recipes, manufacturers and dishes to attempt within the UAE

Very slightly sweet or just a little salty; made from pure peanuts or enriched with other ingredients; Lush thick and full of nutty shards or silky enough to drip seamlessly from the spoon: like much in life, not all peanut butter is created equal.

Crispy and smooth are the two most obvious dividing lines, but as any real peanut butter fan will say, the differences go deeper. Long-roasted peanut butters are rich, dark in color and complex in flavor, while those made from raw or blanched nuts are much lighter in both taste and color.

Natural butter made with Hi-Oleic peanuts is high in healthy monounsaturated fats, which means that they bring health-promoting properties similar to those of avocados and olive oil to the breakfast table. Most of the time, these varieties have an ingredient list of just two (peanuts and a touch of salt) and tend to have separation problems (between oil and butter itself, no more) due to the lack of preservatives, as well as premium price tag.

At the other end of the scale, you’ll find highly processed butter, which combines peanuts with a whole host of other ingredients. While consuming them on a daily basis may not be advisable, these butters certainly have their moments. As an ode to the peanut butter lover month, here are some brands, recipes, and dishes that are well worth it.

Project Acai’s Peanut Bomba Bowl. Photo: Project Acai

Four peanut butters worth trying

The local favorite: Freakin ‘Healthy Roasted Peanut Butter Spread

The peanut butter from the United Arab Emirates-born health food company Freakin ‘Healthy keeps its promise to deliver great-tasting pantry products and snacks made from high-quality, nutritious ingredients. Its classic butter consists of 98 percent roasted peanuts with a touch of mineral-rich Himalayan sea salt for added flavor, is also free from preservatives, refined sugar, soy and palm oil and has a nice roasted taste.

Try it: Dabbed awesome over a smoothie bowl or spread on whole grain crackers.

Buy: Directly from Freakinhealthy.com or from United Arab Emirates supermarkets (including Carrefour, Kibsons, Spinneys, Waitrose and Zoom).

The cheat treat: Reese’s creamy peanut butter

Inspired by the famous American peanut butter cups, peanut butter has added sugars and various oils that may put some people off. However, eating peanut butter is really easy: a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and especially smooth and creamy. A guaranteed kid freak.

Try it: Win for nostalgia in a classic PB sandwich with white bread.

Buy: Online from Noon, UBuy.ae or whizz.ae.

The connoisseur’s choice: Manilife Deep Roast Crunchy Peanut Butter

Manilife’s award-winning range of vegan, sugar- and palm-oil-free peanut butters in small batches made from nuts from family-run farms in Argentina has something of a cult following among peanut butter lovers.

Particularly noteworthy is the brand’s Deep Roast Crunchy Peanut Butter: creamy and thick, intense in taste and rich in jagged, crispy whole and half peanut pieces.

Give it a try: Spread out a slice of your favorite sourdough.

Buy: At Spinneys and Waitrose (both online and in-store) or online at DesertCart.ae.

The wild card: Marmite Crunchy Peanut Butter

For anyone who appreciates the unique umami joy that only Marmite can bring, grab a glass of the good stuff pronto (ignore the naysayers).

Try it out: Spooned straight out of the glass, tossed over roasted flatbreads or hot butter muffins or skewered into crispy green apple slices.

Buy: Online at UBuy.ae or at Spinneys and Waitrose (online and in-store).

Peanut butter based ideas to try at home

Three-ingredient peanut butter cookies

Not an Instagram favorite for nothing.

Three-ingredient peanut butter cookies. Photo: Scott Price

Whisk 100 g light brown sugar with 1 medium-sized egg, then stir in 200 g peanut butter (crispy or smooth, the choice is yours). Shape into circles, place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake in a convection oven at 170 ° C for 15 to 20 minutes.

Double peanut butter energy balls

No-bake bites that are crammed with healthy fats, taste great, and are ready in under 10 minutes.

Double peanut butter energy balls. Photo: Scott Price

Puree 6 to 8 Medjool dates, 3 tablespoons of coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts, 3 tablespoons of natural peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of oatmeal in a blender. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into a ball. Roll in crushed peanuts to coat, then repeat with the rest of the mixture. Chill in the refrigerator.

Super quick satay sauce

Just the thing when your jar of peanut butter is almost empty. Use this sauce as a marinade for meat or fish or as a salad dressing or dip.

Salad with super quick satay sauce. Photo: Scott Price

Put 1 tablespoon of warm water, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 1 tablespoon of liquid honey, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon each of grated ginger and garlic in a glass of almost empty peanut butter. Screw the lid on tightly and shake well to emulsify.

Peanut butter based dishes in the UAE

The dish: Banana and peanut butter waffle at Scopi, Time Out Market Dubai.

The weekend breakfast menu at Time Out Market offers a variety of delicacies (including four cheese-filled pretzels and smoked breast on Texas toast). For those interested in nuts, the freshly made waffle with peanut butter, bananas, toasted almond ice cream and honey, which is served at Scoopi on Fridays and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., is the only way to go.

The dish: Sweet ‘n Salty CrazyShake in Black Tap (locations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai)

Sweet ‘n Salty CrazyShake by Black Tap with peanut butter frosting and peanut butter cups.

As one of the most famous shakes in Black Tap’s extravagant repertoire, this sumptuous drink-dessert hybrid offers chocolate and peanut butter icing, peanut butter cups, chocolate stones, pretzels (both pure and coated with chocolate), vanilla ice cream with peanut butter, caramel sauce and whipped cream.

The Dish: Dark Choco and PB Delight at The Kakao Guy (delivery to UAE)

They’re perhaps best known for their scorched Basque cheesecakes, but the chefs in The Kakao Guy’s kitchen are also knowledgeable about a cake recipe as this stunning layered dark chocolate casserole, with its layer of smooth peanut butter batter, peanut butter frosting and cookie Topping proves.

The dish: Peanut Bomba Bowl in Project Acai (locations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai)

The bright and beautiful Bomba Bowl is an all-time favorite on the Project Acai menu and offers extremely healthy acai puree that is generously topped with super smooth homemade peanut butter, crispy walnut granola pieces, fresh mango pieces, and sliced ​​bananas.

Updated: November 21, 2021, 6:57 a.m.