This Simple Hack Will Make Stirring Natural Peanut Butter Mess-Free

Peanut butter is one of the best foods in our healthy snack arsenal: it's packed with satiating healthy fats, has protein, and tastes oh-so good on top of an apple or whole wheat bread. For an even healthier choice, opt for natural peanut butter; the only ingredient should be peanuts and maybe salt. This version is free of added sugar and hydrogenated oil (score!) and is minimally processed.

But without the hydrogenated oil, the natural oils from the peanuts separate and sit at the top. That means you have the hard work of stirring it back in to make your nut butter creamy again. Get ready for a mess! The oil ends up splattering out onto the counter, dripping down the sides of the jar, and it's impossible to get it mixed up perfectly — you're always left with that extra thick and dry layer at the bottom. So here's an easier hack to stir your natural peanut butter without making a mess.

No, don't turn the jar upside down for 24 hours and then mix it — that still makes for messy drips. All you need is an immersion blender. If you don't have one of those, grab a handheld mixer and one beater. Open your brand new jar. Place the immersion blender or beater as far down into the jar as possible. Turn it on the lowest speed and just start to mix for a minute or so, moving slowly up and down the jar. Increase the speed slightly if you need to. Your nut butter should be mixed up within a couple minutes.

Turn the machine off and use a spatula to clean off any nut butter that's coating the end of the immersion blender or beater. You'll have perfectly smooth and creamy nut butter without a huge drippy, oily mess. To keep your nut butter from separating again, store your newly mixed jar in the fridge. Now, the next time you finish a jar of peanut or almond butter, you'll be excited to mix up a fresh one!