Homemade Uncrustables (Perfect for the Freezer)
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Save time and money at the grocery store by making your own Homemade Uncrustables! Perfect for school lunches, road trips, and picnics, these crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the perfect solution for when the kids need a satisfying and portable snack.
I love taking those store-bought convenience foods and turning them into a healthier, fresher homemade version—still easy, just better. I’ve done it with chewy chocolate chip granola bars, frozen chicken nuggets, and now? Uncrustables! Making your own means you get to decide exactly what goes inside, from the bread to the filling, so you know the kiddos are getting something better than the boxed version.
And don’t worry, this isn’t about adding more work to your plate. This recipe is designed to be just as convenient as the store-bought kind—you only need a few minutes up front to prep and freeze them, and then you’ve got grab-and-go sandwiches ready whenever you need them.
What Are Uncrustables?
Uncrustables are frozen, crustless, sandwiches filled with peanut butter and either grape or strawberry jam.
The appeal of these sandwiches is that they are perfect for kids. The sandwiches are sealed shut, keeping all the peanut butter and jelly neatly inside. And these sandwiches thaw really quickly. You can pack them in a lunch box frozen, and they’ll be thawed and ready to eat by lunch time.
For this freezable homemade Uncrustables recipe, we use healthy whole wheat bread, creamy peanut butter, and a dollop of jam. Using a sandwich sealer, we can recreate a healthier (and less expensive) homemade version that is even better than the ones found at grocery stores.
How To Make An Uncrustable
Full ingredient amounts can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Equipment You’ll Need
Sandwich sealer– I love this one. It comes with varying sizes of round sandwich cutters and an insert that seals the edges of the bread. It works perfectly every time!
Freezer bags- For freezing and storing your sealed Uncrustables.
Ingredients
Sliced whole wheat bread or white bread: Choose a soft, sliced sandwich bread. Avoid bread with lots of big holes or crusty breads.
Peanut butter: Choose your favorite kind! Regular peanut butter or natural, creamy or crunchy. Use the flavor your family loves most!
Jam or jelly: Use your favorite flavor, store-bought or homemade! The beauty of this DIY Uncrustables recipe is you get to control the ingredients! If you’re looking for a homemade jam recipe, try my no pectin mixed berry jam or small batch strawberry jam!
Instructions
Remove two pieces of bread and lay them on a cutting board, or cut safe surface.
Grab the sandwich cutter portion of your Uncrustable maker ( I use the 3.5″ large cutter), and cut a hole in the center of each slice of bread.
To make one Uncrustable, you’ll need a tablespoon of peanut butter divided between the two pieces of bread.
Spread a thin layer of peanut butter in the center of the bread cut out, leaving about 1/2″ of the edge clean for sealing.
Next, place a dollop of jam or jelly in the center of one of the bread circles, spreading it slightly, but still leaving a 1/2″ of edge clean.
Take the second piece of bread, and place it peanut butter side down on top of the jelly.
Place the sandwich cutter back around your bread circles, and grab the sandwich press insert.
Press down to seal the edges of the bread.
Once sealed, remove your sandwich from the sandwich cutter.
Repeat these steps to make as many Uncrustables as you need.
Variations and Substitutions
The best thing about making your own Uncrustables at home is the ability to customize the fillings to suit your family’s needs. Here are some suggestions to make THE BEST crustless little sandwiches that everyone can enjoy!
- Swap the peanut butter for sun butter or seed butter. This is great when packing lunch boxes for a nut free school.
- Make Nutella Uncrustables by adding a tablespoon of Nutella to the filling or a fluffernutter Uncrustable by adding Marshmallow Fluff instead of jam.
- For those with peanut allergies, use almond butter or cashew butter instead.
- Use honey in place of jam.
- Use soft gluten-free bread.
Pro Tips
- Use soft sandwich bread. The softer the bread, the easier it is for the edges to seal. Avoid crusty breads like sourdough.
- Don’t add too much jelly to the filling. By adding too much filling, the jelly or jam will spill out which will keep the sandwiches from sealing properly and will also make a mess.
- Don’t spread the filling all the way out to the edges of the bread circles. You want to leave about 1/2″ of clean edge for easy sealing.
Freezing and Storage
You can freeze your own homemade Uncrustables to have easy healthy lunches on demand at all times!
To freeze, take your prepared Uncrustables and place them on a baking sheet, uncovered. Freeze until solid (2-3 hours).
Once frozen, individually wrap each sandwich really well in plastic wrap. Store the wrapped sandwiches in a freezer bag or container in the freezer for up to a month.
Thawing Homemade Uncrustables
To thaw, remove the quantity of Uncrustables needed and let them sit at room temperature (wrapped in plastic) until thawed.
If you’re packing lunch for school, place a frozen sandwich in your child’s lunch box in the morning, and by afternoon, the sandwich will be completely thawed.
Any thawed Uncrustables that are not being eaten immediately should be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Toasting
Toasted Uncrustables are SO DELICIOUS. You have a super toasty and warm exterior, with a soft and gooey PB&J center.
To toast frozen Uncrustables in the air fryer: Place a frozen Uncrustable in a cold air fryer and toast at 350F for 5-6 minutes until browned. The outside will be toasty and the center will be cool, but thawed.
For thawed Uncrustables in the air fryer: reduce the toasting time to 4-5 minutes, the process is the same.
To toast in the toaster oven: heat frozen or thawed Uncrustables on the lowest “toast” setting until the outside is toasted and the center feels soft and thawed.
Allow sandwiches to cool before eating!
FAQs
Yes! By making your own Uncrustables at home, you can control the quality of the ingredients and what exactly goes into each sandwich. You can make your own whole wheat bread, and jam, and use a natural peanut butter to make these extra nutritious and delicious for the kids!
Leftover crusts can be turned into bread crumbs or homemade croutons. You can also stick a piece of crust in your brown sugar to keep it soft!
Yes. Using basic peanut butter, jam, and whole wheat bread, a homemade Uncrustable will cost you about $.53 each, vs store-bought (from a 10 pack) which runs about $.94 each. Of course, this is subject to change depending on the ingredients you use and does not include the cost of the sandwich sealer.
Yes! See above for freezing and thawing instructions.
If you make this recipe, give it a 5 STAR Rating and Leave a Comment!
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Homemade Uncrustables (Freezer Friendly)
Ingredients
- 2 slices of soft sandwich bread
- 1 tablespoon of peanut butter divided
- 2 teaspoons of jam
Instructions
- Using the sandwich cutter of your Uncrustables maker, cut a hole in the center of each slice of bread.*
- Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on each bread circle, leaving about 1/2″ of the edge clean.
- Spoon the jam into the center of one of the bread circles. Spread lightly, still keeping 1/2″ of bread clean around the edge.
- Grab the second bread circle and place it peanut butter side down onto the jam.
- Place the sandwich cutter back around your bread circles. Grab the sandwich sealer piece and press down on the sandwich per the sealer's instructions. Remove the sandwich from the sandwich cutter and inspect the edges to make sure they're sealed.
- Serve immediately or freeze for later use.
