How to Make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

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Last Updated: November 10, 2024 Approved

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The peanut butter and jelly sandwich (affectionately called a PB&J) is a tasty American staple and makes a quick, easy lunch or snack.^{[1]
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Research source} You can have it the traditional way or you can get creative put lots of fun, tasty treats in it. See Making a Basic Sandwich to get started with your delicious sandwich!

Ingredients

Bread (usually one or two slices per sandwich)
Peanut butter
Jelly or jam

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making a Basic Sandwich

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1
Collect your ingredients. You will want peanut butter, some preserves or jelly, and some bread. You may also want to grab some butter, as butter can enhance the flavor of the sandwich. There are lots of different kinds of bread and spreads to choose from, so you'll have to do a little experimenting to know what you like.
- Lots of types of peanut butter come with lots of added sugar and partially hydrogenated oils that are bad for your health.^{[2]
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  Research source} If you're looking for a healthier option, try an organic peanut butter. Ideally, peanut butter should only contain peanuts and no other ingredients, like sugar or salt. Natural peanut butter may have a layer of oil on top, but if you carefully stir it in when you open the jar and then keep the jar of peanut butter in the refrigerator, the oil will not separate out again. You can also store the jar upside down to prevent separation.
- There are lots and lots of flavors for jellies and jams. The two most commonly used are grape and strawberry. However, you could branch out to a sharper taste like raspberry, or a mixture of several different kinds.
- For your bread you'll probably want something that doesn't overwhelm your other flavors (like a rye or sourdough), so you'll probably want to use white bread.^{[3]
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2
Spread peanut butter evenly onto one slice of bread using a knife. You'll decide how much peanut butter you want, but if you're going to be taking the sandwich somewhere, you'll probably want to go a little light on the peanut butter, otherwise it will get everywhere before you get to eat it.^{[4]
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- Stir your peanut butter beforehand to soften it and make it easier to spread on the bread slice. Another tip for spreading peanut butter, especially the kind with peanuts in it, is to put some of the peanut butter in a bowl and microwave it on high for about 20 seconds. It will spread on the bread like soft butter.
- If you do use butter, you'll put the butter on the same slice of bread as the peanut butter before you put the peanut butter on.
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You'll want to use a teaspoon or knife. Again, unless you're going to be eating it right there, and you really like jelly, try to avoid overwhelming your sandwich with jelly.
To avoid having peanut butter and jelly run everywhere, do this quickly. A good way is to take both slices at the same time and quickly press them together.
The best way to cut the sandwich is diagonal, from one corner to another, giving you two triangle shaped pieces. Otherwise, you can cut directly across the sandwich, leaving you with two rectangular shaped pieces.
Just make sure that you wash your hands afterwards, because you'll be certain to get the gooey mixture of peanut butter and jelly on them.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Getting Creative

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Make your sandwich a little more interesting by adding things like granola, pretzels, or Ritz crackers. The added benefit of granola is that it gives you more fiber and nutrients and is a healthier option.
There are lots of different sweet things you can add to your sandwich, like syrup (especially maple syrup), a cut up banana, some honey, brown sugar, or different kinds of berries (blueberries, pomegranate seeds, etc.).^{[5]
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Toast your bread. This will give your sandwich a little more crunch and a little more taste. It is also helpful when spreading peanut butter, because it doesn't tear as easily as regular bread.^{[6]
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- You could also try using biscuits instead of bread, because the peanut butter and jelly would spread really nicely and there would be a little different taste.
4
Use french toast for the bread. You'll need 2 slices of bread, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) milk, some cinnamon, some brown sugar, and the peanut butter and jelly.^{[7]
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- Mix together cinnamon, egg, milk, and brown sugar. Dip your slices of bread into the mixture, making sure you don't coat it too much. Put bread in skillet and cook for a couple of minutes. Flip the bread and cook a couple more minutes. Remove from skillet and spread with peanut butter and jelly and return to skillet, cooking for about a minute on medium heat. Put on plate, cut in half, and eat!^{[8]
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Use banana bread for the bread. Whip up some homemade banana bread and spread it with your usual peanut butter and jelly. This a delicious treat and gives you the benefit of the bananas with the bonus of the sweetness of cake.

Community Q&A

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I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but the bread kept breaking every time I held it up to my mouth! What do I do?

muskaan sharma

Community Answer

Bread breaks if it is stale, or is kept in the fridge, or both. It is recommended to use fresh bread when making a sandwich.

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What is the healthiest type of jam?

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When you are at the supermarket, check the ingredients. They are in an order. If there's more sugar than fruit, it will say sugar first. Try looking for a healthy jam, with less sugar. The flavor doesn't actually matter, use the one you like the most.

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What if I don't like kiwi?

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The good news is that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches don't have kiwi on them, so you don't need to worry about it.

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Tips

If allergic to peanuts, use Wow butter.^{[9]
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Research source} Wow butter is a Soy substitute for peanut butter, and it tastes like peanut butter too!

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If you don't have jelly try making a fluffernutter (A peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich) or a peanut butter and honey sandwich.^{[10]
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If too much time goes by between the application of the jelly and consumption, the jelly can soak into the bread and make it soggy. So, if you plan on enjoying your creation later on, spread peanut butter on both sides then spread the jelly in the middle, thereby protecting the bread from being made soggy by the jelly. Be sure to spread the peanut butter thinner than usual. A very thin layer of softened butter spread on the bread before the jelly or jam will also help keep the bread from getting soggy.

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Warnings

If anyone in the house has a peanut allergy, be sure not to put the knife you spread the peanut butter with into the jelly jar. Even a little bit of peanut can cause a dangerous allergic reaction.^{[11]
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Trustworthy Source

American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
National professional organization of allergists, asthma specialists and immunologists that focuses on supporting and publishing research

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