Have a jar of peanut butter on hand?
There are plenty of inventive culinary ways to use peanut butter besides spreading it on toast or crackers. You can whip up peanut cookies, shakes, pies and even a tasty West African peanut stew.
But in a bind, peanut butter can substitute for household products you’ve run out of — like shaving cream. In other instances, peanut butter is genuinely the best option, such as eliminating fishy odors from pans.
Want to get more creative with your peanut butter? Try a few of these offbeat hacks.
Note: for most of these tricks you’ll want to use creamy peanut butter, not the crunchy variety — especially if you’re substituting it for shaving cream.
Worried about peanut butter prices? Savinly shoppers watch for sales, clip coupons or take advantage of BOGO promotions at stores that offer them. Peanut butter fans have plenty to be happy about.
Peanut Butter for Removing Messes
I’m not a big fan of cleaning, but when motivation hits, I might go through a whole bottle of disinfectant. Lysol isn’t the only effective cleaner though. Peanut butter can tackle a variety of cleanup jobs, so keeping a few jars around is handy.
1. Getting Gum Out of Hair
One of the most familiar uses for peanut butter is getting gum out of hair. Why does smooth peanut butter work so well? It’s the oil — the same reason vegetable oil is often used in these sticky situations.
2. Getting Gum Out of Carpet
Removing gum from hair is just the beginning. The same principle applies to carpets: dab a teaspoon of peanut butter on the spot and the gum should loosen. Afterwards, use a damp cloth and dish soap to remove the peanut butter residue.
3. Removing Stubborn Stickers
Whether a toddler has plastered stickers on a wall or you bought an item with a stubborn label, you can smear peanut butter over the sticker, let it sit for about an hour, then wipe it away with a wet cloth. This method works on painted walls, glass and plastic containers you want to reuse.
4. Cleaning Up After Crafts
Peanut butter is useful after arts and crafts leave your hands coated in dried glue. The oil in the peanut butter helps break down the adhesive; in this case, chunky peanut butter can even act as a mild abrasive to help scrub it off.
Peanut Butter to Refresh Many Things
Beyond tidying up messes, smooth peanut butter can restore everyday items — or at least get them working better again.
5. Restoring Shine to Leather and Vinyl
Apply a small amount of peanut butter and rub it in a circular motion. Then buff it off. It works well on sofas, chairs and even leather car seats.
6. Removing Tar from Car Paint
If tar sticks to your car’s exterior, skip harsh chemical removers and try peanut butter instead. Cover the tar with PB, wait about a minute, then wipe with a soft cloth. You may need to repeat a few times to fully remove the tar and restore the paint’s appearance.
7. Fixing Scratched CDs or Game Discs
Have old discs — CDs, DVDs or game discs — you want to play again? Use some peanut butter to buff out scratches and revive them.
8. Minimizing Scratches on Wooden Furniture
Wood furniture makes a great focal point, but scratches happen with kids and pets around. Some sources suggest peanut butter as a simple fix: put a dab on the scratch, leave it for about an hour, then wipe with a clean cloth. The scratch won’t vanish, but it will be less apparent.
9. Eliminating Fishy Smells from Cookware
If pans retain a fishy odor after cooking seafood, fry a spoonful of peanut butter in the pan for a minute or two after finishing. It helps neutralize smells — and your home will smell like peanut butter afterward.
Peanut Butter for Personal Care
Peanut butter isn’t just food — it can also play a role in grooming routines.
10. As an Emergency Shampoo
If you run out of shampoo, creamy peanut butter can double as a moisturizing treatment in small amounts. It can hydrate hair, though the process takes roughly 45 minutes, so plan for an evening self-care session.
11. As Shaving Cream
While showering, you can spread peanut butter on legs or face and use it as an unconventional shaving cream — reportedly leaving skin smooth. Avoid chunky varieties to prevent clogging the razor or drain.
12. As a Moisturizer
For the same moisturizing reasons it can substitute for shampoo, you can use peanut butter to soften dry hands if you’re out of lotion. The natural oils help nourish skin. A little goes a long way.
Peanut Butter for Pets and Pests
From convincing a pet to take medicine to luring a stubborn critter, peanut butter is surprisingly handy.
13. Baiting a Mouse
If there’s a mouse in the house, try baiting a humane trap with peanut butter. The scent attracts rodents that love nuts.
14. Attracting Insects
Peanut butter isn’t just for mice — you can use it to bait pests like ants and cockroaches as well.
15. Using as Fishing Bait
Some anglers swear by peanut butter balls as bait. For carp, for example, a peanut butter ball can dissolve and leave a clean hook — no messy worms to remove.
16. Giving Medicine to Pets
Peanut butter is a reliable way to hide pills for a reluctant dog or cat. Creamy peanut butter works best; smear a bit on a tablet and it’s hard for the pet to lick the medicine off without swallowing it.
17. Feeding Backyard Birds
You probably can’t invite the neighborhood birds inside, but you can enjoy watching them by filling a feeder with seeds. A favorite treat is a pinecone coated in peanut butter and rolled in seed — hang it outside and watch birds flock to snack.
Peanut Butter for Repairs
Don’t have every tool at hand? Peanut butter can be surprisingly useful in some repair situations.
18. Lubricating Tools
If you’re without commercial lubricant, peanut butter can stand in for things like lawn mower blades, saws and other tools that need a bit of lubrication.
19. Quieting Creaks and Squeaks
Peanut butter can also substitute for spray lubricants when fixing squeaky doors or drawers. Apply a small amount to the noisy hinge or sliding part and let the oils do the work.
Peanut Butter in the Kitchen
Beyond spreading it on bread, there are culinary uses for peanut butter you might not have considered — many of them recipe-free.
20. Replacing Butter
Out of butter? Use peanut butter instead in many dishes. Depending on the quantity used, the peanut flavor may be subtle.
Swapping butter for peanut butter can be a strategy for those watching calories: butter is at least 80% fat while peanut butter is roughly 50% fat. This substitution can also help make recipes vegan.
21. Sealing an Ice Cream Cone
On a hot day, coat the inside of an ice cream cone with peanut butter to prevent melted ice cream from leaking out the bottom. Plus, you get a tasty peanut butter surprise at the end.
22. Adding Protein to Smoothies
No need for pricey protein powders — stir a spoonful of peanut butter into fruit smoothies for an easy protein boost.
23. Flavoring Popcorn
Want something beyond salty popcorn for movie night? Make a sweet-savory topping: simmer half a cup of honey with half a cup of sugar, stir in smooth peanut butter and a pinch of salt, then toss with popcorn for a delicious treat.
24. Using Peanut Butter as a Condiment
Peanut butter isn’t just a spread — treat it like a condiment. Try it with avocado in sandwiches, on baked potatoes or even in a decadent cocktail. Since peanut butter is simply ground peanuts, anything that pairs with peanuts will usually pair well with peanut butter — like homemade peanut butter and chocolate granola bars.
25. Reinventing Hummus
Some adventurous cooks recommend replacing tahini with peanut butter for a twist on hummus. Think of peanut butter hummus as a swap of peanuts for sesame — some recipes even add peanuts to the blender for extra texture.
Michael Carter reports on personal finance and lifestyle topics for Savinly from his home base in Cincinnati. He covers a range of subjects, including insurance, taxes, retirement and everyday money tips and has been working in the field since 2012.
