I love peanut butter and to be without it, even when traveling and away from home, just isn’t something I prefer.
While in Aruba, I got a little adventurous and tried some of the peanut butter sold in the local Aruban grocery stores. Key word is adventurous since I can’t read Dutch and many products are imported from Holland because Aruba is a Dutch island.
Let’s compare and review:
1. Speculaaspasta
Technically, this isn’t peanut butter. It’s the Dutch equivalent of Cookie Butter Spread or Biscoff Spread
As I explained here, it’s identical to Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter Spread and it’s highly delicious and addictive. Imagine gingersnaps crushed, blended, and turned into a thick, rich, cinnamony-gingery paste
Don’t leave me alone with a jar of it or cookie butter. They’re the same or with Biscoff, which is nearly the same.
I used the Dutch Speculaaspasta spread when I made these Chocolate Banana and Biscoff Graham Bars
2. Jumbo Pindakaas
I bought this because of the word Naturel on the label and thought I was going to get something close to my Homemade Peanut Butter or your garden variety natural peanut butter.
Instead, I got a really peppery peanut butter that was fairly thick. I didn’t like the flavor but Skylar loved it. A five year old who loved peppery peanut butter.
I think Jumbo Pindakaas would be great used in Two Minute- Peanut Sauce for Fresh Spring Rolls (raw, vegan, GF)
Or as the base of a salad dressing or in the marinade for Peanut Sauce Baked Tofu (vegan, GF) because I think the peppery flavor would complement savory foods.
3. Quino Pindakaas
I also bought this in the hopes that it would be like my beloved homemade peanut butter because it looked fairly ‘natural’ in the glass jar. There were tiny peanut flecks I could see when peering through the glass, and I had high hopes for it but unfortunately, it was really salty.
I prefer sweeter peanut butter, or honey-roasted, and this was a bit too salty for my day-to-day eating.
However, it was perfect in Combos Pretzel and Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Bars (no-bake)
I actually kind of made these bars because of this peanut butter. And because I couldn’t walk past a bag of Combos and not buy them.
4. Planters Creamy Peanut Butter
I wanted Jif Creamy Peanut Butter but the only size available was approaching a half-gallon and even I didn’t need that much peanut butter so Planters was fine. Run of the mill American processed peanut butter for sale in Aruba is like having a comforting blanket and reminds me of home.
I like to bake with creamy, non-natural peanut butter like Jif or Planters and have a few tricks and recipes similar to this one up my sleeve that I used Planters for.
5. Peter Pan Honey Roast Creamy
Since I was striking out with Dutch-labeled peanut butter that I thought would be natural-tasting and wasn’t getting what I wanted and can’t make my own because I don’t have a food processor here…
…I knew this would handle my midnight cravings. And it did.
Keep me away from a spoon and this jar, especially at night. Sweet, creamy, and everything I want when I’m having honey-roasted peanut butter cravings and can’t make it.
What’s your favorite peanut butter?
What’s your favorite nut butter or spread?
My favorite peanut butter for eating off the spoon is my homemade honey-roasted peanut butter which takes less than 10 minutes and is the stuff my dreams are made of and I don’t care if it’s 3am when I get back to San Diego from Aruba, I will probably turn on my food processor and make a batch. I know I have some unopened TJ’s honey roasted peanuts in my cupboard.
My favorite peanut butter for baking is Jif Creamy because it just whips into perfection, doesn’t spread or run, isn’t too thin, and sometimes ‘processed’ is good when planning to bake with it.
When I don’t want my peanut butter cookies (GF) to spread
Or marshmallow peanut butter bars (GF) to turn into a soupy mess, Jif it is. Plus, Jif is the peanut butter I grew up with and a nostalgic favorite.
In terms of non-peanut butter nut butters, I don’t really like almond butter. I know it’s popular, but it tends to be too thin, too runny, and too bland for my tastes.
I prefer Sunflower Seed Butter (I buy Trader Joe’s) or try the SunButter brand is widely available at many grocery stores or at Whole Foods. Sunflower seed butter is sweet, smooth, and has a very distinct taste that I love. It’s on the thinner side but the flavor more than makes up for the runnier consistency. This is another nut butter that I need to stay away from after the clock strikes midnight, which seems to be when I do my best spoon and jar maneuvers.
I love Nutella and will spread it on anything and make Nutella & Peanut Butter Graham Bars with Chocolate Frosting (No Bake)with it.
Who can resist the stuff?
I like making my own Chocolate Coconut Cashew Butter (vegan, GF). It’s what I’d imagine Nutella made from cashews rather than hazelnuts, and with coconut added, would probably taste like.
I have all my Peanut Butter Recipes compiled here
And I have a Peanut Butter Pinterest Board
Tell me about your favorite nut butters, peanut butters, and spreads.
I like reading your comments about Dutch peanut butter (Naturel just means without chunks) Usually I hear the opposite side and it’s funny to know people from outside of the country dislike our peanut butter as much as we dislike theirs. Basicaly every Dutchman or woman that goes abroad will first pack some peanutbutters because the rest does not compare. Mind you tho all dutch peanut butters contain atleast 85% peanuts and some peanut oil, salt and barely any sugar so I’d say Dutch PB is quite natural compared to US counterparts :)
Also fun fact in Dutch PB is called pindakaas (Peanut cheese) because at the time is was illegal to call anything butter that did not contain atleast 82% milkfat).
Thanks for the article!
Hi! I’m Dutch and the word ‘Pindakaas’ just means peanut butter. Literally translated it’s ‘pinda = peanut’ and ‘kaas = cheese’. It’s a pretty weird name but it tastes great anyway!
Thanks for the translation.
The reason that we call it Pindakaas (peanut cheese) is because ‘boter’ (butter) is a protected name in the Netherlands, and may only be used for products actually containing a certain amount of actual butter
also, Dutch style peanut butter is usually more savory, thick and chunky compared to American style peanut butter.
the Dutch word “naturel” isn’t the same as the English “natural” (which in Dutch would be “natuurlijk”), but it’s more like standard/regular, or without special flavours added, e.g. in crisps, natural is used for the regular salted kind, for the peanut butter, it usually means slightly chunky (they sometimes also sell extra chunky ones, and so called ‘light’ or diet versions with less fat, and also some extra creamy versions, which might get closer to what you’re used to)
Thanks for all the info!
Omg you tried Dutch peanut butter! I’m from Holland and I love peanut butter too. It’s a pity that you haven’t tried Calvé pindakaas. That is the best peanut butter brand in Holland, maybe even in the world. I don’t like the jumbo pindakaas at all so I get why you didn’t like that either. Jumbo and quino are cheaper and so the quality is not that good.
I’ve seen the Calvé pindakaas in the grocery store in Aruba but after having a few disappointing other Dutch ones, I stopped trying it. Now that I know this is the best one (and that the Jumbo and Quino are the cheaper, lesser quality ones) I will try it. When I’m in the grocery store, it’s all in Dutch and I cannot read what I am buying and feel so handicapped, literally just guessing based on color and what I can see thru the sides of the jar! Thanks for your suggestion!
Hi Averie, I was wondering if you tried making Almond Butter? I do love my natural peanut butters, but having a real nut is so much healthier for you. Your cashew/nutella like butter looks awesome and I will be making that as soon as I can! I was just thinking wondering if you would make the almond butter the same way in just mixing until creamy, or if there is a trick to the trade.
Also, I love your recipes. I go to the same school and in the same sorority that “The Little Yellow Kitchen” girls went to and were in, and thats where I found your blog. I am happy I found it, but now it means I have to workout even more for all the eating I will be doing!! Thanks so much!
-Kelli
Almond butter is one of the harder nut butters to get buttery-smooth b/c almonds are a much firmer nut than peanuts or cashews. Cashews are buttery soft and blend up very easily.
“but having a real nut is so much healthier for you.” — I think anything you can blend in your own kitchen is healthier than what you buy whether that’s PB, AB, or any other nut butter, but I don’t necessarily obsess about the ‘health’ status of it as much as taste. I want it to taste fabulous and I personally prefer PB to AB so that’s what I make.
Thanks for finding me and reading and small world you know those girls!
I like my peanut butter salty. Maybe that’s a Dutch thing. Besides that we do not eat peanut butter the way Americans do. We put it on our bread and I use it for peanut butter sauce. That’s about it.
https://www.calve.nl/index.aspx?nodeId=13204615 This is the most famous peanut butter here in the Netherlands
they sell that in Aruba, too! I feared it would be pretty salty just by looking at it and now that I know you use it as peanut butter sauce (was a guess on my part to try using it in that way!) that makes sense why it’s so salty compared to American PB.
Your inspection of various peanut butters hits home for me, though including Speculoos in the chart is a bit~ good stuff though, isn’t it! I’ve tried just a few from around the world; one in Singapore had small rice krispies in it, but the focal point- peanut butter- was more like a combination of butter, salt and I have no idea. Indonesia’s mantega kacang, (“peanut margarine/butter”) was nasty, so that was it, barring imported products bought in Jakarta’s foreign supermarkets. In China though, even though tastes varied greatly in each new jar purchased (nothing new for that country), I was introduced a few years ago to the humbling Skippy with PB and Chocolate. Ate one a day a couple of times, not smart. Anyway, back to the states, my go-tos are Trader Joe’s unsalted creamy/crunchy or (if someone is nice enough to gift me one from another part of the country) Peter Pan Honey Nut. Since you mentioned you live in San Diego, can you find the Peter Pan brand there? Do you like the Trader Joe’s spreads?
Yes I can get Peter Pan here and love all TJs spreads!
Unfortunately, I’m weaning myself off PB since the beau is moving in soon (aka in January) and he’s severely allergic. I’m sure you understand why I started this process back in June…when I had about 6 jars of PB&Co due to couponing…and still get peanut sauce whenever I can while out with friends!
I mostly make my own almond butter since the Costco almonds are so economical and don’t have a, “made in a factory with peanuts” warning on them. Saving $ + letting the beau live = BIG win for me. I love making homemade copycat Trade’s Almond and Flax Butter. But if it were more cost-efficient, I’d do walnut butter. All the time. :)
When it comes to making Thai-inspired dishes, I’ve found that sunbutter (homemade or one of the brands you mentioned) works best as a pb substitute. Its not quite there but it means that I can enjoy things like PB Tofu wraps and PB sauce…without sending anyone to the hospital. I’d say that’s a win. ;)
What a fun post!!! We use Justin’s Almond Butter…totally agree with you in some desert recipes you just have to go back to the basics Jif…or it just doesn’t turn out.
I love your analysis of PB! So hysterical and practical! Thanks for sharing :) Also – I blame you for my cookie butter addiction – JK and as for regular PB I like the organic one from Whole Foods… YUM!
Love the PB breakdown Averie. And Biscoff is a second to my favorite – Nutella. Though it’s tough to pick somedays. I love PB and Nutella swirled on graham crackers. It is by its very definition – CRACK.
I want peanut butter! We get it here in Paris but its so expensive… I have to ask friends to bring it over from England. Remember how lucky you are :)
That’s too bad that it’s so expensive there – at least you have thoughtful friends from England :)
You need to try the whole foods organic pb.
It is some of the best and safest (never any recalls).
Seriously, give it a go, so good.
When it comes to PB i’m all in for creamy! Crunchy is just not me! Great post, Averie! :)
I am 99% of the time just not into it either!