Here’s a chewy peanut butter cookie recipe to throw on the pile. The recipe is originally from Jif, hence the name Jif Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies. I used Natural Jif peanut butter and the recipe worked just fine.
This is an older recipe that doesn’t have a super strong peanut butter flavor, but does have an interesting texture thanks to the shortening and brown sugar. Natural Jif Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies have a crisp and crumbly shell and a chewy center. When made with butter, the flavor is a little fuller but the texture is more uniformly chewy and you don’t get the contrasting crispy/crumbly. I think what makes this cookie special is the fact it’s NOT too strong in peanut butter and has the crisp/chewy texture that appeals to some people.
If you prefer a chewy peanut butter cookie recipe with more peanut butter flavor, I recommend Peanut Butter Jumbos. For a more traditionally crumbly peanut butter texture and fuller flavor, the One Bowl Criss-Cross Peanut Butter Cookies are great. Another personal favorite which uses a combination of shortening and butter plus a combination of cake flour and regular flour is a recipe called Sadie’s Peanut Butter Cookies. Sadies’s gives you the best of all worlds in terms of texture and flavor, but it’s a little less convenient since you have to use two kinds of flour.
Irresistible Jif Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 190 grams
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening Nutiva or Crisco 96 grams
- 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 250 grams
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg 50 grams
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 220 grams
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. I
- Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended.
- Add the salt and baking soda and stir until mixed, then pour in the flour and mix on low until fully blended.
- Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls of dough 2-inches apart (or by large cookie scoop) onto a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with tines of fork.
- Bake one baking sheet at a time for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.
I just bought Natural Jif at Wal-Mart in Starkville, MS a couple weeks ago and when I went to look it up and saw it wasn’t on the Jif website, I started searching and found this site. I guess they are market-testing it? I don’t know, but it’s good stuff! I got it because it looked less processed and I figured “why not?”
In case you’re wondering, the ingredients for Natural Jif are as follows, “Ingredients: Made from roasted peanuts, sugar, contains 2% or less of: palm oil, salt, molasses.” That sounded better to me than the Great Value brand I normally get (“Ingredients: peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil (rapeseed, cottonseed, soybean), dextrose, salt, molasses, monoglycerides.”)
As for Nutrition Facts:
Serv. Size 2 Tbsp (33g)
Servings About 15
Calories 190
Fat Cal. 140
Total Fat 16g / 24%
Sat. Fat 3g / 16%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholest. 0mg / 0%
Sodium 75mg / 3%
Total Carb. 7g / 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g / 7%
Sugars 3g
Protein 7g
Calcium 2%, Iron 4%, Niacin 20%, Vitamin E 10%, Riboflavin 2%
After eating the Natural Jif for a couple weeks, I tried some of my GV brand to compare and the GV-brand tasted like nasty peanut-esque playdough! Natural Jif has definitely raised my pb standards – I’m never buying that cheap crap again!
I will say it’s a different texture than what I’m used to. It is noticeably LESS viscous than your average jar of peanut butter, but not crazy-runny. It’s like the surface is runny (very easy to spread!), but as a whole it’s pretty dense and holds itself together. They say “no need to stir,” but I disagree – however, there is LESS need to stir.
The taste and texture, however, definitely make up for any viscosity issues I may have! Quite honestly, it just tastes more like I think REAL peanut butter SHOULD taste like (and less like the peanut-paste I’m used to). It has a thicker, fuller (more natural?) taste, and it’s sweet enough, but not in a sugary-sweet way – you just have to try it. You’ll know what I mean just by the smell. I opened it up and after a few seconds my roommate said “man, you better put a lid on the stuff before I eat it all – I don’t even usually like peanut butter, but that stuff smells sooo good!” – I think that pretty much says it all…
-David H
So as a follow-up, I live in NY, NY, and had the same experience as the OP. A couple weeks back I went by my local market (Key Food), saw this on the shelf, and purchased a bottle. I’ve since been back, but it appears to have been completely sold out (none on the shelf).
The test marketing concept may have been correct, or it’s just very early in it’s lifespan.
As for taste, as another poster commented Jif Natural is slightly sweeter than Jif Regular… hard to describe, it’s just a little sweeter than the original is peanutier. I still like it better than Skippy (who the hell can eat Skippy?), mostly because it is in fact “peanuttier” (that may be the truest ad-line I’ve ever heard).
Anyway, Natural Jif is molasses based, which differs from most “natural” peanut butters that use Honey as their sweetener. I think this may be one reason I like it more than other natural butters (not quite as sweet, little more flavor). Also, I noticed that while Natural Jif separates like natural peanut butter, it seems to separate LESS than honey sweetened butters. This may be the palm oil or something else… not sure.
But yeah, it’s out there, it tastes pretty good, it doesn’t have any hydrogenated products like the regular product line, but it’s definitely hard to find.
JU
Hi Lisa,
First off, I am really impressed with JIF and their ability to avoid this recall. They must do a lot of internal reviews and factory audits/checks. Or at least I’m guessing. I really have no idea, but I’m impressed.
I think the creamy natural JIF is a little bit sweeter than the other natural peanut butters. It’s less sweet than regular JIF, though.
I just purchased natural JIF at Target the other day. I was on the JIF website and found no mention of the creamy natural JIF I bought! I was attempting to research the Salmonella Peanut butter recall.
So your not the only one. The only place I found it was this post on your blog.
In anycase it’s delicious, hopefully I will be able to get more if I run out.
I hope you enjoy!
I actually called Smuckers yesterday because I can’t find Jif in Ontario anymore. A lot of ppl have been calling( or so the customer service lady said ) because Wal*Mart stopped carrying it here. I guess I have to buy it in MI now. Its the only PB I like for eating.
Thanks for all the comments — especially the peanut butter recommendations. I like that we have some new ones.
Steph, I’m looking forward to perusing all your vegan goodies. Maybe I’ll learn something.
Deb, that’s funny! I guess I’m too American-centri.
I was very confused by this entry. Over here (in England) Jif is the name of a kitchen cleaner! Good job you included a photo or I would have been totally bemused!
I love Natural Skippy. I can’t wait to try this, I hope I can find it soon! Thanks for letting us know it was out there!
hi Anna!
i believe this is my first comment – a couple weeks ago i started my own blog – so now, i have more courage and interest to make comments. haha
anyway, i LOVE peanut butter and the only kind i EVER use is all natural (i even [prefer it witherout salt)! my FAVORITE is Arrowhead Mills Organic, it is made with spanish valencia peanuts and it soo delish! i even use it whenever i bake (just ’cause i am like that) and i do A LOT of vegan baking.
before i leave i wanted to tell you i love your blog. it was one of the first i came across and an advid follower. =)
Well Anna – mystery solved! I haven’t see Natural Jif in my Krappy Kroger, but it often takes a while for us to get something new. Of course, since it’s not on the website, I’m inclined to think they’re test marketing it in your area. I really want to try it (although the weeone might kill me if I mess with her peanut butter again!).
Thanks for getting to the bottom of it!
Great find! I’ve had the Skippy Natural but not the Jif. I’ll have to look for it in my grocery store.
Interesting! I buy Trader Joe’s which is just peanuts and salt. I LOVE it now! I do miss the “creaminess” of the junky stuff though but I like the taste. I have yet to bake with it though, I’ve been afraid. Maybe I should get some of this with a little added oil and try that. It has to be better for us than the old PB that is loaded with all the junk in it. I’ll look around here out West!
I used to buy only Jif, then I found the Smart Balance Omega 3 peanut butter. It’s so delicious!
Ohh I just love trying new peanut butters. But I have to say hands down the best tasting peanut butter is Whole Foods Organic chunky. It even won a few taste tests as well.
I saw that at Target when I picked up some new jars of Skippy Natural. Thanks for the review. We like ours a little less sweet so we’ll probably stick with the Skippy Natural.
I have used many different brands. Most recently I have been using Krema. In the past I have used Smuckers, Adams, several different organic brands, and even in my fridge right now, Kroger brand (Kroger is especially salty).
I have made cookies and bars as well as quickbreads. Occasionally I think that the cookies/bars a bit dry but the flavor is still good.
Of course I also regularly sub whole white wheat flours for AP.
My fave “nut butter” cookies are hazelnut smooches from Giada DeLaurentis. Of course those use Nutella and that isn’t so healthy…But MAN are they good. Evenw ithout hershey kisses on top (the way my H and I prefer).
Oops, I typed too fast – should be environmental
Hadn’t thought about palm oil in peanut butter…sort of raises an environmenta red flag. We use Kroger store brand (we like it better than Jif) and I just checked – it contains 98% peanuts and the other two % does not include palm oil.
Hmm. Haven’t seen it, but also haven’t looked. I’m more a Skippy gal, so I’m happy. I think Jif may just be competing with Skippy’s Natural that came out first. Heck, I love all peanut butter, well, I guess I don’t care for store brands. I only use Naturally More for eating, and bake with all kinds! Thanks for sleuthing, Anna!
yummy peanut butter!! :)))
The other ingredients are sugar and less than 2% palm oil, salt and molasses.
I checked the label of Skippy Natural and they also use sugar and palm oil. Didn’t see molasses on that label.
The flavor of the Natural Jif tasted slightly sweeter than the Natural Skippy. Both are very good. I think the Natural Jif might have more kid appeal and the Natural Skippy might have more of an adult appeal.
Mariah, what brand do you use? Using natural peanut butter in baking is a good idea, but if a recipe is written or developed by someone who used a sweeter peanut butter, than using the natural peanut butter might give you a less sweet product. In some cases, that could be good!
But as far as eating peanut butter straight, I like the addition of a little sugar and the molasses doesn’t hurt either.
What’s in the other 10%?
Thanks Anna, btw I love your blog…Such yummy recipes! I have to say you’ve inspired so much to make my very own blog! Thanks again,
Olivia
The label says 90% peanuts…
Anna what are the other ingredients listed? I buy PB with only peanuts and salt…so I am curious about this new “natural PB”. By the way, the kind I buy I have had great success with in baking.
How could I say no to someone whose first recipe is an attempt to clone Panera’s double chocolate chunk cookies. Good luck with your blog, Olivia!
Hi Anna,
I just started my own blog and would love it if you could include me in your blogroll. Thanks,
http://bakingbarista.wordpress.com/
Olivia