Being that it is Peanut Butter Lover’s Month, it’s only fitting that the second shipment of peanut butter arrived from the Peanut Butter of the Month Club, the perfect birthday present from my sister. This shipment contained one flavored and one plain peanut butter, but there’s no competition this time around, both are winners in my mind. In addition, I received a third jar of flavored peanut butter as a recent gift. Read on for the delicious details and recipes.
Cream-Nut Natural Peanut Butter (17oz, $6.29)
Cream-Nut brand has been around for over 80 years and still produces only this product. They still use the same vintage machinery which requires more upkeep and higher maintenance but they claim it produces a higher quality peanut butter. And look at that awesome label, it just screams “vintage”. I’ve seen this brand in stores before but didn’t purchase it because of the fairly high price. But now that I’ve tasted it, I can see that this peanut butter is a real treat.
The texture is creamy but contains very small chunks that give it a nice thickness that can only be described as “rich”. The only ingredient besides peanuts is sea salt, which is added in the perfect amount. This peanut butter isn’t for everyday use such as in Fresh Peanut Butter Ice Cream or in my new favorite recipe, Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal. It’s better utilized where the flavor and texture can fully come through, such as in Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread. Currently, my favorite way to enjoy this peanut butter is by dipping ultra-thin pretzel sticks in for a late night snack. As a bonus, the oil takes a much longer time to separate than other natural peanut butters, likely due to the thickness of this peanut butter. If you see this brand in the store and happen to have a few extra bucks, be sure to pick up a jar.
P.B. Loco Sun-Ripened Apricot (16oz, $6.95)
I keep hearing about P.B. Loco from fellow bloggers but have never had the opportunity to try it. It’s not in any stores around me and the shipping cost makes it too expensive to purchase online. Lucky me when I pulled a jar of this peanut butter out of the box. Peanut butter and apricots was a flavor combination I had been wanting to try for a while so this was perfect!
This flavor tastes exactly as is it sounds: like peanut butter with apricots. But there’s something more, something hidden in the brown murky depths of this jar, some flavor that I can only describe as a lingering apricot essence. Further inspection of the label reveals an ingredient called “apricot compound” which sounds like a futuristic, genetically-modified nutrition supplement but can be the only explanation for this lingering flavor. The sweetness of apricots comes through clearly in this peanut butter but this “apricot compound” seems to enhance the true flavor of the apricot. Imagine the taste of an apricot without the sweetness, musky and earthy but wholly good, that’s the added flavor.
I’ve been using this peanut butter in various ways but it’s great when paired with a banana such as in the peanut butter and banana wrap above. I also enjoy digging for and eating the apricot chunks with a knife straight from the jar. The pamphlet included with the shipment suggests making peanut butter oatmeal cookies with this flavor, but I suggest using the jar below for that task. But if you’re lucky enough to see this brand on the shelves, be sure to toss this one in your basket.
P.B. Loco CocoBanana (16oz, $6.95)
After a recent trip, my girlfriends parents brought back a present for each of us from New Orleans. I forget what my girlfriend received but it wasn’t as good as this! This P.B. Loco flavor is infused with dark chocolate and bananas, a combination that makes any self-respecting foodie weak in the knees. The flavor doesn’t disappoint and the sweetness is kept at a reasonable level. The mini chocolate chips in my jar melted so instead of chips I have swirls, but no complaints here. The banana flavor comes from a “banana compound” which is starting to seem less like a futuristic food replacement and more like another term for sugar. Nonetheless, there are tiny banana-flavored sugar crystals throughout this peanut butter that remind me of the banana flavored Runts, only less artificial tasting.
Again, this peanut butter isn’t for mixing, it needs to be used where the flavor can shine through. This peanut butter is wonderful on honey graham crackers or rice cakes. According to the salesperson: do not refrigerate. I’m not sure why but I don’t bother refrigerating peanut butter anyway, the oil in my jars never gets a chance to separate. Thanks Marcos & Denise!