Is peanut butter gluten free? In short, in its pure form, yes, peanut butter is gluten free. However, you will see peanut butter in lots of non-gluten-free products as well as certified gluten-free products. So, let’s take a deeper look at this topic.
Types of Peanut Butter
Honestly, peanut butter should be just peanuts and salt. However, many brands include ingredients such as sugar and additives, and that’s where you have a risk of cross-contamination/cross-contact. There are lots of different types of peanut butters you can purchase these days and those include:
- Natural Peanut Butter
- Organic Peanut Butter
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- Crunchy Peanut Butter
- Peanut Spread (many say this isn’t real peanut butter and that’s because of the additional ingredients)
- Flavored Peanut Butter
- Powdered Peanut Butter
- Peanut Butter with Nutritional Boosts (protein powder, added omega via seeds, etc.)
Brands I Like for Peanut Butter
Here’s a list of brands that I think are great for people with Celiac Disease, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, a gluten intolerance, or wheat allergy. Remember, I’m in the United States, and can only speak for what’s sold in US grocery stores.
- 365 Organic (in-house brand for Whole Foods Market)
- Artisana (they also make nut butters my kids love)
- Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter
- Justin’s
- Kirkland Organic (in-house brand for Costco)
- MaraNatha
- Once Again
- Santa Cruz
- Spread the Love Peanut Butter (last I checked their peanut butter is made in a peanut only facility, which is great if you have a nut allergy)
The list of peanut butter brands I’ve shared are all on the organic and natural side of the peanut butter spectrum. You won’t find added sugars etc. in these brands, and most offer creamy and crunchy options.
If you have a tree nut allergy, Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter and Spread the Love Peanut Butter are the two brands you need to look into first. Last I checked, not only are the made on equipment free from gluten-containing grains, they’re also made on tree nut free equipment. It can be SO hard to find peanut free nut butter, and nut free peanut butter.
For powdered peanut butter, I really like the Naked PB brand. They disclose heavy metal test results up front, which is something most brands don’t do.I don’t know much about these two brands personally, but they look good on the surface:
- Peanut Butter & Co.
- Teddie (says gluten free on the label, but doesn’t indicate that it’s certified)
Related Recipe: Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies (an egg free and vegan take on a classic peanut butter cookie)
Cross-Contact: How Your Peanut Butter May be Contaminated with Gluten
Since we know that peanut butter in its pure form is a gluten-free food, how can it be contaminated with gluten? It comes down to the manufacturing process. Some brands own all of their equipment and control what the peanuts come into contact with. Other brands are at the mercy of their copacker. Whilst there are dedicated gluten free facilities all over the world, they aren’t always easy to get into to. Many are at full capacity, leaving brands to manufacturer where there’s space.
One brand I appreciate (whilst I’d never purchase it) is Fix and Fogg. They tell you right on the ingredient label that it’s made on equipment that processes other tree nuts, soy, sesame, and wheat. Not every company will go the extra mile to include this info, so I’m grateful when they do.
I’ll also add this, not all peanut butter and nut butter products have this type of May Contain statement because they may be using a copacker, and the shared lines can change any time. It’s better for these brands to either have up-to-date information on their website, or be able to tell you via email or phone. I wouldn’t want you to think they’re being malicious or anything of that nature.
Peanut Butter Products to Avoid
When you’re out in the world and looking for something that’s loaded with peanut butter goodness, there are products you’ll want to avoid. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but will help you think about what to purchase.
The biggest item to look out for: peanut butter baked goods that don’t carry a gluten-free label. You see things like peanut butter brownies or peanut butter cookies, and you’ll need to take a good long look at the ingredient list. You should be looking for ingredients such as:
- Malt (anything with malt such as malt flavoring, more on barley and malt in this article)
- Natural Ingredients (you’ll want to know what they’re derived from)
- Oats (not all oats are gluten free and the risk for cross-contact is high)
- Starch (you’ll want to know what starch they’re using)
- Wheat Flour
Another product to be concerned about: snack bars. Some bars are made on shared lines with gluten-containing ingredients (along with other major allergens). You’ll either want to select bars that are made in dedicated facilities (or on dedicated lines) or select a product that’s made specifically for the free-from community. Personally, I rather enjoy supporting allergy focused brands. My kids really enjoy bars from:
- 88 Acres
- Blake’s Seed Based
- Free Yumm Foods
- Made Good Foods
Related Resources
- Peanut Butter Substitutes (all about nut butters, seed butters, and more)
- Is Tahini Gluten Free (a deeper look at ingredients, cross-contact, and more)
- Peanut Butter vs Cashew Butter (comparing nutrition, taste, texture, and applications)
- Nutella vs Peanut Butter (comparing nutrition, taste, and more)
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Fun Ways to Enjoy Gluten Free Peanut Butter at Home
Make a PB Cheesecake
What’s great is that you can make a traditional baked cheesecake, or make a raw vegan cheesecake with organic coconut oil. Either way, you can swirl creamy peanut butter into your cheesecake mix, or make a killer sauce to drizzle on top. Another way to incorporate peanut butter into a cheesecake is to use a gluten free peanut butter cookie as the crust for said cheesecake. I’ll take two please. Actually, I won’t because I’m allergic to it all, but if I could, I absolutely would.
Peanut Chicken
Peanut chicken is pretty east to make and there are loads of simple recipes online for it. I make my kids a maple peanut chicken and they go wild for it. Just make sure you use all gluten free food products (remember, ingredients such as soy sauce contain wheat/gluten).
Boost Your Favorite Peanut Butter
You can mix extra ingredients into store-bought peanut butter. This allows you to make custom peanut butter flavors, ot boost the nutritional content of your peanut butter. Some cool mix-ins include:
- Organic Cacao Powder
- Organic Flax Seeds
- Hemp Seeds
- Maple Extract
- Protein Powder that’s safe for you (I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Just Ingredients brand and the VivoLife brand)
- Organic Vanilla Extract or Organic Ground Vanilla
Make Edible Cookie Dough
You can follow a gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe, but make it in the edible cookie dough style. The easiest way to do this is to start with an egg free (vegan) recipe. You’ll toast your flour, allow it to cool completely, then make the cookie dough batter.
From there, you can eat it straight, freeze it, or make chocolate dipped dough balls.
Answering Your Peanut Butter Questions
Does all peanut butter separate?
Most will separate, but know that oil separation is normal. In fact, nut butters, seed butters, legume butters, and tuber butters all separate as well. All you’ll need to do is stir peanut butter with a butter knife to bring it all back together, and you’re ready to use your PB.
A huge tip I wish someone would have told me when my kids were little: the easiest way is to store the peanut butter jar upside down. When you do that, then open the jar, the oil is on the bottom and it’s way easier to stir (and less messy).
Is it easy to make homemade peanut butter?
In my humble opinion, yes, it’s easy to make homemade peanut butter. You can make your own peanut butter at home using a food processor or larger specialty tool like the NutraMilk (hands down one of my most loved kitchen appliances). Once you’ve made your PB, you can store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
To make crunchy peanut butter, start by pulsing shelled peanuts in your food processor. This will be much easier and faster than trying to chop them by hand. Once they look good, set them aside. Now, process more shelled peanuts until a smooth peanut butter forms. Once that’s done, use a spatula to fold in your peanut pieces that were set aside. You’ll also want to store this in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
Is peanut flour gluten free?
Peanut flour in its pure state is a safe for someone on a gluten-free diet. However, depending on your level of sensitivity, you’ll want to reach out to the brand or check their website first for a gluten free claim. Some brands have the claim on front or back label of your jar, and others have it on the website’s FAQ section. Then, you’ll need to know about the manufacturing process.
If the peanut flour is made on shared equipment with wheat flour, despite the gluten-free claim, I personally wouldn’t purchase it. Shared equipment with wheat flour carries a decent risk of cross-contamination/cross-contact. If you’re OK with potential trace amounts of gluten, then I’d say go for it. If not, I’d find another brand.
Is peanut oil gluten free?
In its pure form, yes, peanut oil is gluten free. You’d be hard pressed to find a peanut oil manufacturer that’s using shared equipment in the manufacturing of their peanut oil. When in doubt, start by checking the manufacturer’s website, and contact them if there’s no information about gluten.
Should I be concerned about other nut butters having gluten-containing ingredients?
Depending on the product, maybe. When you purchase nut butters that are nuts + salt, the risk of their being gluten content is incredibly low. You can always reach out to a brand, but those are going to be very safe bets.
If you’re looking to purchase flavored nut butters, that’s where you’ll need to make sure they’re using gluten-free ingredients. Always check the ingredients list, as it’s your first line of defense. From there, you can check the manufacturer’s website’s FAQ to see if they have additional gluten and allergen information. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, reach out them. Ask about gluten-containing ingredients and wheat.
Here in the United States, since wheat is a major allergen, sometimes it’s a little easier to get the information that way. However, most brands are great about tracking gluten as well.
Are there brands of peanut butter I should avoid?
From a gluten stand point, I’d be concerned about Skippy peanut butter, and that’s because of all the products they make. Many contain gluten, and you’ll need to reach out to them about shared lines. If the peanut butter is made in the same facility as their wheat and gluten-containing ingredients, I’d ask if the peanut butter has been tested for gluten (ensure all batches are coming in at 20 ppm (gluten free standard for USDA) or less. I’d also make sure results aren’t averaged.
From a health perspective, I’d stay away from brands of peanut butter like Jif Peanut Butter (a j.m. smucker company). I reviewed their peanut butter line and there are so many extra (and unnecessary) ingredients, even in the Jif creamy peanut butter which should just be peanut butter in its natural form. There’s added sugars, palm oil, and other ingredients I wouldn’t feed my own kids. Other popular brands, including Peter Pan include hydrogenated vegetable oil, something we know can cause health issues when consumed regularly.
Normally I try to keep these opinions to myself but with the state of the health of our youth (and even adults) here in the United States, we have to start voting with our wallets where we can. We need to let brands know that we just want peanuts and salt.
I’d also be careful with peanut butter brands such as PB Fit that contain protein powders. Whilst their label says gluten free, it’s not certified gluten free, and protein powders are one of many potential gluten-containing ingredients. Just make sure you reach out and ask all the questions if you have concerns about their sourcing.
Is all peanut butter vegan?
Great question, and no, not necessarily. The biggest issue if you’re vegan will be the added sugars that a lot of the non-organic brands make. Brown sugar, white sugar, and all cane sugar derivatives can be processed with animal bones.
You’d need to reach out to each brand to ask if they’re using vegan sugar, or use one of my favorite brands. The peanut butter brands that I like are the kind where the only ingredients are peanuts and sea salt. When those are the only ingredients to worry about, you’re a lot more likely to find something that works for you. The good news is that many of the brands I’ve listed also say vegan up front.
Should my gluten-free peanut butter be stored at room temperature?
Each brand will be different. You’ll want to read the label and look for the instructions (they all have it in small print somewhere). You’ll see something like “store in a cool dry place” or “refrigerate after opening”. If a peanut butter jar doesn’t say to refrigerate, you don’t have to, but you can. However, if you do, the peanut butter may get exceptionally hard and you’ll need to put a little elbow grease into stirring it.
For peanut butter brands that use palm oil, is it always sustainable palm oil?
Not necessarily. As I was reviewing different ingredient labels, I found that some said palm oil, a few said sustainable palm oil, and of course some are using hydrogenated vegetable oil. If a brand is using sustainable palm oil, in the current food buzz era we live in, they’re very likely to call it out on the label. When in doubt, you can always reach out to a brand to see if it’s sustainable or not.
What’s the best brand of PB for making a peanut sauce?
Honestly, any PB that’s just peanuts and sea salt would work great for a peanut sauce. My personal choice is the Kirkland Organic Creamy Peanut Butter. I like this one because when you open a fresh jar (and stir it), it’s still on the runny side, and it really lends itself to a peanut sauce.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use other brands. When you cook peanut butter, it essentially melts down and you can emulsify it into your sauce. With the Costco brand specifically you can make a quick cold sauce if you need to, or a peanut butter glaze without too much effort.
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