Peanut butter is a popular spread made from ground, dry-roasted peanuts. It’s a staple in many people’s pantries and can be used in sandwiches, dips, baked goods, and more. However, not all peanut butters are created equal when it comes to sugar content. Some peanut butters contain added sugars like honey, molasses, or cane sugar. Others only contain naturally occurring sugars from the peanuts themselves. For people watching their sugar intake or managing diabetes, choosing a peanut butter with less added sugar can be an important consideration. In this article, we’ll compare the sugar content of popular peanut butter brands to determine which has the least amount of sugar per serving.
The Role of Sugar in Peanut Butter
Sugar is added to many commercial peanut butters for several reasons:
- It balances the natural peanut flavor, masking any bitter notes
- It helps stabilize the emulsion, preventing separation of the oils and solids
- It sweetens the spread, making it more palatable particularly to kids
While small amounts of sugar can improve flavor and texture, excessive amounts simply add unnecessary calories and carbohydrates. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar intake to no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day for women and 9 teaspoons (38 grams) per day for men.
Comparing Sugar Content of Popular Peanut Butter Brands
To find out which peanut butter contains the least amount of sugar, we compared nutrition labels of 10 top-selling national brands:
- Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
- Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter
- Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter
- Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter
- Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter
- Teddie All Natural Peanut Butter
- Trader Joe’s Creamy Peanut Butter
- Reese’s Creamy Peanut Butter
- Smucker’s Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter
- Crazy Richard’s 100% Peanuts Peanut Butter
We specifically looked at the sugar content per serving – usually 2 tablespoons or 32 grams. Here’s how the popular peanut butter brands compared:
| Peanut Butter Brand | Sugar per Serving |
|---|---|
| Jif Creamy Peanut Butter | 3g |
| Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter | 3g |
| Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter | 3g |
| Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter | 3g |
| Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter | 3g |
| Teddie All Natural Peanut Butter | 2g |
| Trader Joe’s Creamy Peanut Butter | 2g |
| Reese’s Creamy Peanut Butter | 3g |
| Smucker’s Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter | 2g |
| Crazy Richard’s 100% Peanuts Peanut Butter | 1g |
Key Takeaways from Sugar Content Comparison
Analyzing the nutrition labels revealed a few key findings:
- Most major commercial brands contain 3g of sugar per serving
- Natural or organic brands tend to be lower, with 2g of sugar per serving
- Crazy Richard’s 100% Peanuts Peanut Butter has the least sugar, with just 1g per serving
The natural and organic peanut butters do not contain any added sugars, just the natural sugar content from peanuts. Meanwhile, the major brands add modest amounts of sugar likely for flavor, texture, and stability.
Ingredient Labels Provide More Clues
Looking beyond just the nutrition facts, we can learn more about added sugars by analyzing the ingredients lists:
Jif Creamy Peanut Butter – Roasted peanuts, sugar, molasses, fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, mono and diglycerides, salt.
Jif adds both sugar and molasses, which explains its 3g of sugar per serving.
Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter – Roasted peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil, salt.
Skippy relies just on sugar for sweetness.
Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter – Roasted peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil, salt.
Peter Pan’s sweetener is also plain sugar.
Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter – Roasted peanuts, palm oil, salt.
With no added sugars, Smucker’s derives its minimal sweetness just from the peanuts themselves.
Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter – Dry roasted organic valencia peanuts.
Justin’s also has no added sugars, getting its sweetness from peanuts alone.
Crazy Richard’s 100% Peanuts Peanut Butter – Peanuts.
With absolutely no other ingredients, Crazy Richard’s allows the natural sweetness of peanuts to shine through.
Key Takeaways from Ingredient Labels
Analyzing the ingredients lists tells us:
- Added sugars include white sugar, molasses, honey, etc.
- Brands with shortest ingredients lists tend to be lowest in sugar
- Crazy Richard’s derives all sweetness just from peanuts
How Else Does Sugar Content Vary?
Beyond looking at total sugar content, we observed some other differences between peanut butter brands:
Style – Creamy vs. crunchy peanut butters had similar sugar content, with creamy averaging 2.7g and crunchy averaging 2.4g per serving. Style doesn’t have a major impact.
Serving size – Some brands classified 2 tablespoons (32g) as one serving, while others listed 1 tablespoon (16g). Comparing sugar per serving doesn’t tell the whole story. Standardizing to a common serving size (2 tablespoons) shows that per ounce, natural peanut butters actually have more sugar since peanuts are naturally sweet.
Sugar type – Some brands use refined white sugar while others opt for alternatives like honey or molasses. While the total sugar may be similar, the type of sugar does influence the nutrition and glycemic impact.
Key Takeaways on Other Factors
Looking beyond just total sugar gave us additional context:
- Crunchy vs. creamy doesn’t change sugar much
- Serving size influences perception of sugar content
- Sugar type affects nutritional value
Health Impacts of Sugar in Peanut Butter
For most people, the small amounts of sugar found in standard peanut butter are nothing to worry about. However, for those limiting added sugars or monitoring blood sugar levels, choosing a minimally sweetened variety can make a difference. Potential health impacts of extra sugar in peanut butter may include:
- More added carbohydrates and calories
- Rapid spikes in blood sugar if made with refined sugars
- Greater risk of weight gain or inability to lose weight
- Worse metabolic health and insulin sensitivity
- Increased tooth decay risk
On the other hand, peanut butter with no added sugars provides small amounts of natural sugar along with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and vitamin E.
Key Takeaways on Health Impacts
In summary, added sugar in peanut butter may negatively influence:
- Calories and carbohydrates
- Blood sugar control
- Weight management
- Metabolic health
- Dental health
But without added sugar, peanut butter can be part of an overall healthy diet.
How to Identify Peanut Butter with Less Added Sugar
When shopping for peanut butter, look for these characteristics to choose options with minimal added sugars:
- Short ingredients list – Check for added sugars like white sugar, molasses, honey, etc. in the ingredients.
- 2 grams or less sugar per serving – Compare nutrition labels to find options lower in total sugars.
- No mention of added sugars – Read front labels which may boast “no added sugar.”
- Look for natural or organic – These often have less or no added sugars.
- Focus on peanuts – Choose brands where peanuts are the sole or primary ingredient.
You can also make your own peanut butter at home in a blender or food processor with just peanuts and a pinch of salt for ultimate control over sugar content.
Tips for Identifying Low-Sugar Peanut Butter
To quickly find options with less added sugar:
- Check the ingredients list
- Note total sugar on nutrition labels
- Look for natural and organic varieties
- Consider making your own at home
Best Low-Sugar Peanut Butter Options
Based on our analysis, here are some great options for minimizing added sugars in peanut butter:
Crazy Richard’s 100% Peanuts Peanut Butter – With 1g sugar and peanuts as the sole ingredient, this is our top choice.
Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter – A widely available natural peanut butter with just 2g sugar per serving.
Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter – This organic peanut butter contains no added sugars.
Teddie All Natural Peanut Butter – Teddie’s only uses peanuts and salt for its classic recipe.
Trader Joe’s Creamy Peanut Butter – At just $2 per jar, this grocery store brand has solid nutrition stats.
Make Your Own – For ultimate control, make peanut butter at home in a blender or food processor.
Top Picks for Low-Sugar Peanut Butter
Great options include:
- Crazy Richard’s 100% Peanuts Peanut Butter
- Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter
- Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter
- Teddie All Natural Peanut Butter
- Trader Joe’s Creamy Peanut Butter
- Homemade peanut butter
Conclusion
If you’re looking to limit added sugars in your diet, minimizing sugar intake from spreads and condiments can help. Our comparison of popular peanut butter brands shows that Crazy Richard’s 100% Peanuts Peanut Butter has the least amount of sugar, with just 1g per serving. Other good options are natural or organic peanut butters focusing just on peanuts as the main ingredient. Checking nutrition labels for total sugars and reading the ingredients list can guide you towards options with minimal added sweeteners. Choosing a less sweetened peanut butter lets the natural flavor of peanuts shine through while providing a healthy dose of plant-based protein.
