How To Give Your PB&J A Grown-Up Twist With Another Nutty Spread

Found in almost every child's lunchbox throughout the United States, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a true comfort food that never fails to brighten your day. They're super easy to make, incredibly convenient for any kind of outdoor activities, and in contrast to popular belief, they provide a great amount of protein and healthy fats. 

But even though this sweet and slightly savory classic, whose origins date back to the early 1900s, is perfectly delicious on its own, people have remained committed to finding creative ways to improve a PB&J. While adding banana slices, fresh strawberries, or even some Nutella can really take things up a notch, there's one slightly unexpected condiment that might just ruin regular PB&J for you. Believe it or not, adding a spoonful of tahini might be the ultimate upgrade you didn't know it needed.

Rich, nutty, and with just the right touch of bitterness, tahini is much more than the creamy condiment you should always have on hand for salad dressings. As a matter of fact, this Middle Eastern and Mediterranean staple, made from toasted and ground hulled or unhulled sesame seeds, will do wonders in everything from cookies, stir-fries, slow roast pork, and last but not least, your homemade hummus. So it should come as no surprise that using it as an alternative for, or in addition to, peanut butter in a classic PB&J sandwich will ultimately turn out to be a delicious combo. But how exactly does tahini affect the flavor of this iconic American dish?

If you've had an open jar of tahini sitting in your fridge for a while and you're wondering how long it'll stay good, then consider this your perfect excuse to use it up before it goes bad. However, if you're not quite convinced about the taste, there are plenty of reasons why this thick and oily paste won't ruin your favorite sandwich but rather complement it in the most unexpected way. 

Much like peanut butter, tahini has a mildly earthy yet neutral flavor profile. It's also a bit more subtle and bitter than peanut butter, but still complex enough to balance the sweetness of the jam or jelly. At the same time, tahini is creamier, silkier, and less sugary. Thanks to tahini's rich and sophisticated flavor profile, your PB&J sandwich will feel like it just got a grown-up upgrade. 

That said, if you're a true peanut butter fan, you don't have to completely give up on it. Simply add a layer of tahini on top of the peanut butter to get the best of both worlds. On the other hand, if you're up for a Middle Eastern twist on this popular sandwich, spread a generous amount of tahini on one slice of bread and replace the jelly with grape molasses on the other. And finally, once everything's done and you've spread your ingredients of choice, all that's really left to do is to press the two slices together, and take a big, satisfying bite.