Creamy vs Crunchy

Creamy PB is as smooth as a baby’s bottom and is the shade of warm Hawaiian sand. Crunchy PB, on the other hand, is a bumpy brown mess. It doesn’t come out of the jar on a spoon in the perfect, round mound in which creamy PB does. Instead, it’s a gross runny and lumpy blob. Smooth peanut butter is creamy, which means it spreads easier on bread, and it mixes better into desserts and smoothies. Smooth peanut butter also lends itself to being licked from a spoon.

The most noticeable difference between the two peanut butters is that crunchy peanut butter generally contains about a full gram more of fiber than its creamy counterpart. Fiber is super important in regulating your digestive system, and it is a super good for you nutrient that helps you feel full for longer periods throughout the day, which prevents overeating and generally quells the desire to binge on unhealthy processed foods. Crunchy peanut butter also contains less saturated fat, which is the less healthy fat that your body can take.

Creamy peanut butter has a touch more protein, but crunchy PB has more folate and fiber, a nutrient that helps maintain bowel health. At the end of the day, though, their nutrient profiles are pretty darn close. Unless you’re strictly watching your saturated fat intake (there’s more of the nutrient in creamy peanut butter) there’s no reason you shouldn’t just choose the spread you enjoy the most.