The Nostalgic Peanut Butter Brand Sold At Costco That You're Better Off Skipping

Peanut butter is a pantry staple for many households. We all have our favorites but whether you opt for the natural kind or the good old fashioned sugar-loaded stuff we all know and love, it's safe to say that most jars don't last very long — and peanut butter can be a pretty expensive item on your weekly list. So, it's great when you can shop in bulk at places like Costco, especially if there are multiple brands on offer. If you plan on grabbing some during your next run, we do have some suggestions and one is passing on a particularly nostalgic brand: Skippy.

A reviewer from Tasting Table recently tested out all of the nut butters available at her local Costco store to recommend three nut butters to buy and two to skip and, unfortunately, Skippy fell to the bottom of the list. Everything is all about preference, of course, but the classic spread just didn't stack up against some of the more natural tasting options available.

The texture of the Skippy creamy variety was solid. It performed well on toast, gliding perfectly across the warm bread while retaining its thick structure, but the flavor was lacking. Skippy is made from real roasted peanuts but it also contains some add-ins like sugar, salt, and a hydrogenated vegetable oil composed of cottonseed, soybean, and rapeseed. Our tester felt like this led to an artificial taste that was overly sweet and she missed the nutty flavor of a natural peanut butter.

Skippy will always have its loyal fans but some Costco shoppers did agree with our tester's analysis. One online reviewer wrote that "Skippy tastes like glue with peanut butter mixed in" while another said that they give it to their dogs because they find it too sweet. Our tester had similar feelings about the Skippy Super Chunk, which is the other nut butter we recommend leaving behind at Costco. However, Skippy is really well priced, which is a huge bonus. 

You can nab two 48-ounce jars for just $12.99 at Costco, and they're available for at home delivery. While we recommend opting for the Kirkland almond and peanut butters, Skippy isn't the worst back up option. You can use it to make a decadent peanut butter pie or some salted peanut butter bars or add it to smoothies where the taste isn't as prominent. Skippy is also perfect for recipes where you want a thicker peanut butter like 3-ingredient thumbprint cookies or peanut butter balls.

Our favorite overall peanut butter is the Kirkland Signature Organic Creamy Peanut Butter, which costs $11.69 for two 28-ounce jars, but our tester was pleased with the NuttZo Organic 7 Nut & Seed Butter if you're looking for a more loaded option. As of writing, Costco had Jiff and a Kirkland Creamy Almond Butter available, too. So you should have your pick of options, if you do want to skip out on dear old Skippy.