Why the oil in natural peanut butter is a good thing?
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Time to read 4 min
Hi friends, Val here!
One question I get a lot about our nut butters, particularly our NAKED Organic Peanut Butter is: “Why does the peanut butter and oil separate?” If you’ve ever opened a jar of our peanut butter and seen a layer of oil at the top, I promise—it’s a good thing!
At Spread The Love®, we keep things simple. Our peanut butter has just one ingredient: roasted organic peanuts. That’s it. We never add palm oil, hydrogenated seed oils, or stabilizers that many big brands use to stop separation. So what happens? The natural oils in the peanuts—good ol' peanut oil—rise to the top. It’s a sign that you’re getting the real deal, not something pumped full of fillers.
So.. Is it good for you?
Absolutely! Peanut oil is:
- packed with heart-healthy fats and vitamin E that is essential for your health.
- And honestly, it's an amazing part of our peanut butter.
- That drizzleable consistency and ultra creamy texture you see? That’s just our double-ground peanuts shining through—no additives needed.
How to Stir and Store It
Here’s how I do it at home:
- Stir it up. "Little Darling... Stir It up," just like Bob Marley said. Use a spoon or butter knife and take your sweet time to mix until the oil blends back into the peanuts. Think of it as a little peanut butter meditation but it takes less than a minute.
- Fridge or pantry? After you stir, you can pop it in the fridge if you want it a little thicker, or keep it at room temperature for that ultra-creamy, drizzle-on-anything texture.
- Tip for storage. Flip your jar —cap side down—when you’re not using it. This little trick helps the oil mix back in naturally. When you’re ready to use it again, just turn the jar right side up and it’ll be easier to stir.
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Why We Love That Peanut Butter Drizzle
Personally, I love peanut butter when it’s ultra-creamy and pourable (like honey). Our UNSALTED Almond Butter has the same consistency and I drizzle it on my overnight oats, swirl it into yogurt, or just spoon it straight out of the jar (no judgment here). That natural, clean, one-ingredient almond butter flavor is what makes it so special.
When I started Spread The Love®, I wanted to make foods that feel good and do good. Letting the natural oils separate and come back together is just part of that. No need to be afraid of it. It’s just proof that you’re eating something real—something made with care.
So next time you open any of your Spread The Love® peanut butter jar and see that layer of oil on top, don’t panic. Embrace it! Give it a good stir, and enjoy every creamy, nutty bite.
In Conclusion:
When you see oil sitting on top of your peanut butter, what you’re really seeing is honesty. That golden layer is simply the natural oil from roasted peanuts rising to the surface because nothing is there to trap it. Peanuts are naturally rich in healthy fats, and when you grind them into butter, those oils want to move. In big commercial brands, they stop that movement:
- by adding palm oil,
- hydrogenated fats,
- or emulsifiers.
Those ingredients force everything to stay perfectly blended on the shelf — but they also make peanut butter something it was never meant to be.
At Spread The Love®, we believe food should behave like food. Oil separation is how you know your peanut butter hasn’t been altered, padded, or engineered. It’s just peanuts doing what peanuts do. And nutritionally, that oil is one of the best parts. Peanut oil is full of monounsaturated fats — the same heart-healthy fats you find in foods like olive oil and avocados. These fats support heart health, help your body absorb vitamins, and keep you fuller longer. They’re a huge reason why natural peanut butter is so satisfying and nourishing.
That glossy layer on top is also what gives our peanut butters their signature texture. When you stir the oil back in, it transforms the peanuts into something silky, smooth, and drizzleable. That’s not an accident — it’s the result of double-grinding fresh roasted peanuts until they release their own natural oils. No gums. No thickeners. Just pure, creamy peanut butter the way it’s supposed to be.
There’s also something deeply comforting about seeing separation. It tells you the jar hasn’t been sitting there artificially stabilized for years. It means what you’re eating is fresh, minimally processed, and alive with real nutrients. It’s the same reason you see cream rise to the top of fresh milk or olive oil turn cloudy in the fridge. Nature doesn’t like to sit still — and we think that’s beautiful.
Once you stir it, you get to choose the texture you love. Keep it in the fridge for a thicker, spoon-able peanut butter. Leave it in the pantry for that glossy, pour-over-everything drizzle. Either way, you’re getting all the flavor, richness, and nutrition that peanuts naturally provide.
So the next time you open a jar of peanut butter and see oil on top, don’t see it as a flaw. See it as proof. Proof that there are no shortcuts, no fillers, and nothing hiding inside. Just real peanuts, real nutrition, and real care in every jar. That little layer of oil is our quiet promise to you: this peanut butter is the real thing.
Fishbain Family
Keep Spreading The Love,
Val Fishbain
The Author: Val Fishbain
Val Fishbain is the co-founder and president of Spread The Love Foods, a women- and minority-owned clean-label nut butter brand known for its simple ingredients and no-palm-oil philosophy. With over 12 years of experience bringing better-for-you peanut butter to families, athletes, and wellness communities, Val is a leading advocate for honest food labeling and nutrient-dense, real-food nutrition.
