Is there any natural peanut butter that doesn't separate? A complete guide

December 12, 2025 •

4 min read

While most truly natural peanut butter, made with only peanuts and salt, naturally separates due to the density difference between solids and oil, some commercially available products have found a solution. This means if you hate the hassle of stirring, it is possible to find natural peanut butter that doesn't separate, thanks to the addition of specific, health-conscious ingredients.

Quick Summary

This guide explains why oil separation occurs in natural peanut butter and reveals how 'no-stir' versions use stabilizers to maintain a creamy texture. We explore brand options and the innovative food science that prevents an oily mess.

Key Points

The 'No-Stir' Solution: Brands like Skippy, Jif Natural, Once Again, and MaraNatha use ingredients like palm oil to prevent separation in their natural peanut butters.
Stabilizers at Work: Ingredients such as palm fruit oil create a semi-solid network that traps the lighter peanut oil, keeping it from rising to the top of the jar.
No Trans Fats: Modern 'natural' peanut butters stabilized with fully hydrogenated oils are free of harmful trans fats, unlike some older, conventional products.
The Purest Still Separates: Truly unprocessed natural peanut butter, with only peanuts and salt, will always require stirring due to the difference in density between the peanut solids and oil.
A Simple Storage Hack: Storing an unstabilized jar of peanut butter upside down can help redistribute the oil, making it easier to stir when you open it.
Environmental Impact: Consumers concerned about palm oil can look for brands that use sustainably sourced, certified palm oil, such as Once Again Organic.

The Science of Oil Separation

For a peanut butter to be truly "natural" in its simplest form, it contains only ground peanuts and sometimes salt. This minimalist approach has one main drawback: the oil separates from the peanut solids. The physical explanation for this is simple: peanut oil is less dense than the finely ground peanut particles. Over time, gravity pulls the heavier solids down, causing the lighter oil to float to the top of the jar. This is a natural process known as syneresis. While harmless, the resulting oily layer can be messy and requires a lot of stirring to reintegrate before use.

The Role of Stabilizers

To combat this, manufacturers add stabilizers to some natural peanut butters. The goal of these stabilizers is to create a crystalline network within the peanut butter that traps the oil and prevents it from separating.

Fully Hydrogenated Oils

In the past, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils were used as stabilizers, but concerns about trans fat led to their elimination. Today, many no-stir peanut butters use fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, which do not contain trans fats. The hydrogenation process turns liquid fats into a more solid form at room temperature, which then acts as a binder for the peanut solids and oil.

Palm Fruit Oil

A popular choice for many natural peanut butter brands is palm fruit oil. Unlike traditional hydrogenated oils, palm oil is semi-solid at room temperature and serves as an effective, natural stabilizer. It works by forming a crystal structure that holds the peanut oil in place, ensuring a smooth, consistent texture throughout the jar. For environmentally conscious consumers, it's important to look for brands that source their palm oil sustainably, often certified by organizations like the RSPO (Roundtable of Sustainable Palm). Because regulations do not permit the use of palm oil in products labeled as strictly "peanut butter," those versions are often called "peanut butter spread" instead.

Natural Waxes

Research has explored the use of food-grade waxes as stabilizers. Studies have shown waxes like rice bran wax (RBW) can effectively prevent oil separation and maintain the texture of peanut butter. This presents a potentially sustainable and effective alternative to traditional stabilizers, though it is not as widely used in commercial products yet.

A Comparison of Stabilized vs. Unstabilized Natural Peanut Butter


Feature	Truly Natural (Peanuts & Salt)	No-Stir Natural (Stabilized)
Ingredients	Peanuts, sometimes salt	Peanuts, salt, palm oil or other stabilizers
Texture	Runny oil layer on top; can be gritty or extremely thick after stirring	Consistent, creamy, and smooth from top to bottom
Oil Separation	Always separates	Minimizes or completely prevents separation
Convenience	Requires manual stirring, which can be messy	Ready to use immediately upon opening
Flavor	Pure, roasted peanut flavor, sometimes more intense	Slightly milder flavor, potentially masked by stabilizer
Price	Varies, but can sometimes be more expensive due to simple, premium ingredients	Often competitively priced with conventional peanut butter brands

Popular No-Stir Natural Peanut Butter Brands

Skippy Natural: Made with real roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, and salt, this spread is designed for a creamy texture without separation.
Jif Natural: Another brand utilizing palm oil to prevent separation, Jif Natural Creamy is often noted for its convenience and classic taste.
Once Again Organic: The first certified organic peanut butter that uses sustainable palm fruit oil to stabilize its product without relying on hydrogenated oils.
Adams Natural No-Stir: A long-standing brand that offers a no-stir creamy option made with fresh roasted peanuts.
Simple Truth Organic "No Stir": Kroger's store brand offers an organic, no-stir option, using certified organic ingredients and no artificial flavors or preservatives.
MaraNatha Natural No-Stir: Their special roasting and blending process, along with added palm oil, creates a smooth, stir-free product.

A Clever Hack for Unstabilized Peanut Butter

If you prefer the purity of unstabilized peanut butter but hate the mess of stirring, there is a widely recommended hack. Simply store the jar upside down in the refrigerator. Over time, the oil will travel downward through the solids. When you turn the jar right-side up to open it, the oil has already been partially or fully reincorporated, leaving you with less work and mess. The cold temperature from the fridge also helps to firm up the peanut butter, which slows down future separation.

Conclusion: Your Natural Peanut Butter Choice

The existence of natural peanut butter that doesn't separate is no myth. Brands achieve this through the strategic addition of stabilizers, most commonly sustainably sourced palm oil, which creates a network to hold the peanut solids and oils together. This offers a convenient, stir-free experience without resorting to the older, trans-fat-laden stabilizers. For those who prioritize the purest ingredients, brands made exclusively with peanuts and salt will always require a good stir, though storage tricks like the upside-down method can simplify the process. Ultimately, your choice depends on your preference for convenience versus ingredient purity. Both options offer the wholesome, nutty goodness that makes peanut butter a pantry staple. A study in the Journal of Food Science provides further detail on stabilizer effectiveness.

What are some brands of no-stir natural peanut butter?

Skippy Natural: Made with roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, and salt.
Jif Natural: Includes peanuts, sugar, molasses, and palm oil to prevent separation.
Once Again Organic No-Stir: Uses sustainably sourced organic palm fruit oil for stabilization.
Adams Natural No-Stir: Offers a creamy version designed to be stir-free.
MaraNatha Natural No-Stir: Blends with palm oil for a smooth, ready-to-eat texture.
Simple Truth Organic No-Stir: Kroger’s brand, stabilized with organic palm oil.

What is the difference between "natural" and "no-stir natural" peanut butter?

Truly Natural: Contains only peanuts and salt, which will separate over time.
No-Stir Natural: Contains added stabilizers like palm oil to prevent oil separation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Natural peanut butter separates because the ground peanut solids are denser than the peanut oil. Over time, the solids settle to the bottom and the lighter oil rises to the top, a natural process known as syneresis.

Yes. The stabilizers used in modern "no-stir" natural peanut butters, such as fully hydrogenated oils or palm oil, do not contain the harmful trans fats that were present in older formulations.

The most common stabilizer used in natural no-stir peanut butter is palm fruit oil. It is a semi-solid fat at room temperature that creates a crystalline network to emulsify the oil and ground peanuts.

The environmental impact of palm oil is a valid concern. However, many natural peanut butter brands use sustainably sourced palm oil, certified by organizations like the RSPO, which promotes responsible production.

Homemade peanut butter made only from peanuts will naturally separate. You can slow this by adding a small amount of solid fat like coconut oil, but it will not fully prevent separation without industrial stabilizers.

Refrigeration slows down the oil separation process. It also firms up the peanut butter, which helps keep the oil suspended and makes it easier to mix when you finally stir it.

One of the easiest ways is to store the jar upside down in the pantry or fridge. This forces the oil to travel back through the peanut solids, redistributing it before you even open the lid.