SKIPPY Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread

Rating: 4/10

• 🥜 Category: Peanut, Smooth, Plain
• Country of origin: USA
• Serving suggestion: As a replacement for butter or vegetable oil in peanut butter flavoured baked goods / raw treats

A disclaimer is in order here: according to the official SKIPPY® website (I can't believe they got the elusive peanut butter dot com domain, by the way - that's dedication and I admire it), the US label has palm oil in the list of ingredients; when I was scouting the aisles at my local Woolworths, however, for my next peanut butter to buy, and looked at the label on this jar, it reads vegetable oil. From some quick online research, it seems that the main difference between the 'Natural' version of SKIPPY Creamy and the regular is that they've replaced the hydrogenated vegetable oil in the regular with palm oil. I'm therefore not sure if the version I'm reviewing is exactly the same as what you would find in the US, or what the difference is between the non-'Natural' SKIPPY Creamy and this one.

Disclaimer aside... Am I missing something here? SKIPPY seems to me to be the brand of choice for many food people whose tastes I trust, but in a phrase I would describe this as being a very lightly peanut flavoured, sweet and salty source of fat (like - butter or coconut oil or vegetable oil, that's how much this tastes like oil and not peanuts). This post has been sitting in a draft because I was second guessing myself, but Binging With Babish's Peanut Butter Ranking Video came out 2 days ago. Babish very boldly stated that SKIPPY is the benchmark. I decided that was as good of a kick in the butt as any to get it done.

Since I started writing this up I gave Mr. SKIPPY Natural Creamy multiple tries - as a spread on toast [which is what they advertise this should be!] (plain; with banana; with fruit spreads; with honey - all no), as an accoutrement to my morning oats (also no), out of the jar (no), and then finally as an ingredient in baking (berry banana PB protein muffins - yes; peanut butter cookies - yes but needed the addition of actual chopped peanuts; chocolate coconut oat protein slice - yes but needed a good dark chocolate and some smoky sea salt to add richness and flavour). I will say it's unoffensive, but it's not good. At least I have found valid ways to get through the jar.