Celery and Peanut Butter – An Easy Snack

Celery is a vegetable that is high in vitamins, minerals and fiber and pairs well with protein rich peanut butter for a healthy snack. Decorate with raisins or craisins for a more fun kid friendly snack.

This combination makes an easy keto or low carb snack to help you feel more full and reduce hunger cravings. This protein packed snack that also has fat and fiber is perfect to enjoy any time of the day including before bed.

Peanut Butter and Celery Recipe

The firm crunchy part of the celery stalk with a semi-round channel in the center is the best portion to fill with peanut butter. Cut off the end with leaves and the base which is typically wider and lighter in color.

Wash larger pieces of celery and then trim into four inch pieces. This creates a base big enough to hold while spreading peanut butter, but small enough to enough in a couple simple bites.

Allow stalks to air dry and then apply about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter per 4” section. Add a couple raisins to each bite for yet another texture, natural sweetness and flavor dynamic.  

This is a great snack for beginners to make or for kids to help DIY and decorate as they please. Anytime kids can enjoy hands on learning in the kitchen and establish healthy habits is a good thing! My kids love adding raisins and calling them ants on a log!

Are Celery Hearts Better?

Hearts of celery are often sold right next to regular celery in the produce section of the grocery store. Celery hearts are made by trimming the leaves and sometimes the base off of a regular bunch of celery.

You pay more for convenience, but the nutritional value is the same.

Recipe Tips

• We like to use a spoon or butter knife to scoop and apply peanut butter to our celery
• Honey peanut butter or other nut butters can be a nice way to switch up this snack or side dish
• Rinse celery, but ensure it is dry before filling with peanut butter
• Trim previously cut ends off of celery along with leaves to get the best fresh flavor
• Another filling snack is dipping celery in protein rich hummus in place of using nut butter

How Much Peanut Butter Per Piece of Celery?

One serving of peanut butter is 2 tablespoons, which fits nicely on a 4” stick of celery. There are 8 grams of protein in a single serving of peanut butter. 

There are 4 tablespoons in 1/4 of a cup, so 8 tablespoons in 1/2 cup and that serves 4 people.

What Else Tastes Good with Celery & Peanut Butter?

• Raisins
• Craisins
• Slivered almonds
• Chopped walnuts
• Mini chocolate chips
• Freeze dried raspberries or other fruit
• Granola
• Cereal
• Toffee chips
• Sunflower seeds and honey
• Peanuts
• Bananas

Pretzels, grapes, apple slices and more can help create design animals but are typically eaten seperately.

Nutrients in Celery

Celery is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, folate and fiber.

What texture does Celery Have?

Fresh celery should be fairly firm and have a nice crunch. There are tiny ridges between the fibrous strings that run lengthwise on each piece. A sharp knife or sharp teeth easily sever these strings on young tender stalks.

What Color is Celery

The outer stalks are darker green and gradually lighten in color to the center of the celery which is more white in color because it receives less sunlight.

Shop for celery that is light green, firm and free from wilting leaves, brown or black ends as this is the beginning of decay. The bunch should be tightly packed.

Store celery in a crisper drawer or container like this vegetable crisper to increase shelf life up to two weeks.

The celery pictured is beginning to get too old for optimum texture and flavor!

Washing Before Enjoying

All celery should be completely rinsed in cold water. Take care to use a brush or clean cloth to remove any visible dirt.

Even the inner stalks should be washed because there are organisms in the dirt that can make us sick. Rinsing is a simple precaution to take.

I had the opportunity to watch celery harvest in 2006 less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. While the process is regulated for sanitation is it still important to rinse celery since it is cut by human hands. 

Celery is cut as close to ground level as possible without any roots being attached. In the field the talk stalks have leaves at the top. Most of the leaves are typically cut off in the washing, processing and bagging process for more efficient storage and transportation since celery leaves are typically not eaten in a snack.

Celery Flavor Description

Deeper green tends to have a more favorable flavor than lighter or white colored stems

More Simple Snack Recipes:

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Dipped Bananas are another combination of fun and healthy ingredients.

Cheesecake Fruit Dip makes a basic Fruit Tray sweeter.

BLT Deviled Eggs are another protein packed low carb and keto snack that is great to keep on hand in the refrigerator!

This article from Real Mom Nutrition has several Cheap Healthy Snacks for Kids.