What's The Difference Between Jif Peanut Butter And Skippy Peanut Butter?

According to the National Peanut Board, the average child will eat roughly 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the time they graduate high school. They're quick to make, flavorful, and synonymous with childhood. Whether you prefer creamy or crunchy peanut butter on your sammie, the brand you choose can make or break your experience. The most popular peanut butter brands in the U.S. are Jif and Skippy, Brand Informers reported, and which is better of the two is highly contested.

These brands are owned by two different companies. J.M. Smucker Company owns Jif, and Hormel Foods owns Skippy. Nutritionally, Jif and Skippy are pretty similar. They contain the same number of calories, fat, cholesterol, fiber, sugar, and protein. They also have nearly identical ingredients, including added sugar.

When it comes to which is better, it's all preference. But there are some discernible differences between the two brands.

Skippy and Jif are fan-favorite peanut butter brands, but is there really a difference between the two? Some people who are loyal to one brand versus the other say there is a noticeable difference. First of all, on average, Jif is more expensive than Skippy, but only by a little. Jif also uses mono and diglycerides in its recipe as an emulsifier, which extends the product's shelf life.

While they are nutritionally similar, Skippy contains 10 more milligrams of sodium than Jif and one more gram of sugar, and has fewer nutrients overall. But it does have half a milligram less saturated fat than Jif. The other main difference is how the two are sweetened. Jif uses molasses, while Skippy uses sugar.

As far as taste is concerned, that's a matter of preference. A blind taste test by Brand Informers indicates that Skippy is preferred over Jif because it tastes more like "real peanut butter."