Healthy Peanut Butter Recipes
Don't get us wrong, we can't hate on our beloved PB&J but, just in case you're looking for more ways to put this pantry staple to good use, we have 76 recipes to get you started.
We'll begin with Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Fudge. Just a pinch of instant coffee granules goes a long way when it comes to intensifying the chocolate flavor in the fudge. A sprinkle of peanuts gives a salty bite.
Chicken Kebabs with Cucumber Noodles
Marinated in a little honey, ginger, soy sauce, and peanut oil, these Asian-inspired chicken kebabs are paired with cucumber noodles to create an easy weeknight dinner.
Grilled Eggplant Banh Mi Sandwich
Sandwich night doesn't have to be boring anymore. Mix things up with this veggie-filled, Vietnamese-inspired creation.
PB&J Stuffed Multigrain Pancakes
Peanut butter powder is the secret to adding intense nutty flavor (without a lot of fat) to these jam-stuffed pancakes.
Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce
Stir into ground turkey for a savory burger, or toss with rice noodles and thinly sliced veggies for an Indonesian-style salad.
Peanut Chicken Noodle Soup
If you can't find udon, substitute 6 ounces uncooked spaghetti.
Banh Mi Bowls
We deconstruct the classic Vietnamese sandwich for a whole-grain bowl that's perfect for make-ahead lunches or dinner. Precooked brown rice takes the place of the traditional baguette. Our quick vegetables are ready in just 20 minutes. If you haven't pickled your own vegetables before, you'll be surprised by how easy it is. Not sure how to use the rest of the chile paste? Try tossing green beans with a couple teaspoons (along with honey, soy sauce, garlic, and canola oil) and roasting, spread a little on grilled cheese, or try it in our Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu.
Thai Crunch Bowl with Salmon
Add bright, bold colors to your palate with this nutty dinner. The sesame-peanut sauce is so downright delicious, you'll want to drizzle it over every meal.
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bulgur with Berries
This grain works while you sleep—a no-cook cereal with 40g whole grains per serving.
Peanut Butter Hummus with Cucumber Dippers
Don't let the peanut butter trip you up; this savory dip still packs all the great flavors of hummus with an unexpected, nutty note that provides thickness, creaminess, and flavor. Hummus is made more kid-friendly with the addition of peanut butter. Top with crushed peanuts for extra crunch. Serve with vegetables or pita chips. To easily measure 7 tablespoons water without losing count, pour 1/2 cup into a measuring cup and remove 1 tablespoon.
Thai Chicken Peanut Crunch Sandwich
This Thai Chicken Peanut Crunch Sandwich is a flavor sensation. One bite reveals a burst of cucumber, carrot, and red onion. That's quickly met by a kick of heat from Sriracha and a creamy cool down from the peanut butter.
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Bars
What combination is more heavenly than chocolate and peanut butter? Absolutely nothing! These homemade bars unite the two to make a tasty after-school treat.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Powdered peanut butter (which you'll find on the nut butters aisle) adds richness here; if you'd rather not use it, sub more flour. Find plum sauce in the Asian foods section.
Griddled Banana, Mango, and Jalapeño Sandwiches
Be sure to coarsely mash the banana; you want to keep some texture there. Serving to kids with sensitive palates? Leave off the jalapeño; the sandwiches will still be great. For a killer brunch, serve with an over-easy egg.
Chicken Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce
Save time, money, and calories by making this simple stir-fry in the comfort of your own kitchen. Want more for later? Try doubling the batch of peanut sauce and using it as a dip for grilled chicken kebabs tomorrow night!
No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars
These bars are a perfectly portable snack you can prep on Sunday and enjoy throughout the week. Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. The bars will continue to firm up as they chill.
Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies
Triple the peanut butter, triple the fun! With creamy peanut butter, crispy peanut butter-flavored cereal, and roasted peanuts, we pack plenty of decadence into these ooey-gooey treats. We like the lightly-sweet crunch of Barbara's Peanut Butter Puffins, which is also lower in added sugars.
Grilled Asian Flank Steak with Mango Salad
Stir lime juice into creamy peanut butter and crushed red pepper to make the spicy-nutty vinaigrette that accompanies this soy- and ginger-marinated flank steak. Serve with oven-crisped sesame wontons on the side.
Ohio Buckeyes
In this classic confection from the Buckeye State, peanut butter and chocolate combine to create an adorable replica of an Ohio tree nut.
PB, Banana, and Oat Cookies
Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
Pineapple Chicken Satay
Round out this meal that is full of fresh and bright flavors with rice and sugar snap peas.
Skinny Elvis Waffle
This aptly-named breakfast treat would've delighted the King of Rock 'n' Roll, with its sweet peanut butter and crispy bacon complemented by delicious sliced bananas.
Basil Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Made from a simple combination of rice flour, water, and salt, rice paper has about 30 calories per 8-inch round—that's 80% less than the same size flour tortilla. While filling one summer roll, let another rice paper soak.
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies
Drizzle the icing in whatever patterns you like. For a Halloween treat, use a toothpick to create spooky webs.
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Flax Smoothies
Peanut butter and banana smoothies are usually a splurge item. Luckily, we have a healthy version that doesn't skimp on flavor. If the smoothies seem too thick, add another tablespoon or two of milk.
Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Peanut butter is whipped into the basic recipe for a moist banana bread with a hint of nutty flavor. A small amount of chopped roasted peanuts offers delightfully surprising crunch.
Peanut-Almond Snack Bars
Featuring pretzels, marshmallows, peanut butter, almonds, and even a little hint of chocolate, is there any snack attack this bar can't beat?
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
You probably have everything on hand to make these chewy, chocolaty peanut butter cookies. To fit the cookies on a single sheet pan, divide cookies into 5 rows of 4. Pressing the cookies flat helps them bake quickly and get lovely crisp edges; otherwise they'll be too round and undercooked.
Tempeh and Green Bean Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce
Tempeh is a high-protein soy product that originated in Indonesia; substitute extra-firm tofu, if desired.
Peanut Butter-Banana Milk Shakes
Reminiscing about your favorite childhood lunch? Peanut butter and fresh bananas combine to create creamy shakes that will be gone in no time.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pudding
This pudding isn't just fast, it's easy too. Try sliced bananas on top.
Indonesian Vegetable Salad with Peanut Dressing
This is a simplified version of the splendid Indonesian salad called gado gado, which along with satay is practically a national dish, often served with crunchy shrimp crackers. It uses shortcut ingredients in the sauce—peanut butter, curry paste—to speed things along. For a spicier dressing, stir in sambal oelek or Sriracha.
Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce
If you think of veggies as containers for tasty ingredients, dinner gets more interesting. You'll love these Asian-inspired lettuce wraps with their tangy hoisin-peanut sauce.
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Meringue Sandwiches
Creamy peanut butter filling is sandwiched between chocolate meringues, creating a flavor reminiscent of chocolate-peanut butter cups.
Winter Squash and Tofu Panang Curry
Nutty whole grains make a perfect bed for a bowl of saucy winter veggies. If you have trouble finding kabocha squash, an acorn or butternut variety is an easy, just-as-delicious substitute.
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Dipped Pretzels
Dip the pretzels, and store in the fridge on a parchment-lined tray up to five days ahead of your next party. Set out shortly before serving, but not too far ahead, as the chocolate may melt.
Glazed Chicken and Szechuan Noodle Salad
Serve this Asian-inspired dish with a side of broccoli for a complete meal. Garnish noodles with cilantro, if you have it on hand.
Peanut Butter Granola Crunch Parfaits
This low-fat parfait is the perfect middle-of-the-day springtime snack to hold the kids over until dinner.
Peanut Butter Caramel Corn
For those who can't decide between salty and sweet, this delicious concoction is sure to please. Packed with protein and healthy fats, this snack option offers way more nutrition than your average bag of greasy, oversalted popcorn. Peanut butter lovers won't be able to keep their hands off this nutty, delicious concoction. Beware of sticky fingers!
Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Split Sandwich
This fun, kid-friendly indulgence was a hit at taste testing and received our highest rating. The recipe can easily be multiplied to make as many sandwiches as you need.
Peanut Butter-Banana Pie
Bananas that are firm rather than extra-ripe work best in this pie. Fluffy whipped topping is perfect atop a filling of peanut butter and banana goodness.
Crab Cakes on Mixed Greens with Peanut Vinaigrette
Yogurt really is an unexpected ingredient in this crab cake recipe. Be sure to allow the full 12 hours specified in the recipe for the water to drain out of the yogurt. This will help your crab cakes bind together without being too moist.
Sweet and Salty Peanut Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Coarse-grained sea salt does not melt into the batter, so you experience a crunchy burst with every bite. Use any other nut you like in place of peanuts.
French Toast Peanut Butter and Jelly
What kid (or grown-up, for that matter) wouldn't love this ooey-gooey sandwich? Serve the souped-up PB&Js with fresh fruit.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Smoothie
Malaysian Chicken Pizza
A pizza with a spicy, sweet, peanut butter and soy sauce-based sauce seemed ahead of its time in 1991 when it first ran. Twenty years later and it’s still a new adventurous pizza for most people. If you like barbecue chicken pizza, you’ll love this.
Cold Peanut Noodles with Shrimp
The noodles absorb the sauce quickly, so serve shortly after tossing all the ingredients together. If you can't find fresh Chinese egg noodles, substitute spaghetti or linguine.
Ginger-Shrimp Pot Stickers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
Asian dumplings like pot stickers are great finger foods, especially with the creamy-spicy sauce in this recipe. Recipe author Lindsay Weiss of Overland Park, KS, remarks, "I love the huge flavor packed into these tiny packages, especially when they're dipped in the peanut sauce. These are best served immediately, but they can be made in advance, refrigerated, and then served at room temperature." You may find forming the first couple of potstickers a little tricky if you've never done it before, but you'll be a pro by the time the batch is done—it's a simple skill to pick up. Peanut butter in the sauce lends body and Thai-style flavoring. Spicy sambal oelek adds a wonderful hot kick to the dish.
Peanut Butter-Fudge Cups
If you like peanut butter cups, you'll love this charming twist. Perfect for parties (and kid-friendly, too), these fun treats have a crunchy peanut butter crusts and chocolaty centers that appeal to all ages. They're an eye-catching addition to any dessert tray.
Banana Fluffer Nutters
Make a peanut butter and marshmallow creme sandwich between two slices of a banana for a lightly sweetened late-night treat.
Peanut Butter Cup Blondies
If you're a fan of the classic flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter, you'll love these bars.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
This simple mix-and-drop dough comes together in minutes and may not even require a shopping trip, thanks to its pantry-friendly ingredients.
Frozen Peanut Butter Pie
Is there anything better than peanut butter and chocolate? Didn't think so. When the weather is warm, and even when it's cold, this frozen pie is a definite crowd pleaser.
Peanut Butter-Banana Spirals
In this recipe, peanut butter stars with banana and yogurt, and we added wheat germ for crunch and a nutritional boost. If you can't find honey-crunch wheat germ, plain wheat germ will work fine. Pack these for lunch or a snack.
Bacon-Pretzel-Peanut Butter Caramel Apples
With creamy peanut butter spooned straight into the caramel, it's no wonder this apple is one of our staff's favorite treats.
Sweet Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli
For a gluten-free dish, look for gluten-free soy sauce and soba made from 100% buckwheat flour. You can also substitute angel hair pasta or rice noodles for pasta.
Peanut Butter Pie
The reader who submitted this for the Reader Recipe column compared its flavor to a chocolate peanut butter candy bar. We agree, and also think this uncomplicated pie is such a snap to prepare that it's perfect for any occasion, from a birthday to an I-just-feel-like-pie day.
Asian Peanut Dip
Serve the dip with tender raw vegetables like pea pods and cucumber halves or slightly steamed carrot sticks and broccoli florets.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
Consider these a breakfast version of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Don't use a natural-style peanut butter in this recipe; it won't have enough sugar or fat to help the muffins rise.
Spicy Peanut Chicken Over Rice
This makes enough to freeze leftovers, which keep for up to a month. Spoon single servings into airtight containers; thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat in a saucepan. You can increase the crushed red pepper, if you like; a dollop of yogurt on top balances the spiciness.
Peanut Butter and Banana Pancakes
You can give these pancakes a PB&J flavor profile by spreading them with grape or strawberry jelly.
Chicken Saté Wraps
Bring the exotic to lunch with these easy make-ahead wraps. Chicken and vegetables are cooked in coconut milk, peanut butter, and curry for the traditional flavors of saté with peanut dipping sauce. Packaged slaw mix adds nutrition and crunch. Pair a wrap with exotic chips like sweet potato, taro, or purple potato.
Thai Fish Sauce and Lime Chicken
Sweetened chili sauce is found in Asian markets, and it is often served alongside egg rolls. A similar condiment available in most grocery stores is called Thai sweet red chile dipping sauce. Serve this chicken with white rice.
Thai-Style Pork Stew
Peanut butter melds with classic Asian flavors to lend this one-dish meal a Thai flair. Lime makes a perfect accent.
Peanut Butter Pancakes
In this breakfast version of the PB&J, conventional chunky peanut butter works best. Serve with any kind of jam or fruit syrup.
Vanilla Honey-Nut Smoothie
Start with creamy frozen yogurt and add peanut butter, milk, and honey for a nutty, sweet treat. Silken tofu and ground flaxseed help this smoothie stick with you throughout an afternoon of running errands.
Peanut Butter Jammies
Be ready for hand washing afterward: With peanut butter as the main ingredient, this dough is oily. Parents can beat the cookie dough ingredients and leave the shaping to the kids. Use a baby-food or demitasse spoon to spoon jam into thumbprints.
Swag Bars
These no-bake bars come together quickly with common pantry ingredients. Make sure the cereal is well crushed (try packing it in a sealed zip-top plastic bag and using a rolling pin) so it incorporates into the peanut butter mixture.
Baked Sweet Potatoes with West African-Style Peanut Sauce
Peanuts are integral to West African cooking. The nutty, spicy flavors in the filling complement the sweet potato. Serve with grilled chicken and Broccolini.
Peanut and Squash Soup
Hailing from Senegal, this mildly spicy, slightly sweet soup would be well complemented by a side of stewed collard greens or Swiss chard.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints
The favorite sandwich flavor combination comes together in these adorable preserves-filled cookies. Use any type of jam or preserves.
Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce
Try this flavorful, slightly spicy Asian sate for an easy weeknight chicken dinner.
Spicy Soba Noodles with Chicken in Peanut Sauce
Classic Asian flavors come together to create a quick and easy chicken dish with spicy soba noodles that you can have on the dinner table in no time.
Ginger-Peanut Chicken-Salad Wraps
Says reviewer Erinhelm about these fresh wraps, "This recipe is a keeper. The peanut sauce wasn't too heavy. It complemented the food instead of overwhelming it. It also works well with lightly sautéed tofu."
