Product Review:Kirkland organic creamy peanut butter

In my review of almond butter, (Product Review: Kirkland almond butter), I opened up the post stating that I am a fan of peanut butter. How could someone (who is not allergic to it) not be? It’s fatty, creamy, sweet and salty, and can be eaten by the spoonful, with fruit, ice cream, bread, etc. versatile, healthy, and delicious!

For years I bought Skippy brand. Not as healthy as the butter with only nuts, but not a bad option. However, after starting to eat natural nut butters such as almond and cashew (and maybe just from older taste buds that don’t crave as much sugar), I found that it was often too sweet and artificial tasting. Although I enjoyed it for a few bites, it soon became too strong for me. (That said, there are times where nothing but a big, sweet blob of fake pb will suffice!) Because I enjoyed the Kirkland almond butter so much and had heard good reviews of other, natural peanut butters, I decided to try it.

The peanut butter is very good. Definitely less sweet than the artificially sweetened varieties, it has a slightly bitter taste, more akin to damp smushed peanuts rather than a sugary swirl. The taste is very strong of peanuts but does not overwhelm the bread or banana or whatever else it is eaten with.

This variety is creamy, which I prefer because I like smoother toppings rather than crunchy ones. It is a light brown color with darker specks of peanuts, highlighting that it is all natural. Because it only contains natural oils, it must be stirred before eating to distribute the oil layer on the top throughout the jar. Then, after opened, it needs to be refrigerated. Because it is natural, it tends to be runnier than the shelf-stable varieties, so, as with the almond butter, can make a big mess! (But a delicious mess).

I like to eat this peanut butter on toast, especially with sliced bananas and a yogurt smoothie (great combination), but I bet it would also be a great topping on celery, in a peanut sauce for an Asian-inspired dish, in a smoothie, or melted onto ice cream.

Natural peanut butter tends to be more expensive than shelf brands, but at $9.99 for two 28-ounce jars, of course Costco is a great deal.

Have you tried this pb? Thoughts?

Suggestions?

And out of curiosity: do you prefer natural or sweetened pb? And what about crunchy vs. smooth?