Peanut Butter Doesn’t Just Belong in PB&Js

Nothing evokes images from one’s childhood quite like a good ol’ peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (Hold the crust, please…) And let’s face it, even in adulthood peanut butter is basically a delicacy. It goes with just about everything: toast, fruit, crackers, shakes, oats, chocolate. The pairings are endless. (You can also just eat it straight out of the jar…)

Peanut butter has been around for ages. According to the National Peanut Board, the earliest reference to the delicious, creamy spread dates back to the Ancient Incas and Aztecs, who ground roasted peanuts to make a paste. But the peanut butter that we all know and love today can be traced back to three innovators: Marcellus Gilmore Edson, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (yep, the same man behind Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes), and Dr. Ambrose Straub. Edson patented peanut paste in 1884. Kellogg patented a method for creating peanut butter from raw peanuts. And Straub patented a machine to make peanut butter. Thank goodness they did…

The food paste, which is made from ground, dry-roasted peanuts, can be served crunchy or smooth. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin E, folate, magnesium, copper, and manganese. And it also contains eight grams of protein per two tablespoons.

Americans love their peanut butter. We eat about 700 million pounds of it a year. A jar of the peanutty concoction can be found in 94 percent of households’ kitchens. It’s also popular in the UK, Germany, and France.

Looking for more ways to indulge in this heavenly spread? In an ode to peanut butter goodness—from savory to sweet—here are three recipes to take your peanut butter addiction to the next level.

Pumpkin Peanut Stew

Pull up a chair to this hearty stew, which features pumpkin, broccoli, and—you guessed it—peanut butter.

Curry Peanut Tofu Bowl

For a combination of some of the most flavorful ingredients, look no further than this curried peanut tofu bowl. The poke bowl is packed with black rice (which you can sub with brown or sushi rice), spinach, edamame, carrots, cucumber, and red cabbage. This nutritious, edible rainbow is lathered in a creamy peanut curry dressing. It’s nutty, rich, and extra tasty.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut butter and chocolate just go together. This sweet treat recipe combines two of our favorite ingredients for a taste bud-pleasing dessert that is so plant milk dunkable.