The History of Jif Peanut Butter

Jif debuted in 1958. The first product was a smooth and creamy spread; this was quickly followed by a crunchy option. Both jars featured the brand’s then-mascot, Jifaroo the Kangaroo. At its debut, Jif was marketed as a spread rather than a peanut butter due to FDA guidelines around peanut butter concentrations and terminology use. Then in 1962, the brand developed a new formula that increased the amount of peanuts to 90% while retaining spreadability. This allowed Jif to re-brand as a peanut butter, as the new formula met the FDA’s requirement that a product marketed as “peanut butter” must contain at least 90% peanuts. In 1966, Jif debuted its famous slogan, “Choosy Mothers Choose Jif” (this was later updated to “Choosy Moms Choose Jif” in 1988). In 1971, the formula was updated to use molasses in place of honey as a sweetener. (Today, most Jif products use sugar as the main sweetener.) In 1976, Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter debuted and in 1986, the company switched from glass jars to plastic jars. 1991 saw the launch of Simply Jif, a lower sodium, lower sugar alternative to regular Jif; a Reduced Fat variety was rolled out in 1994. In 2006, the highly portable Jif To-Go Peanut Butter debuted and in 2009, Jif debuted a line of peanut butters billed as natural. Jif Squeeze debuted in 2020 and in 2024, the brand rolled out Jif Peanut Butter & Chocolate Flavored Spread. Today, Jif remains one of the most popular peanut butter brands in America.