Peanut butter. It goes great with jelly, is arguably chocolate’s perfect companion, and is delicious by the spoonful. But, is peanut butter vegan? Here’s what you need to know.
Is All Peanut Butter Vegan?
Good news: most peanut butter is vegan. Most peanut butter is made with just dry roasted peanuts and salt. Some might add oil and a little bit of sugar, too. In addition to classic peanut butter, there’s also powdered peanut butter. It’s made by pressing the oil out of roasted peanuts, then grinding them into a fine flour. Peanut butter powder usually contains only ground peanuts, but sometimes it contains a small amount of sugar and salt. It can be blended into smoothies and oatmeal, or you can mix it with water to create low-fat peanut butter. With most of the oil removed, peanut butter powder tends to have 85 percent less fat than its traditional counterpart.
What Makes Peanut Butter Not Vegan?
Not all peanut butter is vegan, but non-vegan peanut butter is rare. You may occasionally find a brand that’s sweetened with honey, but it’s a rare event. Smuckers, Skippy, Earth Balance, Trader Joe’s, Justin’s, Santa Cruz, and Woodstock all mak vegan peanut butter — just remember to check the label.
How to Make Your Own Peanut Butter
If you have a food processor or high-speed blender, you can make your own peanut butter at home. According to the Kitchn, all you need to do is blend.
Two cups of raw peanuts will yield 1 1/2 cups of homemade peanut butter. To get started, roast the peanuts at 350°F for 10 minutes until lightly golden (you can skip this step if you prefer raw nut butter).
Then, add the peanuts and a pinch of salt to your food processor fitted with the blade attachment or a high-speed blender. If you roasted the nuts, do this step while they are still warm. Pulse a few times to break the nuts down into smaller pieces, then process for one minute. Pause to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then run for another minute. At this stage, you can also add one to two tablespoons of oil, which yields a creamier peanut butter. You can also add a tablespoon of sweetener, like maple syrup or other options, like cinnamon, cocoa powder, and flax seeds. Process for two minutes more. Homemade peanut butter will have a more rustic texture compared to creamy storebought brands.
Best Vegan Peanut Butter Recipes
Peanut butter elevates everything. Here are the best vegan recipes to try.
1. Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter
Spread this three-ingredient chocolate peanut butter on everything. You can use homemade or store-bought peanut butter to make this delicious treat.
Get the recipe here.
2. Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
You don’t need any special equipment to make these vegan peanut butter cups. All you need is is a saucepan, a muffin tin, and muffin tin liners. You’ll swear that they’re even better than Reese’s.
Get the recipe here.
3. Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie
This vegan peanut butter pretzel pie tastes like heaven on earth. It features a creamy, dairy-free peanut butter chocolate mousse filling on a crunchy, salty pretzel crust. Top with a drizzle of peanut butter, peanuts, crushed pretzels, and a generous dollop of coconut whipped cream.
Get the recipe here.
4. Vegan Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
With their iconic cross-hatch pattern, peanut butter cookies are a classic. This easy vegan cookies melt in your mouth and are best paired with a glass of dairy-free milk.
Get the recipe here.
5. Vegan Peanut Butter Bars
Need an easy no-bake dessert? With a crunchy peanut butter cookie base topped with dairy-free chocolate, these bars are a sure-fire hit.
Get the recipe here.
6. Vegan Peanut Butter Truffles
These vegan peanut butter truffles are creamy, fudgy, and so good, you’ll want to make them again and again.
Get the recipe here.
7. Vegan Peanut Butter Mug Cake
This single-serve gluten-free mug cake is 100 percent vegan. It’s made from oat flour, almond flour, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, and is sweetened with maple syrup.
Get the recipe here.
Vegan Savory Peanut Butter Recipes
Peanut butter isn’t just great in dessert — you’ll gain a new appreciation for the stuff after making these savory vegan recipes.
1. West African Peanut Stew
Peanut butter is great for savory recipes, too. This vegan West African peanut stew is a delicious medley of sweet potato, greens, lentils, peanut butter, harissa, and spices.
Get the recipe here.
2. Thai Peanut Noodles
These 15-minute vegan peanut noodles are the perfect weeknight meal. Featuring cool cucumber, crisp carrots, savory peanut sauce, and plenty of noodles, it’s a cinch to throw together. According to the blogger, you can use whichever noodles you have on hand. This recipe stores well as leftovers.
Get the recipe here.
3. Seitan Satay With Peanut Sauce
A spicy, sweet, and tangy peanut sauce is the perfect companion to this vegan satay. This recipe uses seitan, plant-based meat made from vital wheat gluten, in place of the traditional meat. You can you homemade or store-bought seitan. The sauce features peanut butter mixed with a wealth of flavors from fresh ginger, garlic, lime juice, sriracha, sugar, rice vinegar, and plenty of sriracha.
Get the recipe here.
4. Peanut Butter Chickpea Curry
Peanut butter mixed with alliums, coconut milk, turmeric, and Thai chilis adds a delicious depth-of-flavor to this 20-minute chickpea curry. It also freezes beautifully, so it’s perfect as a make-ahead meal.
