18 Peanut Butter Sandwich Ideas to Level Up Your Lunch Hour

Peanut butter sandwiches make up an entire food group for some of us. They make easy lunches, affordable meals, and nostalgic snacks. But why not make your peanut butter sandwich a little more interesting? From adding delicious twists to the classic peanut butter sammie to preparing your PB&J with an upgrade, these are all the ways you can make your classic peanut butter sandwich more exciting.

Here's a fun swap for the traditional peanut butter and jelly combo. Skip the jam and use your favorite fresh berries instead. Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are all perfectly sweet and tart atop a generous spread of peanut butter. You can also eat this peanut butter and jelly open faced if you prefer to sink your teeth into berries instead of bread.

If you feel like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches count as a dessert, this is the PB&J upgrade you need in your life. Make your sandwich as usual, then pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. While it's chilling, mix up your favorite pancake batter. Dunk your sammie in the batter, drop it into a deep pot full of cooking oil, and you have a carnival-level PB&J treat. 

Do peanut butter and pickle sandwiches actually taste good? Well, there's really only one way to find out. But you should know that using sweet pickles is the key. The sweet vinegar flavor paired with the salty peanut butter is a flavor combo worth trying — even if you aren't suffering from strange pregnancy cravings. Maybe the thing your peanut butter sammie was missing all these years was the snappy crunch of a crisp pickle.

No bread? No problem! Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches actually feel special served between two graham crackers. Think of it as a PB&J s'mores variation. This might also be a fun way to switch things up for your toddler's favorite lunch option. 

This peanut butter sandwich upgrade is actually pretty simple. Top your peanut butter with a drizzle of honey before adding your final layer of bread. It adds the sweetness you might be looking for, without the tartness of a fruit spread. 

Craving a PB&J for breakfast? Grab your favorite frozen waffles and use them in place of traditional sandwich bread. Can you imagine two blueberry or chocolate chip waffles glued together with peanut butter and jelly? Now that's a breakfast of champions! 

You know, cheese sandwiches aren't the only ones improved by butter and heat. Prep your usual peanut butter and jelly sandwich just as you would a grilled cheese. The toasted bread, the buttery flavor, and the extra creamy filling from the heat make your sammie feel more like a warm dessert. If you swap the jelly for marshmallow spread, you have a proper fluffernutter sandwich! 

If you're a fan of creamy, salty, and slightly sour foods, here's one you can try. Many people rave about how delightful peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches are, and they might just be worth the hype. 

Whether you're looking for a low-carb snack or you just aren't feeling the classic white bread, apple slices make a yummy base for peanut butter. Slice your apple on the thicker side and add a generous helping of peanut butter between the two slices. You can also add jelly, honey, or any other peanut butter sandwich filling you like.

Said to be Elvis Presley's favorite sandwich, the peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwich has all the best elements of the perfect snack. Creamy, salty, sweet, and crunchy, this beloved sandwich of the King is worth trying. Don't forget the most important part though: it needs to be toasted or grilled.

There are so many ways to try this twist! A peanut butter sandwich with cookies is something we all deserve to enjoy at least once. Give these variations a try.

• Add crushed Oreo cookies to your peanut butter sandwich.
• Make your PB&J with two peanut butter cookies instead of bread.
• Use chocolate chip cookies to make an easy peanut butter sandwich cookie.
• Use mini cookies (like Nilla Wafers) to make bite sized PB&Js.

Got a sweet tooth on a random Tuesday afternoon? Here's a quick fix. Make a peanut butter sandwich as usual, but reserve one side for a spread of butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar. It's the creamy, nutty, sweet treat that dream snacks are made of.

While we're discussing dessert peanut butter sandwiches, let's talk about the joy of peanut M&Ms. Crush up a few (or a lot) of those candy coated nuggets of gold and sprinkle them over your peanut butter layer. It gives a whole new meaning to "crunchy peanut butter." 

This little peanut butter sandwich hacks uses all the same ingredients as a traditional PB&J, but there's just one extra step you have to take. Before assembling your sammie, use a rolling pin (or your hand) to completely flatten your bread slices. Assemble as usual, then roll up your sandwich and slice into fun pinwheels. This is a must-try for the kids.

If you didn't do this with your after-swimming snack in the summer, your childhood was missing a serious delicacy.

After spreading the peanut butter on your bread, take your favorite potato chips and layer them on top. Do not crush them — yet. Place the second slice of bread on top then press down firmly: this is important because you want the bread to flatten and the chips to slightly crush. Now, dig in to one of childhood's greatest summer treats. 

Peanut butter is pretty awesome on its own, honestly. But the peanut butter and Nutella combo is unmatched. This was the survival meal of many a college student, and that's because it's both filling and satisfies the sweet tooth. Two slices of toasted bread help elevate this simple and delicious sandwich duo. 

Double up the creaminess in your peanut butter sammie with a spread of cream cheese. It transforms your typical sandwich into a snack reminiscent of cheesecake. Let your cream cheese come to room temperature or grab a tub of the whipped, spreadable kind to make sandwich assembly easier.

You thought peanut butter sandwiches were just for school lunches? No way! You can bring them to your next cookout, too. Peanut butter atop a grilled burger is an unexpected combination, but it's pretty yummy. Toasted buns make this burger topping extra smooth and spreadable. 

We love a traditional peanut butter sandwich — creamy and crunchy variations included. But sometimes, we crave something a little extra. From the sweet, to the savory, to the slightly weird, these peanut butter sandwich twists are all worth trying. You probably have a few of the surprise ingredients on hand right now.