Is Peanut Butter Vegan? Can You Eat This Spread In 2025

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have to be one of the most delicious sandwiches ever invented to be enjoyed by vegans and non-vegans alike. But is peanut butter vegan, or are some hidden non-vegan ingredients lurking in your jar?

As it turns out, there may be. While most peanut butter is made with vegan ingredients, your favorite peanut butter brand may use additives that are derived from animals or processed using animal byproducts and are not and are therefore, not, suitable for the vegan diet. 

Can Vegans Eat Peanut Butter?

While most peanut butter brands are vegan-friendly, some incorporate animal-derived ingredients for various reasons. A frequently used non-vegan additive is honey, typically avoided in vegan diets because it’s made by bees and therefore classified as an animal product.

Some peanut butter may also contain omega-3 fatty acid supplements derived from fish such as anchovies, sardines, or white sugar, which, although generally vegan, can sometimes be processed using bone char, a derivative of animal bones.

Another point to consider is that even if peanut butter and peanut butter products use entirely vegan ingredients, the risk of cross-contamination exists if it’s manufactured in facilities that also handle non-vegan products. While some vegans are perfectly fine with potential traces of animal products due to cross-contamination, strict vegans prefer to avoid these items entirely.

Many vegans also do not consume products made with palm oil, even though it is technically vegan, as palm oil production is linked to possible animal cruelty, such as orangutans being displaced from their natural habitats. 

Ingredients In Peanut Butter

Most peanut butter varieties in your local grocery store contain simple ingredients – such as roasted ground peanuts, oils, salt, and stabilizers.^[1] Some manufacturers might add components to boost the taste or extend the product’s shelf life, including vegan-friendly additives like molasses, sugar, agave syrup, or non-vegan honey and sugar. 

This implies that many peanut butter options you encounter are devoid of animal-derived ingredients and are safe to incorporate into your vegan lifestyle alongside all your fruits and veggies!

Peanut Butter Nutrition Facts

Nutritional values per tablespoon of peanut butter according to the USDA website:^[2]

• Energy: 95.5 kcal
• Protein: 3.6 g
• Total fat: 8.18 g
• Carbohydrate: 3.57 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.768 g
• Sugars: 1.68 g
• Calcium: 7.84 mg
• Iron: 0.277 mg
• Magnesium: 27 mg
• Phosphorus: 54.2 mg
• Potassium: 90.2 mg
• Sodium: 68.6 mg
• Niacin: 2.13 mg
• Folate, total: 13.8 µg
• Choline, total: 10.1 mg
• Vitamin E: 1.46 mg
• Vitamin K: 0.048 µg
• Fatty acids, total saturated: 1.62 g
• Fatty acids, total monounsaturated: 4.06 g
• Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated: 1.97 g

Vegan Peanut Butter & Non-Vegan Peanut Butter

Vegan-friendly peanut butter is made from only plant-based ingredients, such as roasted peanuts, salt, and sometimes sweeteners like agave or maple syrup. Non-vegan peanut butter may include dairy, particularly if it is labeled as creamy peanut butter or honey.

Regarding health, the vegan peanut butter brand is often a better option for your peanut butter recipes because it does not usually contain as much refined sugar or preservatives and is often lower in salt. 

You can easily make your own vegan peanut butter at home by blending up some unsalted peanuts in a food processor with a bit of salt until the oil separates and forms a nut paste. Home-made peanut butter is also often higher in vitamins and minerals. You can make butter at home using various ingredients, such as almond or cashew butter.

Some name brands of vegan peanut butter brands in grocery stores are Skippy Peanut Butter and the regular Jif Peanut Butter (not the kind with the honey added).

Health Benefits Of Peanut Butter

Studies have highlighted^[3] that ground peanuts are abundant in compounds like resveratrol, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and phytosterols. These components help prevent cholesterol absorption from our diet. They are also high in co-enzyme Q10 and contain twenty amino acids, with arginine being the most prevalent. However, peanut butter is limited in the essential amino acid tryptophan and therefore is not a complete protein.

These compounds can potentially prevent diseases and are believed to support longevity. Processing methods like roasting and boiling can even increase the concentration of these beneficial compounds. Therefore, nut butter in moderation can be part of a healthy diet.

How To Know If Your Peanut Butter Is Vegan

The quickest and simplest method to verify if your preferred peanut butter brand is vegan is by reading the ingredient list. Brands that aren’t vegan may contain ingredients like honey, fish oil, or even gelatin, which you should avoid if you’re adhering to a vegan diet.

Some products might also carry a Certified Vegan label,^[4] indicating they don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients, haven’t been tested on animals, and are free from substances processed with bone char. This label is a great thing to look out for in any packaged product, so you can rest assured there are no hidden animal ingredients.  

Despite labeling some products as vegan, they might be made in factories that also handle animal-based products. To earn a vegan certification, such brands must thoroughly clean shared equipment to avoid cross-contamination.

If you’re uncertain about a product’s vegan status, another approach is to contact the company or manufacturer directly to address your queries or look into a vegan meal delivery service. 

Final Words

Before you go, add a spoonful of peanut butter to your banana and green powder smoothie; read the label! If you are part of the vegan movement, there may be some additives that aren’t suitable for your diet.  By understanding what to look out for and checking food labels and certifications, you can ensure your meals are delicious and cruelty-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

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