If you have a lot of floating oil on the top of your peanut butter jar, you don’t need to worry, it’s a sign that your peanut butter is all-natural. Store the jar in the pantry upside down, which will help some of the oil incorporate. When you’re ready to use, flip it back over and stir and it will be smooth and creamy again.
The fat in any of the natural nut butters is healthy monounsaturated fat which is better than hydrogenated oils that keep the butters mixed. Peanut butter products are usually added with hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) such as mixture of hydrogenated rapeseed, cottonseed oil and soy bean oils as stabilizers, it prevents the oils naturally found in peanuts from separating and rising to the top of the jar. But, in 2015, the Food and Drug Administration determined that partially hydrogenated oils are no longer generally recognized as safe and manufacturers are removing them from their products.
One of the great things about peanut butter is that we have many choices! Most manufacturers have already eliminated partially hydrogenated oils. Compare nutrition labels and choose your favorite peanut butter, knowing that you’re getting a great total package of protein, fiber, vitamins and nutrients, as well as mostly good fats.
Peanut butter is calorie-dense, in addition to healthy fats, peanut butter contains about 3 to 4 grams of fiber and about 7 to 8 grams of protein per 2-tablespoon serving. If you're going to cut something out of your peanut butter, make it added sugar, not oil.