If you want to make peanut butter dryer and harder so you can mold it in your hands or just so that it is thicker here are a few tips. Buy natural peanut butter and pour off the oil, pop it in the fridge or freezer, add flour, cornflour or arrowroot flour or scrape it on to parchment paper to dry out.
This article will cover the top ways to dry out peanut butter. If you want thick peanut butter then this article will show you how.
How to dry out peanut butter
Check out these easy ways to dry out your peanut butter to make it thicker.
1. Pour the oil off
The easiest way to dry out your peanut butter and make it less oily is to start with natural peanut butter and pour the oil off. Over time natural peanut butter will start to separate naturally with the oil forming on the top.
Repeatedly pour off the oil over time. Do this every day and your peanut butter will gradually become thicker and dryer.
Commercially made peanut butter tends not to split as easily. To remove the oil faster, always choose natural.
2. Put the peanut butter in the fridge
To make your peanut butter harder and dryer, try putting it in the fridge. The cold will help to harden it up and make it moldable and firm. Keep your peanut butter in the fridge if you want it to be drier.
3. Freeze it
Freezing peanut butter is another way to make it drier and harder. You can freeze it straight in the jar, in a shallow dish or on a baking sheet. Make sure you cover it with plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn. You can then remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw slowly in the refrigerator until it dries out.
4. Add flour
To make your peanut butter drier add flour. Choose a plain wheat flour and stir it through in small amounts. Start by adding 1/2 a teaspoon and stir it through. If you still want your peanut butter to be thicker, add another 1/2 a teaspoon at a time.
Avoid adding too much flour otherwise the peanut butter will start to taste flavorless.
5. Cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Mix in small amounts of cornstarch or arrowroot powder to thicken peanut butter and absorb excess moisture. These natural thickeners will make the peanut butter harder. Cornstarch and arrowroot have minimal flavor so they won’t overtake the peanut flavor.
6. Put it onto parchment
Spread peanut butter thinly on a piece of parchment paper and allow it to air dry for a few hours until it becomes firmer. This is perfect if you are planning to turn these into dog treats. The top will start to crust over but the peanut butter will become harder.
7. Add rice flour
For a gluten free way to thicken up peanut butter add gluten free rice flour. This will help to absorb extra moisture and to harden and dry out the peanut butter.
If you have dried out our peanut butter too much, check out my article here on how to fix seized nut butters: How to fix seized nut butters | 9 Simple ways.
How to dry out peanut butter | Summary
Peanut butter can be dried out by freezing it or popping it into the fridge. You can mix in flours or start with natural peanut butter and pour the oil off. All of these will thicken, dry out and harden your peanut butter.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.