Believe me, as much as we love food, the non-stop food holidays get old for us, too. But, as parents, we feel it only natural and right to honor National Peanut Butter and Jelly day with these amazing peanut butter and jelly recipes that go way beyond a sandwich. The classic kid-friendly combination has been a staple in family homes for decades. Even in this time of heightened peanut allergy awareness, the beloved duo lives on with peanut butter-like spreads that offer the same appeal.
Because, let’s be honest, PB&J is the ultimate comfort food combination, whether humbly slathered between to pieces of bread or deftly transformed into a confection of childhood dreams.
Related: The new (no) peanut butter and jelly sandwich: 6 easy, healthy, nut free spreads for school lunch.
What better way to start than with a decadent take on the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich: a Fried PB&J at MomDot. Yup, keep it simple, but make it special by frying your PB&J up like french toast and sprinkling some powdered sugar on top. If you can’t find Text toast where you live, use any deliciously fluffy thick-cut bread. I’m thinking challah bread, myself.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Popcorn?! This treat at Something Swanky is super fun and, honestly, unlike any PB&J recipe I’ve ever seen. My kids haven’t stopped asking when I’ll make this ever since they spied it on my computer. It’s already a keeper.
These Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies at Erica’s Sweet Tooth may be among the cutest cookies I’ve ever seen. The recipe is simple—it doesn’t get easier than peanut butter cookie dough—and all you have to do to get this mini sandwich look is shape the dough like a loaf. I’m a great cook, but far from crafty and even I think this looks easy.
Related: Cute cookie recipes for, well, the cutest cookies ever that are not impossible to make.
What better way to elevate a standard PB&J than to make this Peanut Butter and Jelly Croissant at Yummy Workshop. Um, yes, please! Don’t worry: You don’t need to bake croissants from scratch to make this (though I’ll be very impressed with you if you do). Instead, start with store-bought plain croissants. Then, make a crazy delicious filling and relish every bite.
In my house, muffins are a comfort food, so why not combine them with PB&J to make these Peanut Butter and Jelly Crumb Muffins at How Sweet It Is, right? Then we get a mega ultimate comfort food that I can make ahead and even freeze to have on hand. Perfect.
How can you make peanut butter and jelly better? Add chocolate, of course! These Chocolate Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups at With Style and Grace are such a treat and you can make them with only 5 ingredients, plus that flaky sea salt. You can, of course, skip the fancy salt, but if you have some on hand already, I guarantee it’s worth pulling out from the back of your spice rack.
There are a lot of PB&J smoothies out there, but I love this Perfect Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie at Go Dairy Free because it uses a simple blend of frozen berries and plant-based milk as a stand-in for the jelly. Not only does that totally work flavor-wise, but it keeps this much lower in added sugar. And, by the way, Alisa offers a paleo version and I say that you can use regular milk if that’s what you have on hand. It all comes out delicious.
Related: The Blender Girl Smoothies app: More healthy than Candy Crush in a few ways.
Let’s follow up the smoothie with another healthier recipe as a reprieve from all the sweets (don’t worry: it’s a brief reprieve). This Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal Bake at Ambitious Kitchen is sweet enough to feel like a treat, but packed with enough good-for-you stuff that you can serve it for breakfast. And if there are leftovers, serve it for dessert, too—maybe warmed with a little bit of vanilla ice cream on top.
One last heathy one, because why not when healthy is as delicious as this Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding at Minimalist Baker. This seven ingredient tread is made without added refined sugar, but has plenty of sweetness thanks to berries, a touch of OJ and some maple syrup. And why chia seeds? Because, as Dana points out, they’re rich in Omega fatty acids, fiber, protein, and calcium. All that in a sweet pudding-like treat. Why wouldn’t you make this?
Creamy peanut butter and sweet fruit jelly are especially great flavors for cheesecake. If you don’t believe me (or especially if you do) give these PB&J Cheesecake Cups at Ari’s Menu a try. Because can you think of a better way to make cheesecake better???
Related: 8 cheesecake recipes for a festive end to any festive meal.
If you’ve never made homemade marshmallows before, you might think it’s crazy to suggest these Peanut Butter and Jelly Marshmallows at Bakerella. Perhaps it is—making them is definitely a project—but I couldn’t not give you the chance to make these, because image the s’mores that follow. Just saying.
I admit that this Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake at The Cake Blog is totally over the top and probably way too complicated for most of us to make (you can’t see, but my hand is raised. . . high). BUT how could I not share this. I mean, look at this thing of beauty! If you fancy yourself a baker and have a PB&J lover in your family, bookmark this baby: It would make a showstopper birthday party cake.
If you love the ideas of PB&J cake, but want something that will look good even if you are cake-decorating-challenged (like me!), try these Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes at My Baking Addiction. Don’t get me wrong: With a scratch cake, center filling, and homemade icing, these are definitely involved, but anyone who can ice a cupcake well can make these look great, even for a special occasion (which, if you ask me, is what these are best for).
OMG, this is amazing! I’m pinning several of these to try – thanks for including my recipe Stacie!