Smoked Peanut Butter

Mar 14, 2024 • Tom Jackson

Experience the distinct flavor profile of Smoked Peanut Butter, a delightful departure from traditional spreads. Crafted from honey roasted peanuts, Kansas Wildflower Honey, and Jacobsen Salt Co.'s Kosher Sea Salt, this recipe introduces a unique smoky twist to a beloved classic. The smoking process infuses the peanuts with a nuanced depth, resulting in a spread that boasts complexity with every bite. Versatile and irresistibly delicious, this homemade creation is perfect for adding a flavorful punch to your favorite snacks and meals.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

Cold smoking with the grill off is the unusual technique that makes this work: The grill is never turned on for heat — the fans run to circulate the smoke from the A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker, and that's it. The peanuts absorb pure smoke flavor with no heat applied, which means they don't cook further or lose moisture during the two-hour smoke window. Starting with honey roasted peanuts means all the roasting happened before the smoke phase — the smoke layer is the final, distinct flavor addition.
The two-hour cold smoke window is long enough to add genuine smokiness without overwhelming the peanut flavor: Smoke compounds are fat-soluble, and peanuts are roughly 50% fat by weight — they absorb smoke efficiently. Two hours at cold-smoke temperatures produces a detectable, savory smoke character that complements the honey-roasted sweetness rather than competing with it. One hour is noticeable but subtle; beyond two hours the smoke becomes dominant.
Three ingredients, no cooking, and a blender — the active work is under 10 minutes: The two hours of passive smoking is unattended. Once the peanuts come off, they go straight into the blender with honey and salt. Blending takes 2–3 minutes. The only active steps are loading the smoker, spreading the peanuts, and running the blender. The elapsed time is two hours; the active time is ten minutes.
The Reida Farm Wildflower Honey is not interchangeable with commercial clover honey here: Wildflower honey has a more complex, floral character with subtle earthiness — it amplifies the roasted peanut flavor rather than adding simple sweetness. Commercial clover honey works, but the nuance of the wildflower variety is more interesting in the finished peanut butter, particularly alongside the savory smoke notes.

How to make Smoked Peanut Butter

Tom Jackson

Rated 5.0 stars by 6 users

Cuisine

American

Servings

6

Cook Time

2 hours

Prepare to savor the exquisite taste of Smoked Peanut Butter, where the smoke perfectly complements the rich nuttiness of honey-roasted peanuts. With each spoonful, delight in the harmonious balance of flavors, crafted to perfection. Get ready to indulge in a culinary experience like no other, where every bite leaves you craving more.

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Ingredients

4 cups honey roasted peanuts
1 tbsp Reida Farms Kansas Wildflower Honey
1 tsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt

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Directions

Turn on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill, but don’t ignite the grill, just leave the fans running.
Fill an A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker and place on the with your favorite pellets. Place on the bottom shelf. Light the pellets with a propane torch. Let them burn for about one minute, then blow them out and close the door.
Place a FrogMat on the second shelf and spread out the peanuts.
Cold smoke the peanuts for two hours on a FrogMat to keep them from falling through the grates.
Place the smoked peanuts, honey and salt in the Vitamix. Start blending on low then turn it up to high for 2-3 minutes, pushing ingredients down with the tamper, until the mixture is smooth. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides.

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Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

Why is the grill turned on but not ignited?
This is a cold-smoke technique. The YS640s fans run when the grill is powered on, which circulates air (and smoke) throughout the chamber without generating any heat from the fire pot. The A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker provides the smoke independently — the peanuts absorb smoke flavor at ambient temperature rather than cooking. If you simply lit the pellet grill normally, the heat would continue to roast the peanuts and drive off moisture, changing the texture before they ever reach the blender.

What pellets produce the best flavor for peanut butter?
Lighter, sweeter wood varieties work best. Cherry and apple produce a mild, fruity smoke that complements the honey-roasted peanut base without overpowering it. Hickory and mesquite are too assertive for this application — they produce a sharp, meaty smoke character that fights with the sweetness. Pecan is an excellent middle-ground choice: slightly richer than cherry or apple but not as aggressive as hickory, with a natural nuttiness that pairs well with peanuts specifically.

Do I need a Vitamix specifically, or will any blender work?
A high-powered blender is necessary, but it doesn't have to be a Vitamix. Any blender with at least 1,200 watts and a tamper will work. Standard countertop blenders typically lack the power to break down whole peanuts into smooth peanut butter — they stall out before the oils fully release and the mixture becomes creamy. A food processor is a viable alternative: process for 4–5 minutes, scraping down the sides every minute, until the peanut butter is completely smooth.

Why start the blender on low before turning it up to high?
Starting on low allows the blade to catch and begin breaking down the peanuts before the high-speed setting is engaged. Starting on high with whole peanuts can cause the mixture to climb up the sides of the container before it's broken down enough to circulate properly. Once the peanuts are partially broken down and moving freely, increase to high and use the tamper to push the mixture into the blade — this is what produces the smooth, creamy texture rather than a chunky spread.

How long does smoked peanut butter keep?
Stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator, smoked peanut butter keeps for 2–3 weeks. Because this recipe has no added stabilizers or emulsifiers (unlike commercial peanut butter), the natural oils will separate over time — stir before each use. At room temperature, it keeps for about one week. The smoke character mellows slightly over the first 24 hours as it integrates with the peanut oils, then stabilizes.

Can I make this indoors?
2 out of 5 — Can be done inside, loses key flavor. The blending step is entirely stovetop-independent. For the cold smoke, a stovetop smoker with the heat very low (just enough to smolder the chips) or a covered wok with a small amount of wood chips and a wire rack can cold-smoke the peanuts indoors — spread them in a single layer and smoke for 30–45 minutes with the lid on. The result is good but less consistent and more time-intensive to manage than the A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker setup.

Recipe Highlights

Spread the peanuts in a single layer on the FrogMat — don't pile them: Direction Step 3 says to spread out the peanuts on the FrogMat. A single even layer maximizes the surface area of each peanut exposed to smoke — peanuts buried under a pile will smoke on the surface but remain unsmoked at the center. The FrogMat keeps the peanuts from falling through the grill grates, which is critical because the grill fans will be running for two hours and can shift lightweight items on standard grill grates.
Light the tube smoker and let it burn for one full minute before blowing it out: Direction Step 2 specifies lighting the pellets, letting them burn for about one minute, then blowing them out. The one-minute burn establishes a hot enough ember bed in the tube that the pellets will continue to smolder after the flame is extinguished. Blowing out too early — before a consistent ember is established — causes the pellets to go cold rather than smoldering, producing no smoke. If the tube stops producing smoke within the first 15 minutes, re-light and start the timer over.
Close the grill door immediately after placing the tube smoker: Direction Step 2 specifies closing the door after lighting. The A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker produces a concentrated smoke plume — keeping the door closed traps that smoke in the chamber and around the peanuts. Opening the door during the two-hour smoke window releases accumulated smoke and extends the time needed to achieve the target smoke level. Check on the peanuts at the one-hour mark only if necessary.
Use the tamper throughout the entire blend — don't wait for the mixture to stall: Direction Step 5 specifies pushing ingredients down with the tamper. In a high-powered blender, the peanuts circulate in a vortex — without the tamper continuously pushing the mixture into the blade, air pockets form and the blade spins without contact. Use the tamper in a consistent circular motion from the start and keep it moving throughout the 2–3 minute blend. The moment you feel resistance ease and the vortex become smooth and consistent, the peanut butter is done.