How to Eat Peanuts

Co-authored by Find BC Dietitians

Last Updated: July 11, 2024 References

Peanuts are a fun and healthy daily snack, which can amp up your fiber and protein intake at the same time. You can add this super snack to your daily diet by cracking open an old-fashioned peanut, eating boiled peanuts, or even making your own peanut butter.

Ingredients

Making Peanut Butter

2 cups (300 g) of shelled, unsalted peanuts
1-2 tsps (5-10 mL) of honey
1-3 tsps (5-15 mL) peanut or vegetable oil
1 tsp (5 mL) of salt

Makes 20 1-tbsp (15-mL) servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Eating Peanuts by Themselves

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1
Crack open and remove the shells when you’re eating peanuts. If your peanuts came with a shell on them, hold the shelled nut in your fingertips, and squeeze your fingers to put pressure on the shell until it cracks. Pull out the nut with your hands and discard the shell in a bowl. Most of the time the nut will fall right out when you crack the shell, but you may have to fish around to pull out the nut.
- Use the same cup, bowl, or bag (if on the go) to collect all of your shells and make cleanup easier.
- Technically you can eat the shell, but it’s not great for digestion and might be contaminated with pesticides.^{[1]
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2
Eat about 28 peanuts for a full serving size. Repeat the process and eat around 28 peanuts to get a full serving size of this nutritious morning or afternoon snack.^{[2]
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- Peanuts have a healthy dose of fiber, protein, and important nutrients, which can reduce your risk of heart disease.^{[3]
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3
Try eating peanuts boiled, roasted, or raw. For boiled peanuts, remove the shells like normal peanuts (or pop them in your mouth and bite down to remove the shells), then suck the juice from the shell for an extra treat. Roasted peanuts tend to be more flavorful and make awesome snacks as well, as do raw peanuts.
- Raw peanuts are safe to eat, but to ensure the safety of the snack buy raw peanuts that were produced in the US, as some unmonitored raw peanuts may have carcinogenic properties.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Adding Peanuts to Other Dishes

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Put the peanuts onto the salad before tossing it or sprinkle them on the salad after tossing it for a visually appealing garnish. Asian and Thai salads will pair especially well with peanuts.^{[5]
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Top off ice cream sundaes with peanuts. Sprinkle the peanuts liberally onto a bowl of ice cream to add a salty crunch.^{[6]
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Research source} Add a chocolate drizzle and whipped cream for an extra sweet treat.
- Peanuts pair especially well with dark chocolate, caramel, and pretzels in ice cream; many popular ice cream brands use this combination to create flavors!
Make or order pad thai and top with a hearty scoop of salted peanuts for a crunchy salty addition to this meal.^{[7]
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Research source} This move will add some additional protein and taste amazing with the flavor profile of pad thai.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Peanut Butter from Shelled Peanuts

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Pour 2 cups of peanuts into the baking pan, shaking the pan to evenly distribute the peanuts along the bottom of the baking pan. Any kind of cake or baking pan will work.^{[8]
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Roast the peanuts in the oven for 3 minutes, then take out and shake the pan. Set a timer for 3 minutes. When the timer goes off, pull the pan out using an oven mitt, and shake the pan so that the peanuts shift around from side to side and top to bottom.^{[9]
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- You can also use a wooden spoon to stir the peanuts, rolling the bottom peanuts to the top and vice versa.
Keep an eye on the nuts once 5 minutes is up, because nuts can burn quickly. Look out for a nutty smell and browning to know the peanuts are roasted.^{[10]
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Let the nuts cool until you can touch them without burning your hands. This should take about 5 minutes.
Pour ⅓ cup (50 g) of the roasted peanuts into the food processor and cover with the lid. Pulse the processor 6-8 times, then transfer the chunky bits to a small bowl and save for later.^{[11]
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Press down the button to process the ingredients for 1 minute, until the ingredients begin to stick to the sides. Open up the processor and stir, scraping down the sides with a spoon or spatula to unstick any peanut butter.
Add 1 to 3 tsps (5 to 15 mL) of oil, using more oil for creamier peanut butter and less for thicker peanut butter. The peanut butter should begin to look shiny after 2-3 minutes of processing.^{[12]
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Stir them into the peanut butter with a spoon, adding more until you are happy with how chunky your peanut butter is.