While peanut butter seems like it would be a vegan-friendly option, not all peanut butter is actually vegan. Though most types are, there are several that use ingredients that may contain animal products. You will want to check the label before choosing your peanut butter if you want one that is vegan-friendly.
If you are starting a vegan lifestyle, you probably already know that not all peanut butter is created equal. In fact, many brands of peanut butter contain animal-derived ingredients, which means they are non-vegan. If you want to enjoy a delicious PB&J without worrying about the ingredients, it is important to check the label before purchasing. In this blog post, we will discuss what makes a peanut butter vegan-friendly and list some of our favorite brands!
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Benefits of Peanut Butter
- High In Protein
- Use in Sauces
- Few Impurities
- Easy to Use
Non-Vegan Ingredients in Peanut Butter
Honey
Many brands make honey peanut butter. While it is not technically an animal product, it is not vegan-friendly. While most brands clearly label their peanut butter as containing honey, some may not if they are just using it as a sweetener.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are sometimes added to peanut butter spread to give it a smooth texture, but most omegas are sourced from fish oils (like anchovies and sardines), so they are not considered vegan. This is something else to watch out for when you are choosing your peanut butter.
Refined Cane Sugar
While refined cane sugar can be refined in many different ways, it is often done through bone char which is derived from animal bones. If you try to avoid products that have been refined through this method, you will want to watch for refined sugar on your ingredients list, as it is often included in PB.
Cross Contamination
Facilities that produce peanut butter can have a risk of cross-contamination with non-vegan ingredients and other impurities.
What peanut butter is vegan?
There are several different brands of peanut butter that are vegan, most of which are easy to find at just about any grocery store. You will want to make sure that any peanut butter that you choose excludes the ingredients that are listed above. Natural peanut butters are always a good place to start.
Vegan-Friendly Jif PB
Is Jif Peanut butter vegan? Jif is one of the biggest peanut butter brands, and surprisingly most of their products are vegan friendly. In fact, all of their peanut butter variations (crunchy, creamy, natural, traditional, etc.) are vegan except for the ones that contain honey, but these are labeled as flavored. You’ll still want to check the label, but Jif does offer many vegan peanut butter options. This is a great option to use on a PBJ or even just for baking.
365 Everyday Value Creamy Peanut Butter
This peanut butter found at Whole Foods is vegan friendly. The only ingredient in this nut butter is organic dry roasted peanuts. You really can’t beat that!
Vegan-Friendly Skippy Peanut Butter
While not all Skippy Peanut Butter is vegan, some variations are. This peanut butter is made with just peanuts, salt, oil, and some sugar.
Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter
This vegan-friendly peanut butter can be found at most grocery stores. If you don’t see it by the rest of the nut butter, check the organic section. Justin’s is very proud that their product is vegan – it even reads “Vegan Friendly” on the label. You can actually even have their Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. They don’t use any dairy or animal products in their dark chocolate, either.
PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
According to PB2, this product is free of GMOs, preservatives, and artificial flavors, and is certified vegan. This peanut butter powder is easy to find at most major grocery stores. This versatile powder can be used in so many ways that it is sure to become a staple in your pantry.
What peanut butter is not vegan-friendly?
Skippy Peanut Butter
Is Skippy Peanut Butter vegan? Variations of Skippy Peanut Butter with honey are not vegan. It will usually say this on the front of the jar, but you will want to check the ingredients list just to be safe. Skippy does use refined sugar in its products, but it does not say whether or not it is refined using animal products. If this is something that is important to you, opt for another kind of peanut butter.
Not Vegan-Friendly Jif Variations
Jif variations that contain honey, similar to Skippy variations, are not vegan friendly. This includes their Honey Creamy and Honey Crunchy flavors. They also have one variation of creamy peanut butter that includes omega 3’s, knocking it out of the vegan category. Be sure to check your labels.
Peter Pan Peanut Butter
None of the Peter Pan Peanut Butter products are vegan. The palm oil and refined sugar in this brand keep it out of the vegan category. They even state on their website that their products are vegetarian friendly, but not vegan.
Are most store-brand peanut butter vegan?
This is very hard to tell because there are so many chain retailers out there with their own brands of peanut butter. Some are vegan, like the Whole Foods brand 365.
Walmart’s Great Value brand, however, is not vegan. It contains all sorts of hidden ingredients that aren’t good for you, so you will want to steer clear of this one.
Target’s Good & Gather brand of peanut butter contains similar ingredients to the Walmart brand, meaning that it is not vegan friendly, either.
Whenever you are considering a store brand option for vegan PB, you definitely need to check the ingredients list on the label. Look out for honey, palm oil, omega 3’s, and possible refined sugar.
What Is the Best Vegan Peanut Butter?
365 Everyday Value Creamy Peanut Butter
This Whole Foods brand of PB is vegan friendly. With an ingredient list of only peanuts, this is exactly what you should be looking for when shopping for peanut butter. It doesn’t get much simpler than that!
Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter
This is another vegan option of PB that is commonly found, and that is super delicious. Most of Justin’s products are vegan friendly, and they are proud of this and have included it on many of their product labels.
PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
This was one of the first vegan peanut butter options out there and is often praised for its healthy, vegan-friendly ingredient list. This peanut butter powder is handy to keep in the pantry to make shakes, to bake with, or just to enjoy.
Peanut Butter & Co
This PB is not only vegan, but it is also planet-friendly and ethically sourced. This is a good option if you want one that will not separate and that you will not have to stir. The ingredients include peanuts, sugar (it does not say refined), and salt. This can be found at most grocery stores on the PB aisle.
CB’s Nuts Organic Peanut Butter
Like Whole Foods PB, this one only contains nuts. These peanuts are organically grown in the US. They do not add any oils, salt, or sugars. They are slow-roasted in barrels, these nuts maintain a lot of flavors, making this a tasty PB option that is vegan-friendly. If you can’t find this one in your local grocery store, CB’s is available for purchase on Amazon.
Final Thoughts
Make sure you check the label before buying PB, as many of them sometimes include ingredients that are not vegan-friendly. You will want to keep an eye out for omega 3 fatty acids, refined cane sugar, and even honey, which are all ingredients that keep the PB from being considered vegan. If you want to be sure your PB is vegan you can always make your own peanut butter.
More Vegan Tips!
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