Trader Joe's Nut Butters, Ranked Worst To Best

Trader Joe's isn't exactly known for its wealth of options. But the grocery store chain's streamlined selection is actually a big reason why people love shopping there: It's less overwhelming to shop somewhere that doesn't offer countless options. Of course, if there's one food item Trader Joe's isn't lacking when it comes to variety, it's nut butters. The store stocks a surprising number of different nut butters, in fact, including some with creative add-ins (and others that are almost indistinguishable from each other).

But don't worry. I've done the hard work of tasting each Trader Joe's nut butter product. As a result, I can provide you with all the necessary details, including which ones you should consider buying, and which options may not be worth your time or money. When determining the ranking order of Trader Joe's nut butters, my main criteria came down to flavor and texture — with the latter being especially important.

With that in mind, grab your butter knife and homemade sandwich bread as we explore the wealth of nut butters this popular chain has to offer. Here are Trader Joe's nut butters ranked from worst to best.

I know that the word "organic" doesn't necessarily mean something is going to taste good. But if I'm paying a premium price tag for something with that label, I want to make sure it actually does taste good. Unfortunately, I didn't have a particularly delicious experience with Trader Joe's organic creamy peanut butter with no salt.

Now, the only ingredient this product contains is organic Valencia peanuts (one of the four primary types of peanuts), so I'm not sure why the flavor would be unpleasant — but it is. It tastes thinner and less flavorful than the other list entries, and the lack of salt definitely isn't doing it any favors. Plus, like a lot of the nut butters on this list, this product is quite oily, making the texture less than pleasant. There's honestly not much going on here that I enjoyed, so it comes in last (which makes it extra annoying that this variety cost more than every other nut butter on this list).

In almost every case, salted peanut butter is going to taste better than the unsalted variety. This is because salt really highlights the flavor of the peanuts, giving it a brighter and more satiating taste. Consequently, Trader Joe's salted organic creamy peanut butter is a step above its organic (and unsalted) sister product.

To be sure, it's still missing the peanut flavor I want when I open a jar of peanut butter, but at least you get some flavor from the salt. Of course, while this one isn't quite as bland, since the flavor of the peanuts is so unremarkable? It still gets low marks overall on this list.

Additionally, this nut butter's texture has the same problem as the unsalted option — mainly, it's too oily. You'll want to make sure you give this nut butter a good stir before adding it to anything if you want to avoid that oiliness as much as possible. Either way, though, I'd probably skip this product, and opt for one of the higher-ranked Trader Joe's nut butters.

When you think of a creamy nut butter, what's the texture that comes to mind? If you're like most people, you're thinking of something totally smooth and creamy — with no little pieces of nuts threatening the butter's rich profile. Unfortunately, that's not what you're going to get with Trader Joe's creamy almond butter with no salt.

I wouldn't say this stuff is crunchy, per se, but those tiny pieces of almond aren't actually blended that well into the butter. Rather, they create a slight crunchiness when you chew, which is probably not what you're going for when you buy a creamy nut butter.

Furthermore, its flavor doesn't really stand out much, either. It's not bad, per se, but it's almost indistinguishable from peanut butter. Since almond butter is considerably more expensive than peanut butter, you want to make sure you can really pick up on those almond notes, so this comes near the bottom.

The texture is my main issue with the creamy version of the store's almond butter, so it makes sense that its crunchy counterpart would rank slightly higher. The crunchy almond butter with no salt is actually quite crunchy — actually, maybe too crunchy.

There are pretty sizable pieces of almond butter in this spread. For some people, that may be ideal; if you really like crunch, for example, then you're going to like this stuff. But if you just want a few crunchy bits in an otherwise creamy almond butter, this probably isn't the one for you.

Additionally, the lack of salt here isn't doing the almonds any favors. Although this one's texture makes it slightly less boring, the blandness of the almonds and the absence of salt ultimately makes this another no-go for me. It might not be bad if you're using it to top a bowl of oatmeal, but otherwise, I'd opt for one of Trader Joe's other nut butter options.

Peanut butter and salt go together like ... well, peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter needs salt to highlight its rich and earthy qualities, after all, while distracting from some of its less attractive, more bitter notes. Alas, Trader Joe's sells a wide variety of unsalted nut butters, including the creamy peanut butter unsalted.

Now, this is a pretty basic pantry staple — nothing too while — but it's one that I probably wouldn't choose to have stocked in my kitchen very often. If you bake or cook with peanut butter regularly and you want to control the salt level in the recipe you're working on, then this might be beneficial for you. Otherwise, you can probably skip it for one of the top 10 Trader Joe's nut butters.

The flavor of the peanuts themselves isn't bad, but without salt, it falls a little flat. The texture, like so many of these other nut butters, is simply too oily. You have to mix this stuff for a long time before it even becomes usual and not just a pool of oil sitting in a jar. Even then, though, it's too fatty for my taste. The creaminess is nice, but the excess oil definitely detracts from the overall consistency.

So, why does the crunchy version of this peanut butter rank slightly higher than the creamy version? Well, there's simply more going on here. Without the salt and without any texture apart from oiliness, the creamy unsalted peanut butter is an obvious miss. Now, I'm not forgiving this nut butter for its lack of salt, but with the crunchy texture of the peanut pieces, there's at least something going on to work with. This peanut butter is seriously crunchy, with large pieces of peanuts that can turn a basic peanut butter and jelly sandwich into something a bit more interesting.

Again, this might be something you decide to use when you want to have more control over the salt content of the dish you're making. But without that important addition of salt, this stuff just isn't amazing on its own, and there are better nut butters from Trader Joe's to choose instead.

Many of Trader Joe's nut butters require some serious stirring before the consistency isn't are excessively oily or straight up fatty. If you're looking for a peanut butter from the chain that offers more of an easy-spreading experience, you can try Trader Joe's creamy no stir peanut butter spread. This stuff can be scooped right out of the jar and onto your sandwich — no stirring needed.

It's simple, creamy, and frankly, much better than other cheaper peanut butter brands I've tried. That being said, notice this product is called a "peanut butter spread" and not just "peanut butter." That's because it only contains about 90% peanuts. It also contains powdered sugar and palm oil, in addition to sea salt.

If you don't mind eating those other ingredients when you dig into a jar of peanut butter and mainly want something that spreads easily, then this is worth checking out. However, if you're looking for a peanut butter that's made 100% from peanuts, then it's not the product for you, and it ranks in the lower half as a result.

Most of the time, when you're eating nut butter, you're eating a product made from roasted nuts. But with its creamy raw almond butter, Trader Joe's is offering something a bit different — that is, as the name suggests, nut butter made with raw almonds. Now, the flavor is probably a bit different than the almond butters you've tried in the past. Despite its lack of sugar, the flavor of this nut butter is quite sweet. It tastes lighter than its roasted counterparts, which can be hit or miss depending on what you decide to use it for. And even though there's no salt in the recipe, it doesn't feel like something is missing.

The real problem comes down to texture. This nut butter is quite oily — like a lot of these products — but it's not really separated, so stirring it doesn't make a significant difference. It's quite thin, too, which can make a slice of bread soggy if it sits for too long.

It does pack a more interesting flavor than the creamy no stir peanut butter spread, hence the slightly higher ranking, although it's not quite as interesting as the next nut butter on this list. It may be worth a try, but I wouldn't necessarily consider this Trader Joe's nut butter a pantry staple.

Okay: So technically, Trader Joe's sunflower seed spread isn't made from nuts, but rather seeds. Still, it's close enough, which is why this product is included in this ranking. More than that, if you're tired of eating the same old nut butters time and time again, this is a great option to explore.

This sunflower seed spread is different enough that it promises a new experience, but not so far removed from peanut or almond butter that it'll taste like a completely foreign product. It tastes more or less like sunflower seeds, in fact, although it's dosed with a healthy amount of both sugar and salt, which helps to balance the flavor. Additionally, though, this Trader Joe's (not) nut butter is quite thin. This doesn't make it ideal for every use, particularly if you're looking for an upgrade when making a PB&J to pack.

That being said, the texture makes this stuff great for drizzling into smoothie and oatmeal bowls, so it really depends on how you tend to use peanut butter. Although it's not as tasty as the peanut butter with honey spread ranked just above it, it's still better than the lower-ranked entries, so give it a try when you're in the mood for something different.

A lot of peanut butter you see on store shelves contains added sugar, which is something I generally try to avoid. After all, peanut butter doesn't really need to be sweet to taste good. But when I saw Trader Joe's peanut butter with honey, I was intrigued, and thought it may be worth checking out. Although it didn't end up being my favorite variety of nut butter sold by the popular chain, it's definitely one that I'll try again.

There's just a hint of sweetness from the honey, and it's far from overpowering. In fact, more than sweetness, the honey delivers a lovely, complex flavor that adds a whole new dimension to the peanut butter. The honey flavor itself is quite perceptible, even if its sweetness doesn't take center stage. This product — like several others on this list — may be rather thin, as well, though it's not quite as runny as some others we've covered.

Now, given the lack of pronounced saltiness, this ranks below the saltier options you'll see higher on this list. Still, if you enjoy a peanut butter and honey sandwich, you'll find this nut butter worth seeking out.

Now we're finally getting into the good stuff: salted nut butters. As I mentioned previously, most nut butters are going to taste better with a bit of salt added; so unless you're planning on adding salt after the fact, these varieties are usually my go-to when I go nut butter shopping. Although almond butter is, in my mind, a step down from peanut butter (not that the increased price reflects that belief), this stuff is actually pretty good.

The flavor simply tastes like salted almonds, and I appreciate the fact that there's not a lot else going on here. It's oily, sure, but it spreads relatively easily, so that's not a problem on the texture front. Frankly, this nut butter might have ranked higher if it were even creamier than it already is. There are still tiny chunks of almonds in the butter, which makes for an ever-so-slightly crunchy effect. Since that's not really what I think of when a creamy nut butter comes to mind, it can't best the higher-ranked entries on this list.

Of course, if you are looking for crunchy almond butter, Trader Joe's has you covered. In fact, when it comes to plain almond butter, this was my absolute favorite of the bunch. Everything is working in its favor. The flavor of the almond itself tastes good, but what really makes it pop is the addition of salt, since you don't have any other added ingredients (like sugar) mucking it up. It's plain, yes, but when you're working with quality ingredients, that can be a recipe for deliciousness.

Texturally, this is one of the better nut butters on this list. It's oily, but not as much as most of the others entries, and it doesn't require quite as much stirring. It's also quite crunchy, which is exactly what you're going for if this is the nut butter you choose. Is it the best nut butter at Trader Joe's? I don't think so. But it's a winner on the almond butter front.

Many of us know and love Nutella: The chocolate hazelnut spread that once tried to convince us it was actually healthy, regardless of it essentially being nutty cake frosting. But when was the last time you actually ate a hazelnut? If you want to try a very similar nut butter that utilizes a different kind of nut (almond), then you should check out Trader Joe's cocoa almond spread. That sweet chocolate flavor is there and quite reminiscent of Nutella. But underneath it all runs a current of almond flavor that you're not going to get with other brands. It makes for a slightly lighter and less nutty finished product.

Sure, this cocoa almond spread may not be as simple and as versatile as the other nut butters on this list. But because it's so delicious, it's still snagged one of the top spots. Spread it on some toast for a sweet breakfast, or include it in baked goods for an especially rich treat.

I wasn't expecting some of the cheapest products on this list to be my favorite, but that's exactly the case. I love Trader Joe's because it's so good at providing customers with good-quality versions of essential staples that many of us keep in our kitchens. And the chain's crunchy salted peanut butter is no exception. This is the essential peanut butter to have on hand if you prefer a crunchier texture. It only contains peanuts and salt, so you know you're getting a simple product that's not spiked with a ton of sugar or other unnecessary ingredients.

Crunchy peanut butter may not be for everyone, but if you tend to skew toward the crunchy end of the spectrum, this is definitely a peanut butter worth checking out. And since it's cheaper than most of the other options on this list, you can feel like you're making a budget-friendly decision at the grocery store.

Obviously, Trader Joe's crunchy and creamy salted peanut butters are quite similar. They both contain dry roasted peanuts and salt, and they're both a little bit oilier than I would prefer. The main thing that sets them apart, of course, is the texture. And although I know some people will die on the hill of crunchy peanut butter, I am here to advocate for creamy. Its smooth, consistent texture makes it ideal for all uses, whether you're just spreading it on some bread or you're using it for a sauce. You won't get any chunks of peanut stuck in your teeth, and it feels closer to actual butter.

Apart from the texture, the flavor of this nut butter is great as well. It tastes like dry roasted peanuts, but a generous amount of salt really makes it shine. Pick some up the next time you find yourself in the Trader Joe's nut butter section.

I tasted all of these peanut butters straight out of the jar on a spoon, so as not to make the flavors of the nut butters clash with any other ingredients. Texture was an especially important criteria in this ranking, as it can absolutely make or break a nut butter. Plus, the ingredients used in these products were all so similar, focusing on texture made more sense. Of course, flavor also played a role, with well-salted and more unusual flavors generally rising to the top of the ranking.