From ancient civilizations crafting peanut pastes to modern innovations that keep it fresh and delicious, peanut butter has carved out a unique place in kitchens worldwide. Packed with flavor, nutrition, and surprising stories, this humble spread connects cultures, science, and even space exploration. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a curious newcomer, these 48 peanut butter trivia questions will enrich your snack time knowledge and make every spoonful a little more interesting.
1. Question: Are peanuts technically classified as nuts?
Answer: No, peanuts are actually legumes, not nuts.
2. Question: Which two US states are the major producers of peanuts, and which one is the official state crop?
Answer: Georgia and Texas.
3. Question: Who was the first person to patent peanut butter, and which country was he from?
Answer: Marcellus Gilmore Edson from Canada (Montreal, Quebec).
4. Question: In what year was the first patent for peanut butter issued?
Answer: 1884.
5. Question: Who invented the peanut butter-making machine in 1903?
Answer: Dr. Ambrose Straub of St. Louis, Missouri.
6. Question: Name three minor peanut-producing states in the US besides Georgia and Texas.
Answer: Alabama, Florida, North Carolina (also South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Virginia).
7. Question: Approximately how much peanut butter do Americans consume annually?
Answer: About 700 million pounds (350 million kilograms).
8. Question: Name two US presidents who were peanut farmers.
Answer: Jimmy Carter and Thomas Jefferson.
9. Question: How many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches does the average American eat before graduating high school?
Answer: About 2,500 sandwiches.
10. Question: Who popularized peanut butter in the United States in the late 19th century?
Answer: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg.
11. Question: What minimum percentage of peanuts must peanut butter contain to legally be called “peanut butter” in the United States?
Answer: At least 90% peanuts.
12. Question: What must a peanut product be called if it contains less than 90% peanuts?
Answer: Peanut spread.
13. Question: How long did the legal battle last regarding the peanut content required in peanut butter?
Answer: 12 years.
14. Question: Who encouraged Southern farmers to grow peanuts to help regenerate soil depleted by cotton farming?
Answer: George Washington Carver.
15. Question: Name three products or uses George Washington Carver invented from peanuts.
Answer: Peanut milk, glue, and print ink.
16. Question: Who was the businessman that made a large profit selling peanut butter at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair?
Answer: George Bayle.
17. Question: What process did manufacturers use in the 1920s to improve peanut butter’s shelf life?
Answer: Hydrogenation.
18. Question: Approximately how many peanuts are needed to make an 18-ounce jar of peanut butter?
Answer: 850 peanuts.
19. Question: Which two countries produce about 70% of the world’s peanuts combined?
Answer: India and China.
20. Question: Which month is recognized as National Peanut Month in the United States?
Answer: March.
21. Question: Who was the Canadian chemist that first patented peanut butter, and in what year did he do it?
Answer: Marcellus Gilmore Edson in 1884.
22. Question: Which well-known cereal creator also developed a method for making peanut butter from raw peanuts?
Answer: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg.
23. Question: On what dates are National Peanut Butter Day and National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day celebrated in the United States?
Answer: National Peanut Butter Day is on January 24th, and National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day is on March 1st.
24. Question: Which famous musician was known for adding bananas to his peanut butter sandwiches?
Answer: Elvis Presley.
25. Question: Who holds the Guinness World Record for eating the most peanut butter in one minute, and how much did he consume?
Answer: Andre Ortolf of Germany ate 378 grams of peanut butter on November 17, 2017.
26. Question: What is the name of the phobia involving fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth?
Answer: Arachibutyrophobia.
27. Question: Which region of the United States generally prefers chunky peanut butter?
Answer: The West Coast.
28. Question: Which region of the United States generally prefers creamy peanut butter?
Answer: The East Coast.
29. Question: Which ancient civilization had its own version of peanut butter?
Answer: The Aztecs.
30. Question: Around what decade did peanut butter begin to gain popularity outside of the United States?
Answer: The 1960s.
31. Question: What surprising material can peanut butter be transformed into under extreme pressure and temperature?
Answer: Diamonds.
32. Question: Where was the world’s largest peanut butter and jelly sandwich made, and how much did it weigh?
Answer: In Grand Saline, Texas, and it weighed 1,342 pounds.
33. Question: How many peanut butter sandwiches can be made from one acre of peanuts?
Answer: 30,000 sandwiches.
