High protein. Great taste. Some of us (ahem) eat peanut butter straight out of the jar. Peanut butter can be a cover or a carrier for other ingredients.
Cover your toast, English muffin or banana. Carry some jam, apples, or raisins on it. We mix it in cookie dough, brownie or muffin batter. How about these Apple Nachos, drizzled with melted PB?
There are savory foods like soups, stews, and many Asian dishes, featuring or enhanced by peanut butter.
Store bought peanut butter often contains added sugars and oils. For sweetness, and spreadability, I assume, and also for added shelf-life.
But don’t you just love eating peanuts right out of the shell? Opening day at the ballpark. That local restaurant that lets you toss the shells on the floor. Some people enjoy the taste of fresh, straight from the shell peanut butter so much that they grind their own. And you know what they add? A little salt. Maybe. That’s it. There’s no need to add oil, because peanuts come with plenty of their own oil, thank you very much. And why add sugar if you’re spreading, mixing, or adding the peanut butter to something else? Let the peanut flavor shine on it’s own.
Natural peanuts-and-salt-only peanut butter looks different. The oil separates out when left at room temperature. It may also be a thinner consistency at room temp. No worries! Just carefully stir the oil back into the peanut butter with a spoon or butter knife, which I think works best. Then store the jar in the fridge. The peanut butter will thicken up and the oil will stay put. Use straight from the refrigerator.
Thankfully it’s easy to find all-natural peanut butter at most grocery stores. Ideally, you want to go with organic, but at least try starting with all-natural if you can’t find organic or if organic is too pricey. If you find you’re missing some of the sweetness, add a little honey or molasses. That way you’re in control of how much and what type of added sugar you’re eating.
And if you love peanut butter, you might like to snack on these No Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls.
Or enjoy this rich and velvety African Peanut Soup for lunch.
Or indulge in Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies for dessert.
