Kitchen Hack 8 (How to Mix Natural Peanut Butter)

You can’t beat the wholesome, nutty goodness of natural peanut butter, but when yours has separated in the jar, it’s hard to enjoy. This brilliant kitchen hack will have your peanut butter back to its fully-combined goodness in as little as 30 seconds.

If you eat a lot of peanut butter or almond butter, it’s so frustrating when you have to stir it every time you open the jar to redistribute the oil. Then by time you get to the bottom of the jar, it’s hard while the top is super oily.

This used to be a common problem in my house. I eat a banana with peanut butter or almond butter every morning before my run and there’s nothing better than a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for lunch on the go. There’s always a jar open in my house and I hate it when it separates.

Natural nut butters are awesome because they are free of hydrogenated oils with no added sugars. I think they taste better too. I’m a fan of Justin’s maple almond butter for eating with bananas, and their plain peanut butter for sandwiches. It’s also yummy in no-bake energy bites, and works great in this peanut butter cookie recipe.

For an easy fix for this problem, as soon as you open the jar, use your hand mixer with just one beater attached to mix it together. This will thoroughly mix the nuts and oils and it will stay mixed for a long time. My jars last a month or so and they will stay combined for at least that long.

What’s in natural peanut butter?

Most natural nut butter contains only nuts that have been ground into a paste, and salt. Peanuts and almonds may seem dry, but they naturally contain oil that helps create a smooth consistency.

Why does peanut butter separate?

Natural peanut butter and almond butter will separate in the jar, causing the natural oils that are found in the nuts to rise to the surface, creating a layer of oil on the top that’s as much as an inch deep.

This happens because natural nut butter doesn’t contain emulsifiers or sugars. There isn’t anything holding the nuts together, so the oil naturally rises to the top.

And you can’t just dump that oil out because then your nut butter would be hard and dry. So, you need to somehow mix them together.

Why You’ll Love This Kitchen Hack

• Quick method: You’ll have your peanut butter mixed back together in less than a minute.
• Easy on your hands: You don’t have to use a spoon to stir your thick peanut butter together.
• Mix it and forget it – it stays mixed for weeks.

Best Way to Mix Natural Peanut Butter

The absolute best way to mix natural peanut butter back together is by using your hand mixer. You don’t even have to scoop your peanut butter out of the jar! Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Get your mixer.

Grab your hand mixer and insert just one of the beaters.

Pro tip: If your mixer has one dominant beater, use the dominant one. It sometimes feels like it clicks in more securely than the other.

Step 2: Put the mixer in the jar.

Plug in your mixer and insert the single beater down into the jar of peanut butter. Make sure it sinks about halfway into the jar.

Step 3: Mix the peanut butter.

Hold the jar firmly in one hand. The jar is going to want to move when you turn on the mixer so if you aren’t holding it tightly you will get peanut butter everywhere! If possible hold it over the sink, just in case.

Turn the mixer on low so the beater begins to spin inside the jar. Within a few seconds, the oils will begin to incorporate back into the peanut butter.

Other Ways to Mix Natural Nut Butters

Here are other ways I’ve tried to mix natural peanut butter back together. These may work somewhat, but they are not as effective or quick as using a hand mixer.

• Turn the jar upside down. You can try flipping the jar upside down overnight. This will somewhat help the oil and peanut butter mix back together, but it won’t be nearly as emulsified as when using a mixer.
  
• Use a spoon to stir. Arguably the worst way to do this, you can simply stir the peanut butter back together. It takes some time and some elbow grease, but you can help get some of the oil back into the peanut butter simply by stirring.
  
• Use an immersion blender. This can get messy, and it might not fit inside the jar.
  

Natural Nut Butter FAQs

Can you use natural peanut butter for cookies?

You can use natural peanut butter in recipes for cookies as long as you have completely mixed the peanut butter before adding to the recipe. If not, the cookies will be too oily. You also want to make sure the peanut butter you are using is salted or adjust the cookie recipe.

Why does natural peanut butter separate?

Natural peanut butter separates due to the natural oils present in the peanuts rising to the top, while the denser peanut solids settle at the bottom.

Can I mix natural peanut butter by hand?

Yes, you can mix natural peanut butter by hand using a spoon or a spatula, but it requires more effort and time compared to using a hand mixer.

How long should I mix natural peanut butter with a hand mixer?

Generally, about 15 to 20 seconds should be enough time, but you can adjust depending on how large your jar is.

Should I refrigerate natural peanut butter before mixing?

You don’t have to refrigerate natural peanut butter unless the label specifically says to keep it in the fridge. In fact, it’s usually much easier to mix natural peanut butter at room temperature.

Peanut Butter Recipes You’ll Love to Make