Transform Your Basic PB&J Into The Best French Toast Of Your Life

It's hard to imagine a more iconic breakfast dish than French toast, with its custardy center and crisp, buttery exterior. For many fans, just drizzling a little maple syrup over the top of a fluffy pile is enough to make for a happy morning.

That said, the canvas of egg-battered, spiced and griddled bread offers a lot of opportunities for creative license. And while there are delicious twists on French toasts that will stir your cravings, one inspired iteration will satisfy a hankering for a whole other classic — the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

To make this munch-worthy masterpiece, simply start by composing your favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwich with your go-to elements. From there, batter the whole shebang in your egg mixture, just as you would a single piece of bread for French toast, and get this sandwich on the hot griddle (just be gentle here so the sandwich doesn't separate). The rest of the process doesn't deviate from the standard recipe for this breakfast favorite, but it does invite you to further customize this mashup of beloved bread-based classics.

Once you've been convinced to French toast-ify your PB&J, you have a few decisions to make. The usual questions apply in terms of choosing your jam or jelly, whether you're reaching for crunchy or smooth peanut butter, swapping it out for an alternate nut butter like almond or cashew, or even going for a chocolate hazelnut spread.

From there though, you can get truly imaginative; consider some of the creative ways to upgrade your PB&J and determine whether you can work them in here. Add texture to the middle of your sandwich with crushed nuts, work in a little potassium boost and sweetness with slices of banana, or a savory surprise with bits of crispy bacon. You can also coat the sandwich in crushed up corn flakes or another favorite cereal for a satisfying and nostalgic crunch factor. Top your stack with fresh berries and powdered sugar — and yes, even that maple syrup happily applies here.

If you want to add some whimsy to your presentation, use a shaped sandwich press or cookie cutter before you batter your PB&J. While you can revamp your breakfast sandwich with a French toast upgrade, this trick converts a lunchtime classic into a warm and toasty, familiar yet totally new iteration that will surely secure a place in your breakfast rotation.