“True or False: George Washington Carver invented peanut butter.”

If you guessed true, you’re not alone, but the answer is actually false.

While Carver is often credited with inventing peanut butter, his legacy spreads far beyond being just an ingredient in one of America’s favorite sandwiches. Carver developed over 300 uses for peanuts, from shampoo to shaving cream to chili sauce, and is often referred to as the “Father of the Peanut Industry.” His work helped make peanuts a staple in the American diet

So, if Carver wasn’t the inventor, then who can truly claim the title of peanut butter’s inventor?”

A Brief History of Peanut Butter

Peanut butter has a much longer history than most people realize. Its roots trace all the way back to ancient civilizations.

The Incas and Aztecs were among the first to grind roasted peanuts into a paste, using it as part of their daily diet centuries before it made its way into modern kitchens.

The transition from ancient paste to the creamy spread we know today began in the late 19th century. In 1884, a Canadian named Marcellus Gilmore Edson patented a peanut paste created by milling roasted peanuts between heated surfaces. Just over a decade later, in 1895, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the same man behind the famous cereal brand, developed a process to make a peanut-based food using raw peanuts. His aim was to create a nutritious, protein-rich option for patients who had difficulty chewing solid food.

Peanut butter took another big step forward in 1903 when Dr. Ambrose Straub of St. Louis patented the first peanut-butter-making machine. This invention made it possible to produce peanut butter on a large scale, paving the way for it to become the household staple it is today.

From there, peanut butter spread quickly across the country. Today, it comes in countless flavors and varieties and is the star inn recipes both savory and sweet.

Source:

National Peanut Board. (n.d.). Who invented peanut butter? Retrieved September 26, 2025, from https://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/news/who-invented-peanut-butter.html

Straub, A. W. (1903). Mill for grinding peanuts for butter (U.S. Patent No. 721,651). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patents.google.com/patent/US721651A

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