Quick answer
Peanut butter is treated as a liquid. Cabin: ≤100ml in your liquids bag. Checked: no practical limit. Same logic applies to Nutella, jam, hummus, honey and any other spread.
TSA confirms peanut butter is a liquid. Bringing a full jar in cabin baggage is the #1 cause of confiscation.
Cabin vs checked baggage
| Where | Allowed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin (carry-on) | ≤100ml jar, in your 1L liquids bag | Officer can still pull it |
| Checked baggage | Full-size jars, multiple jars | Wrap to avoid leaks |
| Duty-free | Any size in a sealed STEB | Keep receipt, don't open |
Does it count toward my liquids allowance?
Yes. A 100ml jar of peanut butter uses one of your liquids slots. Powdered peanut butter (PB2, PBfit) is a true powder and does NOT count.
International travel notes
- US (TSA): explicitly listed as a liquid in TSA's What Can I Bring guide
- UK / EU: same 100ml/1L bag rule; some airports allow up to 2L with CT scanners
- Australia / NZ: 100ml in cabin; biosecurity may flag it on arrival
- Japan / Korea / most of Asia: strict 100ml
Airport discretion warning
Even within the 100ml rule, an officer can pull a jar if the scanner image is ambiguous. A clear travel jar with a clean label gets through more often than an unmarked one.