10 Best Low-Calorie Peanut Butter for Weight Loss

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Even a tablespoon of peanut butter can be highly caloric. Switching to low-calorie peanut butter can help you stay within your calorie goals if you are on a weight loss journey. After spending 20+ hours researching the best low-calorie peanut butter, here is the top ten list.

Key Takeaway

• According to Nutritionist Amanda Parker, a low-calorie peanut butter should have a minimal ingredient list (just peanuts is ideal) and avoid any products with added sugar.

• PB&Me is the lowest-calorie peanut butter option. It comes in a powder form and has only 45 calories per two tablespoons. Regular peanut butter has 200 calories per two tablespoons, making PB&Me over 4 times fewer calories.

• If you are looking for a spread, Wonderspread Low-Calorie Peanut Butter is the best option, with only 100 calories per two tablespoons. 

At A Glance

10 Lowest-Calorie Peanut Butter

1. PB&Me Natural Powdered Peanut Butter

• Calories: 45
• Carbs: 4.0 g
• Fiber: 2.0 g
• Protein: 6.0 g
• Fats: 1.5 g

Peanut butter powder is made by blending peanuts into a flour. Through this process, much of the fat from the peanuts is extracted, resulting in a lower-calorie item. It is an excellent way to help you cut back on calories. 

While peanut butter powder itself isn’t spreadable, you can add a small amount of water to it to make it a spread like regular peanut butter.

However, not all powdered peanut butter is low in calories, so you need to check the nutrition label to ensure it is below 200 calories. 

The best low-calorie peanut butter powder is PB&Me Natural Powdered Peanut Butter. Its amazing nutritional value makes this option stand out from others. It only contains peanuts as its only ingredient.  

Two tablespoons of this peanut butter powder only have 45 kcal, and most of those calories come from protein. It is also ideal for those following a keto diet since it only has 2.0 g of net carbs (net carbs = total carbs – fiber). 

Additionally, it has more fiber than the other options on this list, which can increase fullness levels and help fight constipation. 

2. Tru-Nut Peanut Butter Powder

• Calories: 50
• Carbs: 4.0 g
• Fiber: 1.0 g
• Protein: 6.0
• Fats: 1.5 g

Tru-Nut Peanut Butter is another excellent powder option if you want to reduce the caloric content of peanut butter. Made from natural ingredients, it is definitely worth considering. 

Tru-Nut Peanut Butter Powder has only 50 calories per serving. Compared to regular peanut butter, which can have 200 calories or more, it can help you reduce calories by almost 75%. It is also a good option since the highest macronutrient is protein.

Protein can help increase fullness levels, slightly increase metabolism, and support muscle growth. 

With that said, it is not a significant source of fiber, so you might need to add other high-fiber sources like fruits, vegetables, or whole grains (like oatmeal) if you also want to boost your fiber intake.

3. PBfit All–Natural Organic Peanut Butter Powder

• Calories: 70
• Carbs: 5.0 g
• Fiber: 3.0 g
• Protein: 8.0 g
• Fats: 2.0 g

Another great powdered peanut butter is PBfit All-Natural Organic Peanut Butter Powder. 

This option only contains organic peanut flour, organic coconut palm sugar, and salt. It is an excellent option for adding to protein shakes or on top of a bowl of fruit. 

4. Wonderspread Half-Calorie Gourmet Peanut Butter

• Calories: 100
• Carbs: 8.0 g
• Fiber: 2.0 g
• Protein: 6.0 g
• Fats: 9.0 g

Wonderspread Half-Calorie Gourmet Peanut Butter is an excellent option since it only has 100 kcal per serving.

While it has a longer ingredient list than other peanut butter, it offers a similar taste as full-calorie peanut butter but with half the calories. It has a lower fat content but a similar protein content compared to other brands. 

However, if you prefer more natural peanut butter with a shorter ingredient list, this might not be the best option for you.

5. Spread the Love NAKED Organic Peanut Butter

• Calories: 180
• Carbs: 6.0 g
• Fiber: 2.0 g
• Protein: 7.0 g
• Fats: 15.0 g

Moving on to the next peanut butter, we have Spread the Love NAKED Organic Peanut Butter. Its only ingredient is organic peanuts. 

This peanut butter is USDA organic certified. It is one of the best options if you want organic peanut butter low in calories. Organic foods contain fewer pesticides, so they can be healthier than non-organic foods. 

This peanut butter also contains 0 mg of sodium, making it a good option if you are on a low-sodium diet. 

6. Crazy Richard’s 100% All-Natural Creamy and Crunchy Peanut Butter

• Calories: 180
• Carbs: 5.0 g
• Fiber: 3.0 g
• Protein: 8.0 g
• Fats: 16.0 g

Crazy Richard’s 100% All-Natural Creamy and Crunchy Peanut Butter is one of the best options if you are looking for low-calorie peanut butter. 

One thing I love about this product is its simple ingredients list. Peanuts are the only ingredient. It doesn’t have any added oils or sugars. 

Since it only contains peanuts, it is perfect for those following a keto diet since two tablespoons of peanut butter offer only 2.0 g of net carbs. It is also a high protein source since two tablespoons have the same protein content as one large egg. 

7. Thrive Market Peanut Butter

• Calories: 180
• Carbs: 5.0 g
• Fiber: 3.0 g
• Protein: 8.0 g
• Fats: 16.0 g

Thrive Market Peanut Butter is another great option if you want to include low-calorie peanut butter in your diet. Lightly roasted peanuts are its only ingredient. 

One thing that makes this peanut butter stand out is its presentation. It comes in sachet form, while most come in jars. So, for those that want to have peanut butter on the go or are preparing for a trip, this is the best option to take. 

8. Santa Cruz Organic Lightly Roasted Peanut Butter

• Calories: 180
• Carbs: 5.0 g
• Fiber: 3.0 g
• Protein: 8.0 g
• Fats: 16.0 g

Santa Cruz Organic Creamy Lightly Roasted Peanut Butter is next on our top list of peanut butter low in calories. Organic peanuts and salt are the only two ingredients. 

While it has salt, it only has 55 mg of sodium, so it’s still ideal for those following a low-sodium diet. 

9. Adams 100% Natural Crunchy Peanut

• Calories: 190 
• Carbs: 7.0 g
• Fiber: 3.0 g
• Protein: 8.0 g
• Fats: 16.0 g

Adams 100% Natural Crunchy Peanut butter has only two ingredients: peanuts and salt. 

One of the benefits of Adams 100% Natural Crunchy Peanut butter is that it offers a good fiber intake. Fiber can help increase fullness levels and fight constipation.

When you have a good fiber intake (25 to 30 g per day), you have better gut health and bowel movements. 

This peanut butter offers 12% of the daily recommended value of fiber, making it an ideal option for those that want to add more fiber to their diet. 

10. Smucker’s Natural Creamy Peanut Butter

• Calories: 190 
• Carbs: 7.0 g
• Fiber: 3.0 g
• Protein: 8.0 g
• Fats: 16.0 g

Like Adams Peanut Butter, Smucker’s Natural Creamy Peanut Butter only has two ingredients: peanuts and salt. 

Even though it has added salt, it has 100 mg of sodium per two tablespoons. This is still considered a low-sodium option since food needs to have less than 140 mg to be considered low in sodium.

It is ideal for those looking to add healthy fats to their diets without consuming an excessive amount of sodium. 

What Is Considered a Low-Calorie Peanut Butter?

On average, two tablespoons of peanut butter have around 200 kcal. But as a registered dietitian, I consider any peanut butter with less than 200 kcal “low-calorie.” 

That said, every brand has different nutritional properties, depending on if they add oils, sugars, or any other ingredient that can increase the caloric content. 

Why Do the Calories in Peanut Butter Matter?

Peanut butter is a high-calorie food.

As mentioned, two tablespoons of peanut butter can have more than 200 calories, equivalent to one cup of cooked rice.

However, as you can see, you get more rice volume than peanut butter for the same number of calories.

Foods with a higher energy density (more calories in a small volume) are easy to overeat since they don’t fill your stomach as much as lower energy density foods (fewer calories in a small volume). 

When you are on a weight loss journey, you must be careful with how many calories you eat. To lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit. This means consuming fewer calories than your body burns through exercise and non-exercise activities. 

You can include peanut butter on a weight loss journey, but you must watch your portion sizes.

In my experience as a Registered Dietitian, people don’t usually follow the recommended portion for peanut butter and end up eating more, which means consuming more calories. 

Adding a lower-calorie peanut butter gives you the same (or even more) volume for fewer calories. It also means more calories are reserved for other meals with more satiating foods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Type of Peanut Butter Is Best for Weight Loss?

Powdered peanut butter is the best option for weight loss. It has 45 to 50 calories, while peanut butter spread can have 200+ calories.

So, you can reduce the calorie content by more than 75% by opting for peanut butter powder instead of peanut butter spread when on a weight loss journey.

Other Low-Calorie Foods and Drinks

• Lowest-Calorie Chips
• Lowest-Calorie Milk

References

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Bray GA, Redman LM, de Jonge L, Covington J, Rood J, Brock C, Mancuso S, Martin CK, Smith SR. Effect of protein overfeeding on energy expenditure measured in a metabolic chamber. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Mar;101(3):496-505. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.091769. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PMID: 25733634.

Bosse JD, Dixon BM. Dietary protein to maximize resistance training: a review and examination of protein spread and change theories. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012 Sep 8;9(1):42. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-9-42. PMID: 22958314; PMCID: PMC3518828.