Due to peanut butter’s rich and silky texture, many assume it contains milk or some type of dairy. However, that’s not the case.
Most peanut butter is dairy free and made without milk. All-natural peanut butter doesn’t contain milk or any other form of dairy, despite butter being in the name.
Read on to learn more about peanut butter, what it’s made of, and if it is vegan.
Is Peanut Butter Dairy Free?
Even though it has butter in its name, there is no dairy butter in peanut butter. Additionally, no milk or other dairy products are used in peanut butter. It is a naturally non-dairy product.
It’s called peanut “butter” because it’s a semi-solid fatty food when served at room temperature. However, peanut butter itself is mostly a protein, despite its name.
Ideally, store-bought peanut butter should only have one or two ingredients:
- Peanuts
- Salt
Some peanut butter also contains oil, which is acceptable depending on your diet.
What Is In Peanut Butter?
Typically, peanut butter is made of ground and roasted peanuts, oil, and salt.
Some brands may have additives or other ingredients, such as sugar, agave syrup, or molasses.
However, none of these contain any dairy and are considered vegan.
Some peanut butter may contain honey as a sweetener.
Others may contain palm oil, which some vegans dislike due to issues with ethical sourcing.
However, none of these ingredients have dairy in them, so if your primary concern is dairy, you are good to go.
Is Peanut Butter Vegan?
Most of the time, peanut butter is vegan. It contains no dairy products in its ingredients. Even if it has additives, such as sugar or molasses, those are considered vegan.
However, a few peanut butter brands may use honey as a sweetener, which is not considered vegan.
Double check the ingredients label if you are unsure, although most peanut butter will be fine.
Most peanut butter with honey will say so in the name. For example, Skippy peanut butter is typically dairy free and vegan.
However, Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Spread With Honey or Roast Honey Nut Skippy Peanut Butter both contain honey and are therefore not vegan.
The Best Vegan Peanut Butters
If you are looking for vegan peanut butter, here is a brief list of some options. All of these are dairy free as well.
Take a look at this video from FlavCity to learn more about how to choose peanut butter and his recommended brands!
Conclusion
Peanut butter is a great dairy-free product and an excellent protein source.
Most peanut butter will suit your needs if you need a vegan option. Whether you like your peanut butter creamy, crunchy, salted, or plain, there is an option for you.
