I Avoid Most Peanut Butter Brands – Only These 5 Deserve a Place in My Pantry

Unless you have a nut allergy in the house, peanut butter is likely a staple in your pantry. From the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches your kids beg for or the peanut butter toast you enjoy in the morning, there are so many uses for peanut butter. Although it may seem simple enough, not all peanut butter is created equal.

Everyone has a personal preference when it comes to peanut butter. There are some brands we love buying and others we avoid. In our house, we usually choose peanut butter based on price, taste, and ingredients. I avoid most mainstream peanut butter brands, but these 5 are the ones you'll find in my pantry.

This post was updated in April 2026 to include updated information about peanut butter brands and additional editorial enhancements.

We divide our grocery shopping between several stores, and Target is one of them. Many of the items we don't buy in bulk at Costco are purchased at Target. When Costco temporarily stopped selling Kirkland Signature Peanut Butter in 2025, Good & Gather became one of the brands we often bought instead. Now that Kirkland is back, we still keep Good & Gather on hand as an alternative. You can get it in a 16-oz or 40-oz container.

If you prefer a peanut butter without any ingredients except for peanuts and salt, the Good & Gather Peanut Butter isn't the best option for you. While I prefer brands with fewer ingredients, this one has great flavor and an unbeatable price. This is my go-to when I'm in a pinch or need to save on my grocery bill.

Good & Gather now offers a natural peanut butter option as well. This one contains dry-roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, and sea salt. I've tried both options, and the natural version is less sweet and less creamy, but still worth the price.

When it comes to choosing a peanut butter brand, many companies offer a regular and natural version of their peanut butter. I don't usually buy Skippy Peanut Butter, but I think the Skippy Natural option is great.

Many natural peanut butter brands cost a fortune, but I appreciate the affordability of Skippy. It does contain palm oil, but unlike the regular Good & Gather option, it has no hydrogenated vegetable oils. The 40-oz container at Target costs about $6.29, which is about two dollars more than the Target brand.

For those who like unique peanut butter flavors, try Peanut Butter & Co. You can find options such as the Crunch Time variety or Smooth Operator. Peanut Butter & Co. also sells powdered peanut butter and many other fun peanut butter flavors.

The creamy and crunchy varieties aren't the only options with Peanut Butter & Co. This brand also sells other peanut butter spreads, such as the Dark Chocolatey Dreams, White Chocolatey Wonderful, The Bee's Knees, Mighty Maple, and Cinnamon Swirl. I've tried a few of these, and they all have great texture and flavor.

Justin's Peanut Butter is a popular brand that has a variety of products. You can enjoy Justin's Classic Peanut Butter or Justin's Honey Peanut Butter Blend. The brand also offers almond butter and delicious peanut butter cups.

If you're looking for a brand without added sugar, Justin's is a great option. The classic peanut butter is rich, creamy, and spreads easily. Unlike Skippy, Justin's Classic Peanut Butter does not contain palm oil — its ingredients are typically just dry roasted peanuts and sometimes salt.

If I could only buy one peanut butter brand for the rest of my life, it would be Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter. You can get this brand in creamy or chunky varieties (we prefer the chunky). Smucker's also sells an organic variety.

Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter has a much higher price point than other peanut butter brands, so we don't buy it as often as I'd like for the sake of saving money. Still, this peanut butter is the best in my opinion. The only ingredients are peanuts and salt. Unlike most other brands, you need to refrigerate it and stir before using. If you're looking for the real deal with plenty of peanut flavor, this is the best choice.

There are so many ways to use peanut butter, whether as a healthy snack or a quick dessert when you're craving something sweet. If you need ideas the whole family will love, here are some of my favorite ways to use peanut butter:

• Whole-grain toast with peanut butter
• Peanut butter cookies
• Strawberry, banana, and peanut butter smoothie
• Peanut butter chocolate chip energy bites
• Peanut butter fudge
• Celery or apple slices with peanut butter
• Oatmeal with peanut butter and chocolate chips

Next time you're shopping for peanut butter, try one of these five options our family loves.