Peanut butter wasn't invented by a single person but evolved through contributions from several innovators in the late 19th century. The earliest known patent for a peanut paste came from Marcellus Gilmore Edson in 1884, while Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patented a process using raw peanuts in 1895 for nutritional purposes.

Origins

Ancient civilizations like the Incas and Aztecs ground peanuts into pastes long before modern versions emerged. Edson, a Canadian, created his paste by milling roasted peanuts between heated surfaces, marking the first documented step toward today's spread.

Key Innovators

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg developed peanut butter as a digestible protein source for patients at his Battle Creek Sanitarium. In 1903, Dr. Ambrose Straub patented a machine that mechanized production, paving the way for commercial success.

Common Myth

George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter, despite popular belief; he popularized peanuts with over 300 uses but came later.

Commercialization

By the early 1900s, brands like Skippy refined the formula for smoother texture and longer shelf life, turning it into an American staple.

TL;DR: No single inventor—credit goes to Edson (1884 patent), Kellogg (1895 process), and Straub (1903 machine); Carver myth debunked.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.