peanut concentration. The only reason we placed them in a separate category altogether is because of their price, taste, and texture, which are completely different from the commercially available ones that are sweetened.
Let’s take a look at some of the parameters that helped us in finding our top picks:
Consistency: Consistency plays a key role in the texture and taste of peanut butter. Whether it is creamy or chunky, with the right consistency, it can enhance your eating experience.
Aroma: The light roasted scent of each spoonful is a signature quality associated with every peanut butter. However, it must be made clear that each brand has a different aroma to it. Thus, it becomes a differentiating factor when you try to find a better product that’ll go with your morning toast.
Taste: This is the parameter that acts as the ultimate equalizer for any taste test. Apart from the other two parameters, which themselves contribute to the overall taste of the product, a perfectly sweet-salty balance of taste, along with a naturally nutty flavor is what makes peanut butter something you keep coming back to.
We made soft-bread sandwiches, and also tried every single brand by tasting them on hot toasts. Tasting them in different ways, over multiple sessions was crucial in deciding our Top Picks.
Mishry Top Picks
Best Peanut Butter (Creamy): Funfoods Peanut Butter
Best Peanut Butter (Crunchy): Skippy Peanut Butter Extra Crunch
Best Peanut Butter (Healthy) Happy Jars (Jaggery Creamy)
* If you do agree with our review, please give it a thumbs up! And, tell us which one is your favorite from this list. If you don’t, please tell us why!
* Food & Beverage is a constantly evolving segment with new products launched daily. Our endeavor here is to help shoppers buy better. If there’s a product you would like us to review tell us by clicking here.* Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.
* No part of this review is sponsored by any brand. All expenses were borne by us.
