Peanut butter is usually paired with something sweet but I’ve begun to explore the other possibilities of our favorite tan-colored paste. While many companies produce flavored peanut butter, few dare to create a savory one. This is an attempt to clone the “Heat is On” peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co., an often overlooked and under-appreciated flavor in my opinion. Make a small batch, or a double batch, but make sure it’s ready for what I’ve got in store. The uses for this spread are endless.

Ingredients:Print

1 cup (1/2 jar) natural creamy peanut butter
1 1/2t chili powder
1 1/2t cayenne pepper
1t crushed red pepper flakes
1t paprika
1/2t – 3/4t kosher salt (only if using unsalted peanut butter)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a jar and let sit overnight for the flavors and colors to extract. If your tolerance for spicy foods isn’t very high, use only half of the spice, taste it and adjust accordingly. As for the salt, chili powder often contains salt so you may want to add less salt to start, taste, and adjust.

Filed in Gluten Free, PB Flavors, Peanut Butter, Vegetarian

56 Responses / Leave a comment »

  1. VeggieGirl says:

    VeggieGirl = lives for hot & spicy food. And for nut-butters :-D

  2. Shelby says:

    I LOVE Hot and Spicy foods!!!!!
    Can’t wait to try this, and it’s much cheaper than PB&Co’s!

  3. dawn says:

    thanks for the info on the contest…hmmm
    I can never get enough of spicy peanut butter. Best thing on noodles and my curry sauces.

    • Lu Brammer says:

      Aaaaaahhhhh, now why hadn’t I thought of that before? I am always in search of a vegan friendly peanut sauce for my noodles. Best snack food.

  4. Marta says:

    I love your daring spirit!! Dressing up peanut butter is certainly a great outlet for peanut-butter-loving creativity! I think I tried one with Indian spices that I did not enjoy, but then spicing it up with cinnamon, cardamom and paprika is yummy too! Thanks for the contest info… if only I’d get over my Facebooklesness

    You’re not missing much in terms of Facebook. You could always sign up just to upload a picture for the contest and worry about your profile later or never =). ~ Nick

  5. Jo says:

    You know… this sounds really, really good! Thank you! :)

  6. Joanne says:

    Great idea. I’ve seen a lot of chocolate confectioners that are now incorporating the use of hot flavors/peppers in the chocolate. It all sounds good to me.

    That’s true, a lot of chocolate companies are doing that now. They’re good, but for me, a smooth and creamy plain dark chocolate is still the best! ~ Nick

  7. Hayley says:

    I love spicy foods. This recipe sounds great!

  8. Love spicy food mixed with sweetness, this is the yummy case :)

    Love this recipe and a very interesting contest!

    Cheers!
    Gera

  9. susan says:

    Did you know, PB&Co has published a recipe book and put recipes for all of their peanut butters in it?

    Yes maam! That cookbook is one of the reasons I got so into peanut butter and I just gave one away for the latest Peanut Butter Exhibition #5. The recipe for the “Heat is On” only uses 2 spices but my recipe tastes much more like the real thing! ~ Nick

  10. Laci says:

    I live for variety and down to earth foods like nutbutter… hmmm, hot and spicey, not sweet? Perhaps worth the risk… :)

    I agree, something so natural and comforting about nut butters, and the spicy kick is really nice. ~ Nick

  11. I bet this would be great on noodles, also chicken….What else???

    Ah, you shall see soon enough! =) ~ Nick

  12. Heather says:

    oh my gosh! that sounds delicious!

  13. ttfn300 says:

    i still have some of my jar left, but when that’s gone… :)

  14. something about this screamed **spread this on popcorn and let it harden in the fridge for a crunchy, peanut buttery snack** – I have no idea why. Gut culinary reaction. Thoughts?

    That sounds delicious…and I bet it would be just as good warm, drizzled on fresh popped corn, like Peanut Butter Kettle Corn only without the sugar. I’m giving this a try, great idea! ~ Nick

  15. Erin says:

    I love this idea. It makes so much sense given all the spicy peanut sauces out there!

  16. Yummers! I can think of lots of things to use this pb with!

  17. Elyse says:

    I love the idea of a savory and spicy peanut butter. I’d love to put this on some chicken! What a fabulous PB concoction!

  18. Hey Nick. I have some “THE HEAT IS ON” on its way to me as we speak. I can’t wait for it to arrive. I love this sandwich, it’s all I order when I go to PB&CO. They serve it with chicken and pineapple jam. What are some other ideas for this peanut butter, sandwiches and main dishes?

    Let us know! THANKS!

    That’s my favorite sandwich there too! I’ll be using it in upcoming recipes for sure, but for now I suggest using it on burgers (turkey, chicken, beef or pork) instead of mayo and on sandwiches like turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese and spicy pb! ~ Nick

  19. I’ve seen “The Heat Is On”, but never tried it. I’m betting it would taste great in savory dishes, and now I can make my own. Thanks!

  20. Oh wow, that would be great in a thai-style peanut dipping sauce, or on a sandwich! YUM!

  21. Rebecca says:

    Wonderful idea! I’ll definitely make a batch of this.

  22. Lizzy says:

    I was just thinking about some variation on this the other day. Lovely!

  23. giz says:

    This would be wonderful with chicken satay or even lathered on celery as a snack. Hey – there’s your idea for the next exhibition – savoury peanut butter.

  24. This sounds like something I could become addicted to!

  25. Tina says:

    I love this idea!!! I need to make this ASAP!

  26. Bren says:

    hot spicy sounds great. i was just looking at some peanuts i have in my fridge and thinking of something new to do with them… you just birthed an idea! :)

  27. sf says:

    thanks for the great recipe! i used a variation of this in a sandwich with plantains, yum!

  28. Riza says:

    Wow,!!! it’s looks Delicious!

    Yum! yum!

  29. Sam says:

    This PB has a pretty gritty texture, even when made with creamy peanut butter. Is there anyway to get the texture to blend with the peanut butter better?

    • Nick says:

      I can see what you mean. Is it perhaps the salt you’re referring to? Are you using a natural peanut butter (where the oil separates)?

  30. Stephen says:

    Just had a PBJ in a tortilla and was thinking…why not put a dollop of cayenne sauce in there instead of jam …

    So I did a google search, and there you are. Fantastic.

  31. Emily Lenae says:

    just made this with Better’n Peanut Butter (peanut butter substitute with fewer calories + almost no fat) and it is EXQUISITE! i love this blog and will be mentioning you in one of my food-related posts soon! thanks for the great recipes :D

    • Nick says:

      Oh nice, it even works well with Better Butter? I’ve never had it but a lot of ppl swear by it. Don’t forget that the fats and protein in peanut butter are what make peanut butter so healthy!

      Thanks for the compliments Emily! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes!

  32. LaurenP says:

    Loved! Such a nice little kick. I think I’m actually going to whip up some and give as gifts for Christmas. What led me to find your recipe, though, was another recipe for quite possibly the most awesome cookies ever: http://www.fakefoodfree.com/2011/10/spicy-chocolate-peanut-butter-cookies.html. Highly recommended. Thanks so much for this recipe!

    • Nick says:

      Oooh, that’s a great gift idea! I think I saw her post spicy PB cookies a while back and thought they sounded interesting, but a little odd.

      I guess now I really have to try them!

  33. james campbell says:

    You know I love adding spice to my pb I actually normally use chips lik the doritos alarm chips layered in my sandwich and the spice and butter with a big glass of milk is awsome im also a sucker for crunchy so its a nice twist on pb sandwich another good mix is frito chili cheese on pb sandwich

  34. Laura says:

    Just made this in peanutbutter/coconut butter mix. It is delicious and perfect mix of spiciness!

  35. Tracy says:

    Just mixed some “heat is on” with some olive oil for a delicious salad dressing. Super yummy !

  36. Jason says:

    I put cayenne and cinnamon w/chromium in my peanut butter and have as a pre-workout snack. The heat gives me a little extra burn.

    • Nick says:

      Interesting combo…it tastes good?

      • Jason says:

        Yeah, you pretty much taste the peanut butter the most as you’re eating it, then you feel the heat afterward. I have trouble swallowing gelcaps, so the cinnamon/chromium supplements I was trying to take were just getting stuck so I started mixing them in peanut butter and having it as a tasty snack. Wanted to up the burn so I put some cayenne in it. You can’t really taste the cinnamon really with the cayenne in there.

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