If You're Buying Peanut Butter At Trader Joe's, Here's Your Best Option

From sunflower seed spreads to cocoa almond, and raw, creamy almond butter to non-stir and crunchy, shopping for nut-based spreads is hardly one size fits all — especially at a place like Trader Joe's. But, if you're a classic peanut butter type of person, then your choice will be fairly simple. Our taste testers tried 15 different types of nut butters off of the TJ's shelf, including creamy to crunchy, salted and unsalted, and almond to sunflower, only to find that the best of the best was America's tried and true: a classic, smooth, and salted peanut butter spread Trader Joe's so fittingly labels as its "Creamy Peanut Butter Salted."

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While the choice between crunchy and creamy is completely up to personal preference (the crunchy version of this peanut butter was actually ranked second by our taste tester for this very reason), it seems that, even with all of the new nut-butters on the block (or, in this case, the aisle), the original still reigns supreme. Trader Joe's Creamy Peanut Butter Salted tastes just as described, with an authentic, salty peanut flavor and smooth consistency. While it does require some stirring, customers appreciate that this peanut butter isn't hydrogenated — containing un-blanched peanuts, salt, and nothing else.

For just $2.49, the Creamy Peanut Butter Salted jars from Trader Joe's deliver a spread of gorgeous, golden color and consistency that's equally worthy of a side on your PB&J sandwich as it is scooped straight from your spoon to your mouth.

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Peanut butter is so much more than just a sandwich spread

Obviously, a PB&J wouldn't be what it is without its associated PB or peanut butter spread. While there are other iterations of a peanut butter sandwich that are equally as delicious — including the particularly umami combination of miso and peanut butter, any of which Trader Joe's Creamy Peanut Butter Salted would work seamlessly in — the reason the smooth beat out the crunchy in our taste tester's scenario is because of the sheer number of other ways its can be used. Yes, it's delicious spooned over your morning yogurt bowls, spread on top of toast, and blended into your fruit smoothies or protein shakes, but there are more than 20 different, and more creative, ways to cook (or bake) with peanut butter.

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From homemade, peanut butter balls to zesty, Asian-inspired peanut butter dressings and dips, smooth peanut butter nearly always beats crunchy — even if it is a bit of a draw when it comes to your sandwiches. While the texture of crunchy peanut butter lends well between two soft pieces of bread, certain things depend on the polished, thick, and creamy texture a smooth peanut butter provides. For example, a crunchy peanut butter might not work as well when it comes to thickening your soups. It also probably wouldn't work so seamlessly as an egg substitute when you're in a baking pinch, or with eggs (as is done in Molly Allen's classic peanut butter cookies recipe) when you're not.

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