Why Peanut Butter And Chocolate Are A Perfect Pairing

There is a classic 1970s advertisement for a certain chocolate and peanut butter candy featuring two distracted people walking down the street who bump into one another — one holding a jar of peanut butter and one eating a bar of chocolate. As hokey as the "you got your peanut butter in my chocolate" shtick was, it did serve to immortalize one of the indisputably most iconic food pairings of all time: peanut butter and chocolate. But, what exactly makes this combo so craveable?

Chowhound consulted Certified Food Scientist and Johns Hopkins professor Kantha Shelke, PhD, to understand more about this hard-to-separate duo. According to her, it all comes down to how our brains respond to the complementary foods. "Their shared fat content enhances and prolongs flavor, while their smooth, creamy textures melt together for a deeply indulgent mouthfeel," she explains. Essentially, the whole of the peanut butter and chocolate flavor combination is greater than the sum of its parts. "On a neurological level, the combination of sugar, salt and fat hits the brain's reward centers, triggering a sense of pleasure greater than either ingredient alone," says Shelke. "The synergistic effect is the perfect balance of contrast, complement, and chemistry."

Food scientists spend their entire careers trying to create flavor mash-ups that are as distinct and satisfying as peanut butter and chocolate. The duo blasts the palate with salty, bitter, and sweet flavors, of which Kantha Shelke says, "These create a dynamic contrast that excites multiple taste receptors at the same time." This OG pairing has spawned countless food products, including entire grocery cases worth of peanut butter and chocolate ice creams. 

If peanut butter and chocolate didn't have enough going for them in the flavor department, there is also the cachet of their health benefits. Peanut butter is rich in protein, and chocolate, specifically dark chocolate, is lauded for its beneficial antioxidant properties, which have been linked with lowering blood pressure and improving heart health. Delicious and nutritious? Yes, please.

In fact, peanut butter and chocolate have become so ubiquitous that they have almost surpassed the flavor combination designation to become a flavor unto itself. The versatility of peanut butter and chocolate has lent its tastiness to just about every food product imaginable, from protein powders to Trader Joe's trail mix. It has also inspired generations of bakers to create their own peanut butter and chocolate delights ranging from traditional cookies, cakes, and pies to the latest viral sensations, such as Cronuts. Enter any bakery and you are sure to find at least one chocolate and peanut butter-forward item in the case. It's hard to imagine a more winning (and long-standing) sweet and savory duo. If just reading about the appeal of peanut butter and chocolate has your mouth watering, get a quick at-home fix with this three-ingredient peanut butter cup recipe.