Why crunchy peanut butter is the best

And frankly, it's enough work to swear me off the stuff: afterwards, my hands and best pair of jeans were slicked with peanut oil and my rotator cuff needed a massage.

Give me no-stir peanut butter or give me death! That's what I say. The problem? Most no-stir peanut butter is made with palm oil, which some environmentalists and nutritionists agree is bad for us. So, the Epicurious staff sat down to determine the best-tasting natural peanut butter. Some varieties were salted, some were unsalted, but all were crunchy, unsweetened, and stirred, by hand, until emulsified. For our methodology and the full list of PBs we tasted, scroll to the bottom of the page.

First up, the rankings! Santa Cruz might not be your kid's favorite peanut butter. There is no time for bullshit, it gets right to the point. Not only is crunchy peanut butter superior in taste and texture, but it is also healthier for you. According to actual nutritional facts, crunchy peanut butter has more folate and fibre, as well as being lower in saturated fat. Smooth is nutritionally inferior. Peanut butter is so much more than just a spread. Peanut butter is a versatile substance, which can add flare to any other food, creating the most delightful and surprising of combinations.

But, yet again, crunchy peanut butter takes the cake in terms of its compatibility and adaptability with other foods. Crunchy peanut butter reminds you that you are, in fact, eating nuts. Think of all the great flavour combinations. Chocolate and peanut butter. When smooth, cocoa goodness collides with its salty, crispy counterpart.

Take the classic peanut butter and jam. The sticky, sweet, berry-filled goodness smushed together with its crunchy, grainy sidekick. Analytical logic meets a whirlwind of emotion and romance. Jif keeps the chunks big, which we liked.

Very familiar-tasting, with a nice balance of salty and sweet. The creamy part is really creamy, too. This one was slightly saltier and sweeter than Jif. Again, it's a pretty mild difference. We had to taste them side-by-side and think about it really hard while doing so to notice it.

Some tasters thought the peanut-ness was lost under all that sweet-salty flavor power. It depends how "natural-tasting" you want your peanut butter. We'd still be happy spreading this on bread or celery sticks, just like we were during the playground era ahem, Peanut Butter Cognition Theory. Smaller crunchie nuggets than Jif and Skippy, but they are numerous so you don't feel robbed. The peanut butter part is silky smooth; it would easily spread on bread, as opposed to the bigger-nutted ones that require some effort.

We liked the depth of roasted flavor, which you don't get in all of them. Very roasty, fatty-tasting, and satisfying. Full disclosure: This is our That's Nuts columnist Lee Zalben's company, but the tasting was completely blind. Jif Natural is a little more natural-tasting than regular Jif. For us, that translated to "not as salty," which some tasters appreciated and others found underseasoned. You get a little more sweetness on this one; more roasted honey notes.

As with Jif, the difference in the ingredients here between the Skippy and Skippy Natural comes down to the oils. The Natural uses palm oil, and the Skippy regular, hydrogenated vegetable oils. Skippy Natural is a pretty sticky experience—let this be a warning to the roof of your mouth.

It gets familiarity points, though; many of us guessed Skippy upon first lick. Or even worse, crunchy peanut butter fudge? This is the stuff that nightmares are made of, truly.

I, among my creamy PB people, am not here for that. OK, so it's not the most enjoyable experience to clean sticky peanut butter out of your razor, but imagine running chunks of peanuts over your legs and picking actual peanuts out of your razor.

At least with creamy, you can just run your razor under soap and water to clean it. Nonetheless, shaving with peanut butter leaves your skin smooth and moisturized. Alright all you crunchy lovers, this is your only time to shine. According to Prevention. While both types of PB generally have an equal amount of calories, fat, sugar, and carbs, crunchy peanut butter contains less saturated fat and has 2 percent more fiber per serving.

While it technically may not be proven to be as healthy as its crunchy counterpart, creamy peanut butter is more popular, is easier to spread, and is much more visually appealing.