PB&J Sandwiches Are 10x More Flavorful When You Give Them The Muffin Treatment

The good old-fashioned PB&J has been a staple of American history since the early 1900s, when pre-sliced bread, grape jelly, and peanut butter were all sold commercially for the first time. Since then, we've reinvented this childhood classic a hundred times over by pairing different styles of jam and jelly with different types of nut spreads and bread. Some have even replaced that midnight grilled cheese for grilled peanut butter and jelly or given them the muffin treatment to create a warm, crunchy, nostalgic treat.

If you've ever made creative use of your muffin tin to make mini bread puddings, the same basic idea applies to these cute little PB&J muffins. Pre-assembled sweet and nutty sandwiches cubed into little squares act as a replacement for plain bread, nestling easily into each lightly greased muffin tin. Fill each opening, but don't press the cubes down or mound them up, as that could prevent even saturation with the custard, which could then cause uneven cooking or burned edges.

Though muffin-shaped, these little bites also evoke the taste and texture of French toast and bread pudding, right down to the custard used to make them. The custard makes these bites crispy, velvety, and irresistible. This egg and milk mixture contains equal parts of each. The added sugar to taste works if you love ultra-sweet treats or if your peanut butter is the natural, sugar-free stuff. You can certainly opt to leave it out as well, since the jelly adds a lot of sweetness.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when putting these versatile bites together is either skimping on or drowning them in custard. Ideally, each little nest of sandwich cubes should be saturated but not swimming in custard — around 3 tablespoons per PB&J muffin. Too much custard can make them soggy, and too little can leave them dry. As they bake, the bread becomes tender inside and crispy outside, while the jelly caramelizes and becomes even fruitier, and the peanut butter becomes almost fudgy in texture.

In terms of seasonings, while the cinnamon is optional, it provides a warm, aromatic element to these muffins that also intensifies the flavor of the jelly, peanut butter, and bread all at once. Vanilla extract is another tasty addition, as it adds a beautifully floral aroma and nuance of flavor. Keeping the flavors simple may be a good idea if you plan to serve these to kids, but adults may also enjoy variations such as cardamom and almond extract with a dash of black pepper.

You can also swap the expected grape or strawberry jelly for any fruity preserve you like, from blueberry jam to peach butter, and the same goes for the peanut butter. Nix it in favor of pumpkin butter with apple jelly and nutmeg for an autumnal take on this snack, or sub in cashew butter with pineapple jam and a hint of chili lime seasoning if you're in need of a tropical treat in the midst of winter.