12 Fancy PB&J Recipes That Are All-Grown-Up (2024)

FAQs

How do you upgrade a PB and J sandwich? ›

PB&J is short for peanut butter and jelly. : We made PB&Js for the kids and their friends.

"I think, generally speaking, for a classic PB&J, grape jelly is the only jelly," says food blogger Alea Chappell, although she adds that strawberry is better for "just about everything else." Susan Anderson, a writer at The Worthy Goods, is also turned off by strawberry jelly.

Tip 3: Switch up the Jelly

You can also add crunch elements like coconut flakes, granola, or chia seeds. If you're feeling adventurous, try the popular bacon-peanut butter combo, or try Elvis's famous peanut butter, bacon, and banana combination.

Sliced Banana: Add some natural sweetness and a creamy texture by layering sliced bananas on top of the peanut butter. Honey: Drizzle some honey over the peanut butter for an extra touch of sweetness. Nutella: For a decadent treat, spread Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread) on your peanut butter sandwich.

"Use the proper amount of jelly, but don't spread it on the whole slice," the commenter said. Then, when you're ready to eat, gently push the middle of your sandwich so that the jelly spreads out. This cuts down on the jelly-to-bread exposure time, which is what makes the bread go soggy.

To my taste, either equal parts or more jam than peanut butter is better, though double the amount of jam to peanut butter is a bit much. My personal preference is right in the middle, about 50% more jam than peanut butter by volume, but if that's too sweet for you, a 1:1 ratio will work too.

Peanut butter and jelly are two things that are commonly seen as "meant to go together", as in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Therefore, the phrase "you are the peanut butter to my jelly" can be said to mean "you are meant to be with me" or "we are meant to be together".

The Bread. As we have already discussed, it is vital for a PB&J to be made with soft, white bread. Enter: Japanese milk bread, also known as Hokkaido milk bread, also known as shokupan. It is the lightest and fluffiest bread you will ever taste.

Is PB and J only an American thing? ›

But as natural a combination savory, salty peanut butter and bright, sweet jelly seems to Americans, the rest of the world is a bit wary — the PB&J is really found only in the U.S. And how we got the PB&J, a relative newcomer to the culinary world, is the result of some serious American ingenuity.

I'm pretty plebian, I make my PBJ with good bread ( soft, yet strong enough to not leak or tear) spread a thin layer of butter on one slice. Spread natural, peanut butter on top. I spread concord grape jam ( not jelly) on the other slice of bread. I then place them together.

Elvis Presley's Favorite Sandwich Featured Peanut Butter, Banana, And Bacon. Your average PB&J, all shook up.

Add lots of veggies. Think outside the box. All sorts of veggies taste good and add more flavor and crunch to sandwiches. Consider adding cucumbers, bell peppers, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, jicama, avocado, onions, and anything else that tickles your taste buds.