Growing up, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were a lunch box staple. But who's to say that once you've graduated from grade school, peanut butter and jelly is no longer acceptable? Peanut better and jelly is a timeless (and the best) combination–without question. Even if you haven't had a PB&J in years, these peanut butter and jelly recipes are going to take you back to your childhood.
1. Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups
Chocolate, peanut butter, and jelly? What more could you ask for? It's like your favorite childhood lunch and your favorite childhood candy had a baby.
2. Fried Brioche Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
Your mom probably used to make your PB&J on some plain white bread. But now that you're an adult, put that PB&J on some fancy bread like brioche and fry it in a pan so it's nice and crispy. Adulting at its finest.
3. Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Bites
Bite-sized cookies are perfect for quick and easy snacking. These cookies are sweetened with dates, and there's no added sugar. If you're looking for a healthy, five-ingredient peanut butter and jelly recipe, this is for you.
4. Peanut Butter and Jelly Uncrustables
Uncrustables were the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because, honestly, who liked the crust anyway? Now you can make them at home with this easy peanut butter and jelly recipe.
5. Peanut Butter and Jelly Tartlets
These PB&J-inspired bite-sized tarts are filled with a chia seed strawberry jam. As if you didn't have enough reasons to eat chia seeds, these little tarts are filled with fiber.
6. Peanut Butter and Jelly Donuts
This is essentially an elevated version of both a jelly donut and a PB&J sandwich. I'd say that you could eat these for lunch or as a dessert. Your choice.
7. Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
PB&J used to be a childhood lunch staple. But now, you can enjoy it in the morning with these delicious peanut butter and jelly muffins. The best part about this recipe is that you can adjust it to your own preferred peanut butter-to-jelly ratio.
8. Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Bread
This bougie PB&J banana bread is made in the microwave, so not only does it only take minutes to make but it hardly makes a mess. Less cleanup means more time to enjoy this recipe.
9. Peanut Butter and Jelly-Stuffed French Toast
Childhood favorite meets brunch staple. This recipe is incredibly easy to make in large quantities. Make this for your friends at your next brunch, or make a whole batch for yourself.
10. Peanut Butter and Jelly Crumb Muffins
Muffins are great to make on a Sunday afternoon as meal prep for breakfast all week. They're perfectly portioned for breakfast on-the-go and you can easily freeze your leftovers. If you're not feeling muffins, make this recipe in a large cake pan and call it PB&J coffee cake.
11. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich with Brie
If you're really craving a classic PB&J, give it a more sophisticated twist. A creamy cheese like Brie adds an additional flavor profile without overwhelming the main stars of your dish–the peanut butter and jelly.
12. Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Boats
This peanut butter and jelly banana boat will satisfy both your sweet tooth and your PB&J cravings. All you need to make this recipe is a toaster oven.
13. Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats
Personally, I'm a huge fan of overnight oats because they take only minutes to make the night before and then you have a delicious, filling breakfast in the morning. These PB&J overnight oats are no exception.
14. Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal
This recipe starts with ordinary oatmeal, then it gets a major PB&J upgrade. According to the Instagrammer behind this beautiful creation, "Add frozen blueberries to the oats and cook them until they are thawed. Then remove it from the heat and add coconut yogurt, coconut oil, and cinnamon. Top it with a big dollop of peanut butter or almond butter and that’s it!" Simple and delicious.
15. Peanut Butter and Jelly Fudge Cups
These are similar to an ordinary peanut butter cup, but without the chocolate. They are sweetened with only a bit of maple syrup so they're low in added sugar. You can make a ton of these in advance and keep them in the fridge or the freezer for a cool, PB&J-inspired treat.
16. Peanut Butter and Jelly Açai Bowls
Especially as the summer comes around, açaí bowls are a refreshing way to start your morning. You can top them with any type of fruits, nuts, or seeds you want. By adding peanut butter, you're adding a little extra protein to start your morning.
17. Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding
I love chia seeds because they're filled with fiber and tons of nutrients. Chia pudding is especially great, as it's similar to overnight oats. It only takes a few minutes the night before to prepare and then you have a healthy breakfast. This PB&J chia pudding would be especially great topped with fresh fruit or granola.
18. Peanut Butter and Jelly Lava Cake
When you think of a lava cake, you probably think of one of those gooey super chocolate-y lava cakes. I used to associate that image with lava cakes too... but once I tried this PB&J lava cake, my lava cake bias was no more.
19. Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirl Brownies
This is perfect for all you sweet and salty lovers out there. The peanut butter adds just the right amount of salt to these brownies, while the strawberry jam adds another level of sweetness. You need to try this peanut butter and jelly recipe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
20. Peanut Butter and Jelly Cinnamon Rolls
The best part about these rolls is the peanut butter cream cheese frosting. Worried the peanut butter will be too overwhelming? Ordinary cream cheese frosting will do, but I highly suggest you try it.
21. Peanut Butter and Jelly Slices
All you need to make these is a blender or food processor and a freezer. These frozen treats are great for the summer when you just need some lunchtime nostalgia. Did I mention these are vegan?
22. Peanut Butter and Jelly Hamentaschen
Hamataschen are triangle-shaped cookies with pockets filled with jam, traditionally served around the Jewish holiday Purim. If you're a true PB&J lover, these are a must-have this Purim season. If you aren't Jewish, you can still enjoy these delicious cookies year-round.
23. Peanut Butter and Jelly Layer Cake
Bake this incredible peanut butter and jelly layer cake you celebrate your favorite PB&J lover. Or bake it just because. There's always a good reason to bake cake.
24. Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola
You can make this in a large batch ahead of time and store it in an air-tight container for weeks. Then you'll be able to add some PB&J inspiration to yogurt, oatmeal, and whatever else your PB&J loving heart desires.
25. Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie
Peanut butter is a great addition to smoothies because it not only adds a bit of thickness, but is also a simple way to add protein. This PB&J smoothie is no different. Use a bit less milk to make the smoothie thicker, and enjoy it as a smoothie bowl. Bonus points if you top it with the PB&J granola from above.
26. Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Sandwich
This recipe calls for homemade ice cream, but you could use your favorite store-bought brand if you're short on time. The crust of these ice cream sandwiches is made from eggless peanut butter cookie dough. AKA, make some extra dough for snacking later.
27. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies
It's a sandwich, but it's also a cookie... it's a cookie sandwich. Could you eat these for lunch and argue you're having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? I'd say so.
While you may feel like PB&J was the food of your childhood, that doesn't mean you're too old for it. There are countless ways to enjoy the flavors of peanut butter and jelly without feeling like you're back in elementary school again. And these peanut butter and jelly recipes just prove that PB&J is a combination that we'll never tire of.