31 Peanut Butter and Jelly Recipes That Are Pure Nostalgia

Remember the days of opening up your lunchbox to find two pieces of fluffy sandwich bread, crusts trimmed off and filled with generous scoops of both peanut butter and jam? It was the ultimate indulgence, akin to eating dessert instead of a proper meal. Not surprisingly, nut butter and fruit spread make the perfect combination for more than just the sandwiches of our youth—although we’d gladly gobble up one of those, too. You’ll find that the salty-sweet duo can be incorporated into breakfasts (hello, overnight oats and upgraded French toast!) as well as a number of snacks and desserts. Translation: you can satisfy your craving for this childhood favorite, any time of the day. We’ve got plenty of ideas to get you started but this mash up with rich and gooey St. Louis butter cake is one of our favorites. It makes a great dessert—but we won’t tell if you eat a square alongside your morning cup of coffee!

These bars are a sweeter, more lunchbox-friendly version of the classic sandwich. They'll hold up better and longer—without the risk of soggy bread and unwanted crusts.

To give her PB&J-inspired cookies sparkle, Sunny rolls them in turbinado sugar, a large-grained sugar with a mild molasses flavor. As the cookies cool, the sugar forms a crisp crackly outer layer on the cookie, too.

The secret to filling Tyler's impressive cupcakes? Using a squeeze bottle to inject jam into the top of each treat. It will give you perfect, mess-free results every time.