Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is a spread made from ground roasted peanuts, a staple of American sandwiches and baking that also forms a core flavor base in many Southeast Asian and West African savory dishes.
How to buy
Choose natural peanut butter, which separates and needs stirring, or stabilized no-stir commercial versions, which are smoother but often sweeter. Creamy or crunchy is a matter of preference; check added sugar and salt levels if that matters to you.
How to store
Shelf-stable unopened for up to a year in the pantry. Once opened, natural peanut butter keeps best refrigerated, while stabilized no-stir versions are fine at room temperature for a few months.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- A rich, nutty, roasted flavor with natural sweetness. Commercial versions tend to be sweeter and more uniform, while natural versions taste more intensely of peanut.
- Texture
- Thick and spreadable, ranging from smooth to chunky; melts and loosens when heated, making it easy to blend into sauces.
- Aroma
- A warm, roasted, nutty aroma.
How to prepare
- Spread on bread — The simplest use, spread directly on bread or crackers.
- Melted into sauce — Warmed and loosened with liquid to make a smooth satay-style sauce.
- Whisked into dressing — Blended with vinegar, soy, and chile for a savory peanut dressing or marinade.
- Baked into cookies — Mixed into dough for a rich, dense peanut flavor and tender crumb.
Classic dishes
American
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich — The classic American lunch sandwich pairing peanut butter with fruit preserves.
- Peanut butter cookies — A dense, chewy cookie built directly on peanut butter for flavor and texture.
- Buckeyes — Peanut butter candy balls dipped in chocolate, a classic holiday treat.
- Peanut butter blossoms — Peanut butter cookies topped with a chocolate kiss candy.
- Peanut butter cups — A classic candy pairing peanut butter with chocolate in a molded shell.
- Ants on a log — Celery sticks filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins, a classic snack.
- Peanut butter fudge — A dense, sweet candy built on peanut butter, sugar, and butter.
- Elvis sandwich — A grilled sandwich of peanut butter, banana, and sometimes bacon or honey.
- Peanut butter pie — A creamy, no-bake pie built on a sweetened peanut butter filling.
Mexican
- Mole with peanut — A regional mole variant where ground peanuts add richness alongside chiles and spice.
Chinese
- Dan dan noodles — A spicy Sichuan noodle dish whose sauce often leans on peanut or sesame paste.
Thai
- Satay peanut sauce — A rich, spiced dipping sauce for grilled skewers built on peanut butter or ground peanuts.
- Pad Thai — A stir-fried noodle dish often finished with crushed peanuts or a peanut-based sauce.
- Thai peanut noodle salad — Cold noodles tossed in a bold peanut, lime, and chile dressing.
Vietnamese
- Vietnamese spring roll peanut sauce — A dipping sauce for fresh spring rolls built on peanut butter, lime, and chile.
Ethiopian
- Groundnut stew — A rich, spiced stew thickened and flavored with ground peanuts or peanut butter.