When you look strictly at ingredients, most jars of peanut butter at the grocery store are going to be vegan. But veganism is about more than whether a particular ingredient was sourced from animals.
When we talk about vegan products we are looking beyond each individual ingredient to how that food was sourced and what impacts that has on animals and the planet.
By viewing peanut butter in this light, you quickly find that most brands are not that animal and planet-friendly after all.
To help you steer clear of these moral gray areas in the vegan world, we have put together this list of the best vegan peanut butter brands. Each of the brands listed below is free from synthetic ingredients and unnecessary additives. And the ingredients they do have are all ethically sourced and better for wildlife and the planet.
Table of Contents
A Note on Palm Oil
One of the biggest offenders on the ethically-non-vegan ingredient list is palm oil.
Palm oil is prized for its low cost to produce and the fact that it remains in a semi-solid state at room temperature. It is highly versatile and has an incredibly long shelf life.
So why is it so bad?
Palm oil trees are native to Africa but have long been grown in South-East Asia. Indonesia and Malaysia now produce 85% of the world’s palm oil supply (1). In these nations, which are home to some of the most biodiverse forests on the planet, palm oil production is a major driver of deforestation and habitat loss.
Replacing natural forests with palm oil plantations is especially dangerous for the already endangered orangutan and pigmy elephant. To make matters worse, many palm oil operations involve slave and child labor practices (2).
Unfortunately for animals and people, this popular food additive is getting harder and harder to avoid. According to World Wildlife Fund, palm oil can be found in about 50% of the packaged food on grocery store shelves (1). And peanut butter is one of the most common offenders.
Our choices below include only palm-oil-free brands and those that use traceable, ethically sourced palm oil.
Pure and Natural: The Best Vegan Peanut Butter Brands
1. CB’s Nuts Organic Peanut Butter
No products found.
There are a lot of great one-ingredient peanut butters out there. But few are as tasty or as ethically superior as CB’s Organic Peanut Butter.
This deliciously creamy spread is made of 100% USA-grown organic peanuts. It contains zero added sugars, oils, or salt. But still retains an impressive amount of flavor thanks to a unique slow, barrel-roasting process.
If you like a little saltiness to your peanut butter, the company also makes a Sea Salt Peanut Butter that utilizes slow-roasted, salted peanuts with salt sourced straight from Utah.
- Ingredients: Peanuts
- Protein: 8g
- Calories: 188
- Fat: 16g
2. Spread the Love Organic Peanut Butter
No products found.
Coming in at a close second is another fantastic single-ingredient peanut butter. Spread the Love Organic peanut butter is made in California with just one perfect ingredient: dry-roasted peanuts!
Their specialty roasting and grinding process means that no additional oils or ingredients are needed to produce tasty PB just as nature intended.
Our favorite part about this simple spread? It is extra-smooth and uniquely drizzle-able! This makes it the perfect oatmeal topper and one of our favorite protein shake flavor boosters.
- Ingredients: Peanuts
- Protein: 7g
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 15g
3. PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
No products found.
If you’re after a low-fat, ethical peanut butter, there is only one choice. PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter is unconventional but also undeniably brilliant.
By changing the form of their butter—powdered instead of spreadable—PB2 created a product that is naturally low in fat while retaining the protein and fiber that makes peanut butter such a great vegan snack.
This powdered peanut butter can be mixed with water to create a conventional spread or added to smoothies for a deliciously healthy treat. In addition to the original formula, this PB is also available in Certified Organic varieties.
- Ingredients: Peanuts, Sugar, Salt
- Protein: 12g
- Calories: 60
- Fat: 6g
4. Yum Butter Organic Peanut Butter
No products found.
This isn’t your standard, boring old peanut butter. Yum Butter features a lip-smackingly unique formula that pulls together salty and sweet for a whole new PB experience.
In addition to organic peanuts, you’ll also find coconut sugar and pink Himalayan salt in this spread.
Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index rating than cane sugar and is less likely to spike your blood sugar. Pink Himalayan salt is also a healthier choice than traditional table salt thanks to its low sodium content.
This delectable spread does contain palm oil, but it is sourced only from RSPO certified palm farms.
- Ingredients: Peanuts, Coconut Sugar, Salt, Palm Oil
- Protein: 7g
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 15g
5. 365 by Whole Foods Organic Peanut Butter
No products found.
Looking for a great deal? You won’t find ethical peanut butter at a better price than 365’s organic spread.
This well-priced PB features just one perfect ingredient: organic, US-grown dry roasted peanuts.
This PB is about as simple as it gets. No salt, no additives—just ground peanuts that taste exactly as you would expect. For those used to grinding their own peanuts to make homemade spreads, you are going to love this product.
- Ingredients: Dry Roasted Organic Peanuts
- Protein: 8g
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 17g
7. Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter Co
No products found.
The label really says it all with this tasty PB spread: 100% peanuts!
Like our other single-ingredient choices, this peanut butter is perfect for those looking to replicate homemade nut spreads.
While this PB is not organic, it is GMO-free and completely natural. And it only uses peanuts grown in the United States.
Something about the processing method does leave this natural PB quite a bit more separated than your standard refrigerated peanut butter. We recommend using an immersion blender to mix the thick bottom layer with the floating oil.
It takes a little extra work but is well worth the time for the delicious product you get in the end.
- Ingredients: Peanuts
- Protein: 8g
- Calories: 190
- Fat: 16g
8. Adam’s Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
No products found.
I love single-ingredient peanut butters. But I just can’t resist that bit of extra flavor that salt adds. For my fellow two-ingredient PB fans out there, I give you Adam’s Natural.
This tasty spread is made with 99% fresh roasted peanuts and a dash of salt.
Adam’s Natural has been fighting to keep peanut butter natural and delicious for almost 100 years, so you know they have to be doing something right!
- Ingredients: Peanuts, Salt
- Protein: 7g
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 16g
9. Santa Cruz Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
No products found.
This is another great peanut butter for those who like a little bit of salt in their spread.
Unlike Adam’s Natural, this one utilizes only organic peanuts. They also, uniquely, use Spanish peanuts. This lends itself to a little different taste and higher oil content than brands that use Valencia or Virginia nuts.
This PB isn’t quite as creamy as others on this list, but there are plenty of fans out there who prefer Santa Cruz’s texture and taste.
- Ingredients: Peanuts, Salt
- Protein: 8g
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 16g
10. Peanut Butter & Co Peanut Butter
No products found.
If you prefer the texture of no-stir peanut butter but still want an ethical vegan product, then your options are more limited. Peanut Butter & Co is one of the few PB brands that meet those requirements.
This company utilizes RSPO certified palm oil. This means that their palm oil comes from farms that use only sustainable farming practices that are better for people and animals.
Their standard peanut butter does contain some added cane sugar and salt. This isn’t so great for those looking for all-natural, healthier PBs. But for those wanting to switch from traditional, less-ethical brands, the taste and texture are going to be much more familiar.
- Ingredients: Peanuts, Palm Oil, Sugar, Salt
- Protein: 7g
- Calories: 190
- Fat: 15g
What Is the Best Vegan Peanut Butter?
When it comes to peanut butters that truly capture the vegan philosophy, there are a ton of great brands to choose from.
One of our favorites for its simplicity and taste is CB’s Nuts Organic Peanut Butter. It contains 100% USA-grown organic peanuts and nothing else.
If you prefer a peanut butter with a little extra flavor, Adam’s Natural Creamy Peanut Butter is the way to go. It has just a touch of salt that makes all the difference.
Or for those out there who just can’t get on board with refrigerated PB, Yum Butter Organic Peanut Butter is one of the more ethical no-stir options. This brand uses organic peanuts and RSPO certified palm oil.
Peanut Butter and Co. peanut butter has palm oil. Most of us are now aware that large portions of the Amazon Rain Forest is being torn down to make way for cultivating palm oil plants. I would not recommend this peanut butter for that reason, unless they have recently changed the oil.