Low-Fat Mayonnaise
How we tested
Because mayonnaise is fatty both by nature and definition, reduced-fat mayonnaise is a popular product among the diet-conscious. But is it possible for a light mayo to be as flavorful as the full-fat original?
We put five brands to the test, all with a fat content between 2.5 and 5 grams per serving. To see if tasters could tell the difference, we also threw the winner of the full-fat mayonnaise tasting into the mix. We sampled these products spread on bread and tossed in macaroni salad.
The results? Tasters were unanimous in thinking our last-place finisher bore no resemblance to mayonnaise. One taster said it tasted like "a cross between pureed cottage cheese and tofu." Two other products didn't fare much better. Tasters thought our second-place finisher was too sweet but made a fairly decent macaroni salad. Our winner very nearly beat out the full-fat mayonnaise. Although this light version had a pastier texture than the regular, the bright, balanced flavors were similar when tasted on bread, and the two products were virtually identical in the macaroni salad. Even our most finicky taster admitted that the salad made with the top-place finisher was "not bad."
The Results
Skippy Peanut Butter
In a contest that hinged on texture, tasters thought this "smooth, "creamy" sample was "swell" and gave it top honors, both plain and baked into cookies. Its rave reviews even compensated for a slightly "weak" nut flavor that didn't come through as well as that of other brands in the pungent satay sauce.
Jif Natural Peanut Butter Spread
The big favorite in satay sauce, this peanut butter's "dark, roasted flavor"—helped by the addition of molasses—stood out particularly well against the other heady ingredients, and it made cookies with "nice sweet-salty balance." Plus, as the top-rated palm oil-based sample, it was "creamy," "thick," and better emulsified than other "natural" contenders.
Reese's Peanut Butter
This is what peanut butter should be like, " declared one happy taster, noting specifically this product's "good," "thick" texture and "powerful peanut flavor." In satay sauce, however, some tasters felt that heavier body made for a "pasty" end result.
Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Spread
The only other palm oil-based peanut butter to make the "recommended" cut, this contender had a "looser" texture than its winning sibling but still won fans for being "super-smooth." Tasters thought it made an especially "well-balanced," "complex" peanut sauce.
Peanut Butter & Co. No-Stir Natural Smooth Operator
Though it says "no-stir" on the label, this "stiff" palm-oil enriched peanut butter was "weeping oil" and came across as "greasy" to some tasters. However, it turned out a respectable batch of cookies—"chewy in the center, crisp and short at the edge"—and made "perfectly good" satay sauce.
Maranatha Organic No Stir Peanut Butter
On the one hand, this organic peanut butter produced cookies that were "soft and sturdy" yet "moist," with "knockout peanut flavor." On the other hand, eating it straight from the jar was nearly impossible; its "loose," "liquid-y," and "dribbly" consistency had one taster wonder if it was "peanut soup."
Smart Balance All Natural Rich Roast Peanut Butter
Besides being unpalatably "tacky" and "sludgy," this "natural" peanut butter suffered from an awful "fishy" flavor with a "weird acidic aftertaste" that tasters noted in all three applications. Our best guess as to the culprit? The inclusion of flax seed oil, an unsaturated fat that's highly susceptible to rancidity.
Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter
With its only additive a negligible amount of salt, the only truly natural peanut butter in the lineup elicited comments ranging from mild dissatisfaction ("needs enhancement with salt and sugar") to outright disgust ("slithery," "chalky," "inedible"). Cookies were "dry and crumbly" with a "hockey puck" texture, and the satay sauce was "stiff," "gritty," and "gloopy."