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Sandwiches · American

Peanut Butter and Jelly

The lunchbox classic, spread edge to edge so every bite has both.

Hands-on
5 min
Total
5 min
Makes
1 sandwich
Serves
1

Five minutes, no cooking.

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • lunchbox
  • no-cook
  • kids
  • quick

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Peanut Butter and Jelly
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: butter knife or small spreader · cutting board · bread knife (optional, for cutting)

Contains: peanuts · wheat

Method

  1. Spread the peanut butter

    Spread 2 tbsp (34 g) peanut butter evenly over one slice of bread, all the way to the edges.

  2. Spread the jelly

    Spread 2 tbsp (42 g) jelly evenly over the second slice.

    Otto tried this firstOtto spreads the peanut butter and the jelly on the same slice, then wonders why the top slice slides off. One spread per slice, fillings facing in.

  3. Close it up

    Press the two slices together with the fillings facing in.

  4. Cut and serve

    Serve whole, cut in half, or trim the crusts and cut it diagonally.

Swaps

  • Instead of white sandwich bread: whole wheat bread Works the same way; a firmer slice is easier to spread.
  • Instead of grape jelly: any jelly of your choice Strawberry and other fruit jellies or jams all work.

If something goes wrong

  • Too sweet or too rich Why: Two tablespoons of each spread is a generous sandwich.
    Use 1 tbsp peanut butter and 1 tbsp jelly per sandwich instead.

Good to know

  • For a lighter sandwich, 1 tbsp of each spread is enough.

Safety

  • Peanut allergy can be severe. Don't make this for anyone with a peanut allergy, and wash knives, boards and hands afterwards if you share a kitchen with someone who has one.
  • Bread can contain milk, soy, sesame or egg: check the label if you cook for allergies.