PB for All

Trader Joe’s? Crazy Richard’s? Whole Foods? Which peanut butter is best? I put them to the test…not so you don’t have to, because, let’s face it, everyone’s taste buds are different, but simply because I had all three in the cabinet and I wanted to see which one I (and my dog) liked best. This was the tastiest challenge ever.

Every morning, Chaos, my Lab mix, and I split an apple with peanut butter. Because we’re both very health-conscious, we only eat natural peanut butter. Typically, we stick to Crazy Richard’s (creamy, no salt) or Whole Foods (creamy, with salt) but a couple weeks ago, we shopped at Trader Joe’s (it’s a bit out of our way, in another town, so we don’t often shop there) so we tried their brand (creamy, no salt). Just FYI, I prefer crunchy, but Chaos likes creamy, and he wins.

Since we had three options, I decided to compare them.

Here are the results.

3) Coming in third place is Whole Foods. I love the price point of Whole Foods (I know, shocking!). When I started buying it, it was only $1.99 a jar, but inflation and all that has it at $2.99 now, which is still a great deal. The peanut butter is good, but it does have added salt, so if you’re averse to that, pass on this. You can definitely taste the salt, too. I’m sure it’s not great for my pup, so now that I have unsalted options, I’ll be sticking to those.

The salt isn’t the main reason I have WF at number three, though. For some reason, this peanut butter is the worst when it comes to consistency. Like all natural peanut butters, the oil separates and you have to mix it, but no matter how great of a job you do, there’s always dry peanut butter at the bottom—way more than the other brands. Just a nitpicky thing, I guess, but when you’re looking for things to compare and contrast, well, there you go.

2) Crazy Richard’s is second. Of the three, it’s the most expensive, at around $3.49 a jar, depending on where you buy it (I’ve seen it on shelves for way more, but I usually pay around $3.49). This one has a great taste, and the only ingredient is peanuts, which is fantastic. Spreads nicely, combines nicely, and the company has been around since 1898. They’re into sustainability, caring for the environment, and giving back. They encourage their employees to serve charities on company time, and Crazy Richard’s is part of the Healthy Kids Happy Future project, where they donate time, money, and peanut butter.

1) My favorite of the three, though, was by far Trader Joe’s. The first morning I tried it, I let out a ‘Yum!’ and texted my husband to always shop at TJ’s for pb (it’s not near our home, but it’s near his workplace…). The peanut butter just tastes like peanuts! Sounds odd, I know, I mean, they’re all supposed to taste like peanuts, but this one…just does. Like Crazy Richard’s, the only ingredient is peanuts, but for some reason, TJ’s tastes so much purer, or something? Just better, I guess? Maybe because Trader Joe’s uses unblanched peanuts, and the other two don’t. This pb is creamy, spreadable, and mixes well (no dry clumps at the bottom).

And, even better? This one’s the cheapest of them all, at just $2.49 a jar. You can’t beat it. They do offer crunchy and creamy, and we bought both. My husband uses the crunchy in his protein shakes, and he says it’s delicious in those, too.

So, for what it’s worth, there’s our take on the three. If you’re looking for natural peanut butter, you can’t go wrong with any of these, but if you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, try theirs! Low cost, delicious, and you’ll always find something else you absolutely need on their shelves…