3 Nut Butters At Costco To Buy, And 2 To Skip

Costco's vast selection means you might find new products each time you brave the crowds. I've tried a couple of the nut butters the warehouse sells, but thought it was time to taste the whole lot — well, all five of the ones at my local store, that is. I tasted them with a slice of toasted bread and by themselves to see which ones are worth purchasing and which to simply leave on the shelf. Each nut butter is a bit different, so look at the packaging to see if it needs to be refrigerated after opening. 

Admittedly, none of these are too unpleasant, but I made my picks based on the overall depth of flavor, the texture, and then my personal preference. The skips aren't bad (and they may very well be your favorites), but they didn't meet the criteria I was looking for and had at least one flaw. I'll also include some insights from Costco reviews to see what others are saying to help better inform your next purchase. You butter be ready to learn about Costco's entire nutty lineup!

This peanut butter is a beloved staple among Costco customers. In fact, many report that it was out of stock at their warehouse for months, and they were very happy to see it returned. This is an excellent nut butter with plenty of deep peanut flavor. The Kirkland item comes in a two-pack of 28-ounce jars, making it an ideal purchase for those looking for organic PB made with just dry-roasted peanuts and salt. 

That said, it needs a jolt of salt. I've made my own peanut butter with Kirkland's extra-large peanuts and think Costco's PB could benefit from just a bit more salt to round out the richness and offer more dimension. For example, 30 grams of the Kirkland nuts have around 120 milligrams of sodium compared to 65 milligrams in 32 grams of Kirkland peanut butter. I didn't add anything to my homemade PB and merely blended up the nuts as they came. That's to say, the salt brings much-needed oomph, but it still makes an incredible peanut butter on its own. Others have mentioned, though, that it's flavorless and dry, or that the peanut taste isn't very strong. 

The texture, once refrigerated, is thick, but it tends to ooze after reaching room temperature. Therefore, it's great for toast that you plan to eat quickly or plopped onto oatmeal, but it may be messy if you make a PBJ to pack for lunch to eat later. I think it's still a wonderful peanut butter, and it was my favorite out of all the ones I tried in this taste test.

Skippy's creamy variety comes in two 48-ounce containers and beautifully glides onto toast, but the texture is more like a spread than a peanut butter. It's thick and retains its structure so much that you can count on the fact that it won't budge. Even so, it's still buttery enough to spread on toast without ripping it. I can appreciate the texture and versatility, but it doesn't seem authentically peanut buttery to me. Not only that, but the flavor is subpar and not as peanutty compared to others on this list. 

The ingredients include roasted peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil, and salt. Each 32-gram serving includes 3 grams of sugar, which isn't a lot, but it alters the taste of the peanut butter. It has an initial peanut taste, but then it transforms into a mildly sweet creation that lingers on the tongue. It's not sugary like candy, but it's sweeter than I'm used to when it comes to peanut butter. Costco reviewers also mention disliking the sweetness, but plenty of people seem to like the spreadability and flavor. Ultimately, this Skippy product is a skip for me, but it's not without its loyal fans.

The Kirkland Signature Creamy Almond Butter has such a rich, compelling flavor. For some background, I'm not super fond of almonds themselves. It's not that I dislike them, but if there were a bowl of nuts in front of me, I'd pick through multiple other nut types before eating the almond. I eat them, but I'm not gleeful about it, if that makes sense. That's to say, it's a surprise that I became so fond of this nut butter. It tastes incredible, like it's swirling with depth. This is made only with roasted almonds and doesn't have any sodium whatsoever, and yet it remains intensely flavorful and deeply nutty and earthy.  

After refrigeration, this has a thick but still workable consistency, which means it's still easy to spread on bread. Again, expect it to become runny once it hits room temp, resulting in something that multiple reviewers call "almond syrup." This is normal with natural nut butters that don't have hydrogenated oils. While you can thicken them up by thoroughly mixing the separated layer of oil into the butter, it'll never reach the thick, spread-like consistency of Skippy. 

The almonds also retain a small amount of extremely fine grittiness from the skins that makes them different than the Kirkland peanut butter, the latter of which almost seems like they were filtered with cheesecloth. The grit isn't noticeable by merely eating it on toast; I only noticed after letting it linger on my tongue to better taste it. Still, there are many uses for almond butter, and this Kirkland one's flavor is intense enough to enhance any food or drink.

The Skippy Super Chunk peanut butter has the same ingredients and a similar flavor profile to the brand's creamy variety. It's a blend of nutty and lightly sweet that lingers after swallowing, but this time we have the extra crunchy consistency from the peanut morsels. I think it fares a little better than the creamy Skippy just because the nut pieces add some textural dimension that helps detract from the dense paste-like texture. While all the nut butters seemed to have a quality that sticks to the roof of your mouth, both Skippy products cling to my teeth in a completely different way (probably from the hydrogenated vegetable oils, which further provide an oily mouthfeel). 

It takes longer for it to come off, which may alter the experience for some people, as it did for me. You will receive two 48-ounce jars when you buy from Costco, which is ideal for those who consume a lot of peanut butter. Some reviews say it's their favorite PB or that their family goes through it quickly, while others say they didn't like the sludge-like consistency or the aftertaste. Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of this PB, so it's worth leaving behind at the Costco aisle for someone who's more fond of it. 

When you're seeking an elevated and complex nut butter that's unlike most options on the shelf, then you might want to buy NuttZo Organic 7 Nut & Seed Butter. You'll get 26 ounces of dry roasted cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, and hazelnuts, along with flaxseed, chia seed, pumpkin seeds, and sea salt. This results in an enchanting flavor that changes as you eat. I first tasted the woodsy, earthy touch of Brazil nuts, followed by a hint of hazelnut and pumpkin seeds. This crunchy, nutty option would fare well drizzled over chia pudding to give it a flavor and texture boost. 

That said, this isn't a dull, run-of-the-mill nut butter; you have to be in the mood for something gritty, thanks to the addition of the flax, chia, and pumpkin seeds. The directions also note that you can refrigerate it if you don't plan to finish it within two weeks. That means if you consume it quickly, you can enjoy the room-temperature sauce-like consistency. I like the nut blend that makes it stand out from a lot of other options on the market; I don't frequently see Brazil nuts or hazelnut butters (not including chocolate hazelnut spreads). Reviews say that they love this product, that they're repeat buyers, and like the combination of nuts and seeds. 

This will not be to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed it enough that I'd recommend it. If you want to try it, though, buy it from Costco since people say that jars sold there have the best flavor and texture, compared to those sold at other stores.

I bought all five nut butters from my local Costco and tried them both on their own and with a toasted piece of rustic Italian loaf from the bakery section. It's important to mention that I photographed all nut butters directly after opening, meaning they were not refrigerated at the time of photos. 

However, I placed the two nut butters in the fridge that specifically mentioned they needed to be refrigerated after opening (Kirkland peanut butter and the almond butter). This will impact the overall texture of certain ones to make them firmer, without as much oil separation. I tried those ones at room temperature and then straight from the fridge to see how it altered the consistency.

I based my thoughts on the overall depth of flavor of the nut butter and the texture. Clearly, a lot of this is personal preference, because I noticed plenty of discourse when I looked into reviews for each item. Ultimately, you have to choose the best nut butter for you.