If you love peanut butter, you already know that some jars are magic while others just sit in your pantry. The difference between a great peanut butter and a mediocre one comes down to ingredients, texture, and flavor. But with so many brands competing for space on grocery shelves, finding the right one can feel like guessing.
We spent months testing dozens of peanut butter brands to find the ones that actually deliver. From natural options that require stirring to classic spreads that taste like childhood, we identified ten brands worth buying. Whether you eat it by the spoonful, spread it on apple slices, or bake it into cookies, these brands consistently impress.
Here’s what we found after all that tasting and comparing.
How We Selected the Best Peanut Butter Brands
Our team tasted, compared, and analyzed peanut butter brands from every corner of the market. We focused on what actually matters: how they taste, what’s inside them, and whether they’re worth the price.
We looked at:
- Ingredient quality: Checked for unnecessary additives, hydrogenated oils, and sugar overload
- Taste and texture: Tested each brand for flavor depth, smoothness, and how it feels in your mouth
- Nutritional profile: Compared protein levels, fat quality, and sodium content
- Price and value: Made sure each brand justifies what you pay for it
- Versatility: Saw how well they work in sandwiches, smoothies, and recipes
- Brand reputation: Read hundreds of customer reviews and tracked consistency over time
- Availability: Focused on brands you can actually find and buy easily
Every brand here earned its place through direct comparison. These are the ones that stood out after we eliminated everything else.
Best Peanut Butter Brands (Expert Review)
After all that testing, ten brands rose to the top. Each one does something exceptionally well, and together they cover every type of peanut butter lover out there.
1. Jif
Jif does one thing better than almost anyone: consistency. Open any jar of Jif, and you know exactly what you’re getting. That predictability matters when you’re making school lunches or need something that spreads easily without ripping your bread apart.
Their range covers everything from classic creamy to natural varieties that skip the hydrogenated oils. The texture stays smooth across all their products, which is harder to achieve than it sounds. You can find Jif anywhere, from corner stores to big-box retailers.
What really sets them apart is how they’ve evolved without losing what made them popular. Their natural line gives you cleaner ingredients while keeping that familiar Jif texture. For families who want reliability, Jif delivers every single time.
2. Skippy
Skippy has that nostalgic taste that brings you back to childhood lunches and after-school snacks. But beyond the memories, this brand genuinely excels at texture. It blends into recipes smoothly, which is why bakers reach for it when making peanut butter cookies.
The way they roast their peanuts makes a real difference in flavor. There’s a depth to Skippy that some sweeter brands lack. They offer all the standard varieties you’d expect, plus they’ve kept their prices reasonable while quality has stayed high.
You get a lot for your money with Skippy. The jars are easy to open, the peanut butter doesn’t separate much, and it tastes better than its price tag suggests. That combination of quality and affordability is hard to beat.
3. Teddie
Teddie keeps things simple: peanuts and salt. That’s it. This Massachusetts brand has stuck with its old-school approach while other companies added stabilizers and sweeteners. If you want peanut butter that tastes like actual peanuts, Teddie is where you start.
They make their peanut butter in small batches, which gives them better control over quality. The roasting process brings out serious nutty flavor. Yes, you’ll need to stir it because the oil separates naturally, but that’s actually proof you’re getting something real.
Teddie proves that sometimes the simplest approach wins. They haven’t changed their recipe to chase trends or make production easier. You taste the difference immediately, especially if you’ve been eating overly processed brands. The purity of flavor is remarkable.
4. Smucker’s Natural
Smucker’s Natural bridges two audiences: people who want cleaner ingredients and people who shop at regular grocery stores. Their natural line uses peanuts and salt, nothing else, but you can find it next to the conventional brands. That accessibility matters.
What’s impressive is how smooth they make it without adding stabilizers. The peanuts they source create good texture on their own. The jars clearly list what’s inside, and there are no surprises or fine-print ingredients you need a chemistry degree to understand.
This brand makes natural peanut butter approachable for everyone. You don’t need to visit a specialty store or pay premium prices. Smucker’s brings better ingredients to mainstream shoppers, and that democratization of quality shouldn’t be overlooked.
5. Crazy Richard’s
Crazy Richard’s sells peanut butter with one ingredient: peanuts. Somehow, despite that extreme simplicity, they achieve a creamy consistency that puts other natural brands to shame. Many all-natural options end up grainy or dry, but Crazy Richard’s figured out how to avoid that.
Their grinding process releases the natural oils without requiring any additions. They’re careful about which peanuts they buy and how they roast them. The packaging doesn’t make bold claims or use marketing tricks. It’s refreshingly straightforward.
This brand shows you don’t need a long ingredient list to make great peanut butter. Their approach is so clean it works for virtually any diet or eating plan. And despite being minimalist, it still tastes rich and satisfying.
6. Justin’s
Justin’s treats peanut butter like a craft product, using organic ingredients and developing actual flavor profiles. Their dry-roasted peanuts create deeper, more interesting taste than standard brands. This is peanut butter for people who care about food quality.
Everything is organic and responsibly sourced, meaning the peanuts were grown without synthetic pesticides. They’ve created interesting variations like honey peanut butter that work as ingredients, not just spreads. The squeeze packs are genuinely convenient for travel or quick snacks.
You’ll pay more for Justin’s, but you’re getting something noticeably different. The attention to sourcing and flavor development is obvious. If peanut butter is a regular part of your diet, the upgrade is worth the extra cost.
7. Peter Pan
Peter Pan keeps showing up in kitchen pantries because it works. The texture is incredibly smooth, almost whipped, which kids especially love. It’s affordable enough for families buying multiple jars and reliable enough that you know exactly what you’re getting.
They’ve expanded their line thoughtfully, adding protein-boosted versions and whipped varieties. The roasting brings out natural sweetness without loading up on sugar. Their jars are practical, with wide mouths that make scooping easier.
This brand gives you decades of recipe refinement at a price that doesn’t hurt. They’re available everywhere, which matters when you’re running low and need a quick grocery run. Sometimes the classics stick around because they still do the job well.
8. Once Again
Once Again cares about where their ingredients come from and who grows them. Their organic peanut butter tastes fantastic, but they’re equally focused on supporting sustainable farming and fair labor. You’re buying from a company with values beyond profit margins.
They use certified organic peanuts exclusively and offer several varieties. Their grinding preserves nutrients and natural oils that make peanuts nutritious. They’ll reject entire batches if the quality isn’t perfect, even when it costs them money.
Buying Once Again means supporting better practices across the food system. Their peanut butter tastes great, and you can feel good about where your money goes. That combination is increasingly important to many shoppers.
9. Adams
Adams has been making natural peanut butter since the early 1900s, back before “natural” was a marketing term. Their recipe hasn’t changed much: peanuts and salt, stirring required. There’s something reassuring about that continuity.
The oil separates because they don’t add stabilizers. The texture is slightly coarser, which appeals to people who want peanut butter that feels substantial. They’ve resisted the urge to modernize or reformulate even as competitors chased convenience.
Adams represents authenticity in an industry full of constant changes. Their peanut butter tastes similar to what people ate generations ago. That consistency across time is rare and valuable for those who appreciate tradition.
10. MaraNatha
MaraNatha makes organic nut butters that taste as smooth as conventional brands while keeping ingredients clean. Their peanut butter contains organic peanuts and salt, yet the texture rivals brands with added oils. That’s a real achievement.
They source from trusted organic farms and use a grinding method that creates excellent consistency. Both creamy and crunchy versions are available, plus no-stir options for convenience. The glass jars keep everything fresh and can be reused after you finish the peanut butter.
This brand makes organic feel normal rather than exclusive or expensive. The taste matches what you’d expect from any premium brand, but you’re getting certified organic quality. It’s accessible in price and available in regular stores, which removes barriers for families trying to eat better.
Final Thoughts
The right peanut butter depends entirely on what matters to you. Some people need pure ingredients and don’t mind stirring. Others want something that spreads easily right out of the fridge. These ten brands represent the best options across different priorities.
Match your choice to how you’ll actually use it. If you’re feeding kids, go for something consistently smooth and mild. If you care about organic certification or minimal processing, several brands here fit perfectly. All ten earned their spots by doing something exceptionally well, so you can choose confidently based on what you value most.