CLEVELAND, Ohio – Who isn’t nuts for a good peanut butter cookie?
Today is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day, so we encourage you to celebrate by whipping up a batch from your favorite recipe.
Peanut Butter Cookies made with crunchy peanut butter
– Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
The peanut butter cookie has been around in the United States as far back as the 1910s, but didn’t gain real popularity until George Washington Carver, an agricultural educator from Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute, compiled 105 peanut recipes from various cookbooks, agricultural bulletins and other sources to promote the peanut as an alternative to the cotton crop. In his 1925 research bulletin called How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption, he included three recipes for peanut cookies — all calling for crushed or chopped peanuts.
Ranking crunchy peanut butter for peanut butter cookie day.
Peanut Butter Blossom cookies made with crunchy peanut butter.
– Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
If you are inspired by Carver’s recipes — or have a favorite of your own — a trip to your grocer’s peanut butter aisle can be an overwhelming experience with the large number of choices. Recently cleveland.com reporters Yadi Rodriguez and Brenda Cain conducted a blind taste test of 77 peanut butters to determine which brands stand out, and which varieties aren’t worth your money.
If you prefer to follow Carver’s example and use the crunchy variety in your recipe, we have 26 potential ingredients for your consideration.
Ranking crunchy peanut butter’s for Peanut butter cookie day.
Peanut Butter cookies with M&M’s made with crunchy peanut butter.
– Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
No. 26 Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter, Good & Gather
Where we bought it: Target
Price: $3.79
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 0mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Dry Roasted Organic Peanuts.
Jar says: Stir to enjoy.
Our thoughts: This nut butter was difficult to incorporate the separated oil back into the butter base. If you are a fan of chunky peanut butter, you may be disappointed by how small the nut pieces are and the grittiness. If you get past the oil, it is more like eating old-fashioned school paste.
Buy it at Target $3.79
No. 25 Crunchy, True Goodness by Meijer
Where we bought it: Meijer
Price: $3.89
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 0mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Dry Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Made with the goodness of 100% peanuts. No preservatives.
Our thoughts: This “crunchy” peanut butter has nuts, but not enough to satisfy. It has a runny consistency and no semblance of salt or sugar added, though it provides a roasted peanut flavor. It too is a workout to incorporate the settled oil back into the paste.
Buy it at Meijer $3.89
No. 24 Crunchy Natural, Heinen’s
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $2.09
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 100mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Dry Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: The oil in natural peanut butter separates. Stir well and store in a cool dry place.
Our thoughts: This tastes more like oil than anything else. It is hard to stir, but less cement-like than others in consistency. Once stirred, it is creamy, with just a dash of pastiness thrown in. Not as many nuts as needed to be called “crunchy.”
Buy it on Instacart $2.99
No. 23 Organic Crunchy, Great Value
Where we bought it: Walmart
Price: $3.92
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 180 | Fat 15g | Sodium 55mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Stir and enjoy. Organic Great Value uses only wholesome ingredients with no artificial flavors or preservatives to deliver great foods you can trust. Honest taste. Great value.
Our thoughts: Chunky, creamy, salty and peanut-y. This butter offers more of a creamy texture, with a fair amount of nut pieces.
Buy it at Walmart $3.92
No. 22 Organic Crunchy, Heinen’s
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $3.49
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 105mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Dry Roasted Organic Peanuts.
Jar says: The oil in natural peanut butter separates. Stir well and store in a cool dry place.
Our thoughts: While there are plenty of nuts evident, we didn’t believe there are enough nut pieces to classify this one as “crunchy.” It does offer up a good peanut flavor.
Buy it on Instacart $4.99
No. 21 100% Peanut’s! Crunchy natural peanut butter, Crazy Richard’s
Where we bought it: Walmart
Price: $2.94
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 180 | Fat 16g | Sodium 0mg | Carbs 5g | Sugar 2g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Peanuts
Jar says: Our mission is to offer affordable, wholesome foods to promote healthy families, healthy communities, and future generations. Visit our website to learn more about our healthy kids happy future project.
Our thoughts: There are plenty of peanuts, but the oil overwhelms the flavor. Consistency was very much like a thick paste.
Buy it at Giant Eagle $3.50 | Buy it on Instacart $3.89 | Buy it at Walmart $2.94
No. 20 Organic Crunchy, 365
Where we bought it: Whole Foods
Price: $3.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 85mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Contains 90% peanuts. 365 Everyday Value products are formulated to avoid genetically engineered ingredients.
Our thoughts: Not as thick as many of the nut butters we tried, but spreadable. The nut pieces are really small and don’t provide enough crunch. It has good flavor though.
Buy it on Amazon $4.29
No. 19 Organic Chunky Natural, Smucker’s
Where we bought it: Giant Eagle
Price: $5.79
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 50mg | Carbs 5g | Sugar 1g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Organic Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Natural peanut butter. Just stir and enjoy.
Our thoughts: Even though the butter is smooth – even runny – in the jar, it tastes “dry” in your mouth with its gritty mouth-feel.
Buy it at Giant Eagle $5.79 | Buy it on Instacart $6.09 | Buy it at Target $3.99
No. 18 Crunchy, Great Value
Where we bought it: Walmart
Price: $1.32
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 180 | Fat 15g | Sodium 135mg | Carbs 8g | Sugar 3g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Peanuts
Jar says: Great for you.
Our thoughts: A nice roasted peanut flavor in a thick and creamy butter. No consistency in the size of the nut pieces. Just salty enough!
Buy it at Walmart $1.32
No. 17 Protein – Chunky, Skippy
Where we bought it: Giant Eagle
Price: $2.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 210 | Fat 16g | Sodium 125mg | Carbs 6g | Sugar 3g | Protein 10g
First ingredient: Peanut Butter.
Jar says: Peanut butter blended with plant protein.
Our thoughts: A good solid peanut butter, with plenty of small pieces of nuts. Not overly sweet and just salty enough.
Buy it on Amazon $18.88 pack of 6 | Buy it at Target $3.99 | Buy it at Walmart $3.98
No. 16 Super Chunk – Extra Crunchy, Skippy
Where we bought it: Target
Price: $1.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 125mg | Carbs 6g | Sugar 3g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Fuel the fun! No preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors.
Our thoughts: Despite the “super chunk” moniker, there were small nut pieces in a smooth butter with just enough salt. It was good, but not “extra.”
Buy it on Amazon $8.67 for 64 oz. | Buy it at Giant Eagle $2.69 | Buy it on Instacart $5.79 | Buy it at Target $2.29 | Buy it at Walmart $5.44 for 40 oz.
No. 15 Organic Crunchy, Nature’s Basket
Where we bought it: Giant Eagle
Price: $3.29
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 90mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Organic Peanuts.
Jar says: Crunchy peanut butter spread. Contains 90% peanuts.
Our thoughts: We didn’t find enough peanut pieces to classify this as crunchy, though it did have a good dry-roasted peanut taste.
Buy it at Giant Eagle $3.29
No. 14 Crunchy peanut butter, Food Club
Where we bought it: Dave’s
Price: $3.29
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 180 | Fat 15g | Sodium 100mg | Carbs 8g | Sugar 3g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Peanuts.
Jar says: Crunchy peanut butter.
Our thoughts: Smooth and spreadable, in spite of the chunky texture. Decent nut-to-butter ratio. Tastes like there is honey blended in, which leaves a sugary after-taste.
Buy it on Instacart $3.29
No. 13 Crunchy Natural peanut butter, Cream-Nut
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $5.69
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 45mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Peanuts.
Jar says: Crafted in small batches, our heritage peanut butter is made the same way my grandfather, Albertus Koeze, made it in 1925. He carefully roasted the finest Virginia peanuts, slowly ground them to perfection, and added a touch of salt. At Koeze, we’re proud to make it exactly the same way, no preservatives and no homogenization, just honest flavor and old-fashioned craftsmanship. Oil rising to the top is a mark of authenticity; simply stir and enjoy!
Our thoughts: Chunky, but spreadable, with a natural peanut flavor. Did we detect sea salt?
Buy it on Amazon $10.53 | Buy it on Instacart $5.69
No. 12 Crunchy, Peanut Delight
Where we bought it: Aldi
Price: $1.15
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 180 | Fat 15g | Sodium 100mg | Carbs 8g | Sugar 3g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Dry Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Crunchy peanut butter.
Our thoughts: Chunky, but don’t expect to get pieces of nut in every bite. Salty, but not overwhelming.
Buy it on Instacart $1.29
No. 11 Crunchy peanut butter & coconut blend, Earth Balance
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $5.49
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 95mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 6g
First ingredient: Peanut Butter.
Jar says: Peanut butter & coconut blend. Certifiably coconuts! Creamier-tasting, lighter-spreading, fancier-topping, delicious-er-eating. Bring out the wow! In your Asian stir-fry, your morning toast, your fruit smoothies, your steaming pancakes, and your inspired imagination.
Our thoughts: There is a good nut-to-butter ratio, but rather than a strong flavor of peanuts, we got coconut! The flavors melded well, even though it was an unexpected combination.
No. 10 Natural Chunky, Smucker’s
Where we bought it: Walmart
Price: $3.12
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 95mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Peanuts.
Jar says: Oil separation is natural, stir and enjoy.
Our thoughts: All nuts, little butter. True peanut flavor comes with this natural butter that is made simply from peanuts. It’s so thick, it is difficult to spread though.
Buy it on Amazon $12.50 for 26 oz. | Buy it at Giant Eagle $4.29 | Buy it on Instacart $3.99 | Buy it at Target $2.99 | Buy it at Walmart $3.12
No. 9 Organic No Stir Crunchy, True Goodness
Where we bought it: Meijer
Price: $3.49
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 100mg | Carbs 7g | Sugar 2g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Dry Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Peanut butter spread. Contains 90% peanuts. An artificial preservative-free food. Made with the goodness of organic peanuts.
Our thoughts: This variety tastes more natural than many, but be prepared for the oil slick when you open the jar. Once stirred well, it is smooth and silky and offers a sweet/salty nut flavor.
Buy it at Meijer $3.49
No. 4 Extra Crunchy Natural Super Chunk, Skippy
Where we bought it: Target
Price: $1.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 200 | Fat 17g | Sodium 125mg | Carbs 6g | Sugar 3g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Extra crunchy! No preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors. Delicious anytime.
Our thoughts: In spite of the oil pooled at the top, this peanut butter was dry – and definitely chunky – with good nut-to-butter ratio. Slightly sweet. Good peanut flavor.
Buy it on Amazon $21.68 pack of 3 40 oz. jars | Buy it at Giant Eagle $2.69 | Buy it on Instacart $3.29 | Buy it at Target $2.29 | Buy it at Walmart $5.44 for 40 oz.
No. 7 Low Sodium Natural Crunchy, Jif
Where we bought it: Target
Price: $2.59
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 65mg | Carbs 8g | Sugar 3g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Peanuts.
Jar says: No need to stir. Peanut Butter spread contains 90% peanuts.
Our thoughts: Of the Jif line, this variety leans more toward a dry mouth feel that sticks to the roof of your mouth. The flavor is that of the sandwiches we all grew up with.
Buy it at Giant Eagle $2.28 | Buy it on Instacart $2.39 | Buy it at Target $2.39 | Buy it at Walmart $5.64
No. 6 No Sugar Added – Chunky, Skippy
Where we bought it: Giant Eagle
Price: $1.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 210 | Fat 18g | Sodium 110mg | Carbs 4g | Sugar 2g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: No sugar added peanut butter spread. Three simple ingredients. Not a low calorie food.
Our thoughts: This chunky peanut butter has great dry-roasted peanut flavor that comes from the plentiful crunchy nut pieces. A tad on the salty side, but in a good way.
Buy it at Giant Eagle $2.69
No. 5 Crunchy Peanut Butter, Giant Eagle
Where we bought it: Giant Eagle
Price: $1.89
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 180 | Fat 15g | Sodium 100mg | Carbs 8g | Sugar 3g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Peanuts.
Jar says: Crunchy peanut butter.
Our thoughts: Looking for an economical peanut butter with a solid flavor? Give this one a try. Smooth butter wraps around plentiful nut pieces with just a tinge of honey flavor.
Buy it at Giant Eagle $1.89
No. 4 Crunchy, Meijer
Where we bought it: Meijer
Price: $1.29
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 180 | Fat 15g | Sodium 100mg | Carbs 8g | Sugar 3g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Peanuts.
Jar says: 7 grams of protein per serving.
Our thoughts: Made with Spanish peanuts (the red skins are visible in the butter), there’s plenty of large pieces of crunchy nuts. Good roasted nut flavor amid a slightly sweet butter.
No. 3 Crunchy, Peter Pan
Where we bought it: Walmart
Price: $1.94
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 200 | Fat 16g | Sodium 100mg | Carbs 6g | Sugar 3g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Crunchy peanut butter.
Our thoughts: Rich peanut flavor that is slightly on the thick side, but still speadable. There are plenty of large pieces of salty nuts to love.
Buy it on Amazon $12.96 for 40 oz. | Buy it at Giant Eagle $2.99 | Buy it at Target $1.99 | Buy it at Walmart $1.94
No. 2 Crunchy no stir with molasses, True Goodness
Where we bought it: Meijer
Price: $3.89
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 15g | Sodium 75mg | Carbs 8g | Sugar 3g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Dry Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Peanut butter spread. Made with 90% peanuts. No artificial preservatives.
Our thoughts: There are plenty of large pieces of nuts to love in this nut butter. It is slightly thicker than most, but still spreadable. It has tones of sweetness, but not too sweet. The whole family can love this one.
Buy it at Meijer $3.89
No. 1 Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter, Jif
Where we bought it: Walmart
Price: $2.28
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 16g | Sodium 110mg | Carbs 8g | Sugar 3g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Roasted Peanuts.
Jar says: Extra crunchy peanut butter.
Our thoughts: Even the creamy peanut butter devotee could not deny the richness of this peanut butter! The perfect combination of plentiful nut pieces and smooth butter. Rich peanut flavor stands out with just the right amount of sweet/salty notes to complement the natural nuttiness.
Buy it on Amazon $16.37 pack of 2 28 oz. jars | Buy it at Giant Eagle $2.28 | Buy it on Instacart $2.39 | Buy it at Target $2.39 | Buy it at Walmart $5.64
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