Homemade Uncrustables
It’s so easy to make your own Uncrustables at home. You can make just enough to eat right then or make up a large batch for the freezer!
When it comes to store bought lunches for kids, Uncrustables seem to be near the top of that list. Â But, have you seen the prices of those things?
Did you know that you can make the exact same thing at home for just a fraction of the cost? Â Yep, sure can. Â My kids love the homemade versions, so I always make up a good bit to stick in the freezer for easy lunches & fast snacks.
What ingredients do I need to make homemade Uncrustables?
Here’s your cast of ingredients!
All you need is your basic pb & j components-
- peanut butter
- jelly
- bread.
How many does this recipe make?
That’s the beauty – you can chose exactly how many you make! When I make them – I usually make up 1-2 loafs of bread worth so I have plenty to put into the freezer for quick grab and go lunches and/or snacks. You can make them in as small or large of a batch you wish.
I go to the bread thrift store & get the bread to save even more money. Â If you have one of those in your area, definitely take advantage of it!
How do I prepare the homemade Uncrustables?
I also like to use a variety of jellies – you can see in the above picture that this time I chose to go with blueberry, strawberry, & grape. A whole uncrustable flavor smorgasbord!
First step is removing the crust – after all, they’re not called Crustables 😉
You can choose to do this by simply cutting the crust off with a knife (making a square shape), using a sandwich de-cruster, a large biscuit cutter, or the method I use – a glass & a knife. Â I just flip a glass upside down, press down, and then go along the edge of the glass with a knife – making the round shapes you usually see in the store bought version.
You may wonder what I do with all that leftover crust.  Sometimes I use the corners to make sandwich kabobs – or I’ll make bread crumbs with them.  And if all else fails – there are always some furbabies at my feet anxiously waiting for any crust fragments left behind 🙂
Spread a thin layer of peanut butter in the centers of each piece of bread – taking care to not let the peanut butter reach the edges so you can seal it properly.
Dollop about a scant teaspoon of jelly/jam/preserves in the very center of half of your slices of bread. Â Don’t add too much because you don’t want it oozing out when you seal them up. Â The other half of the bread slices should be just peanut butter.
Top each jelly centered piece of bread with a peanut butter covered one. Â Seal the sandwiches by pressing down along the edges with a fork, all the way around.
They even sell sandwich crust removers that have a sealer too, so that’s always an option as well.
You can serve them as is – or you can put the into the freezer for easy lunches.
To freeze, lay the uncrustables out on a large baking sheet & place in the freezer for 2-4 hours. Â You can see in my picture where I put just a little bit too much jelly in one – oops.
Once frozen, remove from the baking sheet & store in a large ziploc freezer bag.
If sending them with your kid to school, remove from the freezer bag & place in their lunch – they will be thawed by lunchtime.
If you are wanting to eat one straight from the freezer, simply place it in the microwave on the defrost setting for 30-60 seconds, depending on your microwave. Â (Start out at 30 seconds, and increase if needed)
Need some more lunchbox inspiration? Â Check out these other great ideas!
Ingredients
- bread
- peanut butter
- jelly, jam, or preserves
Instructions
- First step is removing the crust - after all, they're not called Crustables. You can choose to do this by simply cutting the crust off with a knife (making a square shape), using a sandwich de-cruster, a large biscuit cutter, or the method I use - a glass & a knife.  I just flip a glass upside down, press down, and then go along the edge of the glass with a knife - making the round shapes you usually see in the store bought version.
- Spread a thin layer of peanut butter in the centers of each piece of bread - taking care to not let the peanut butter reach the edges so you can seal it properly.
- Dollop about a scant teaspoon of jelly/jam/preserves in the very center of half of your slices of bread. Â Don't add too much because you don't want it oozing out when you seal them up. Â The other half of the bread slices should be just peanut butter.
- Top each jelly centered piece of bread with a peanut butter covered one.  Seal the sandwiches by pressing down along the edges with a fork, all the way around. They even sell sandwich crust removers that have a sealer too, so that’s always an option as well.
- You can serve them as is - or you can put the into the freezer for easy lunches.To freeze, lay the uncrustables out on a large baking sheet & place in the freezer for 2-4 hours.
- Once frozen, remove from the baking sheet & store in a large ziploc freezer bag. If sending them with your kid to school, remove from the freezer bag & place in their lunch - they will be thawed by lunchtime. If you are wanting to eat one straight from the freezer, simply place it in the microwave on the defrost setting for 30-60 seconds, depending on your microwave. Â (Start out at 30 seconds, and increase if needed)
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Love this idea! I am going to do a batch before school starts for my picky first grader. That kid would live on pb & j if I would let her!
Raj
Pink Chai Style
I was just wondering if you can freeze peanut butter and jelly and it not come out soggy. 🙂 Thanks for the tips. I watched it on Fox 8 but apparently I was not paying much attention or just a really bad memory.
I made two sandwiches as a trial for my kids. They LOVED them! They said they weren’t soggy at all like the real Uncrustables. I used a sandwich sealer & descruster I found at my local Dollar Tree and it worked great! (Also available from Amazon for quite a bit more money, but still worth it: http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Sandwich-Sealer-Decruster-Colors/dp/B004M5J1NG) I read on another blog they can be frozen for up to a month, so I’ll be making a big batch of these every few weeks!
Yay! I’m so glad they were a hit! We make up huge batches here too!
Yes, you can – the peanut butter acts as a barrier to the bread, keeping the bread from becoming soggy 🙂
I love these! I am going to whip up a huge batch for me and my boys. What an inexpensive and fun lunch!
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Love this idea! Your doggies are too cute too!
Thank you!
I am definitely going to try making these to send with my daughter for her breakfast!
If I used the pb&j mixed jars, would it work ok?
It should be just fine!
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