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Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich ~ You CAN Make it Palm Oil Free!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich ~ You CAN Make it Palm Oil Free!

There’s nothing like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If you’re not careful though, your PB&J will be loaded with palm oil. Since figuring out palm oil makes my son sick, I started reading labels on everything.

Just a few years ago, “palm oil” in foods was rare. Now, it’s common because the FDA banned companies from adding artificial trans fats to foods. Just as trans fats were cheap — that’s why companies used them — palm oil is also cheap. Companies started using palm oil to be in compliance.

That’s bad news for pb&j. Palm oil is common in peanut butter and bread. Jelly is usually not made with palm oil. But you should still read labels on jelly, preserves, and jam. Many are loaded with extra sugars. Buy jelly with as few ingredients as possible. You can also make your own strawberry jelly or other flavors. 

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are easy to make and so rich and satisfying to eat. Below I’ll explain how to make them palm oil free as well. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

The beauty of the pbj is it’s fast to make and it’s easy to take with you for a meal on the go. Peanut butter is loaded with protein which makes it filling. You can toast the bread for warm pb and j which is delectable. 

To make palm oil free peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, use these tips for finding ingredients and see the easy directions below. I feel badly calling it a recipe because it’s so simple!

how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Add more or less peanut butter and jelly according to your tastes

Ingredients

  • Two slices of bread – Be sure it doesn’t contain palm oil ingredients. See below for more details. 
  • Peanut butter – Not specifying an amount but you’ll need several tablespoons, depending on thick you want it.
  • Jelly – There are so many fruit flavors to choose from. 

Finding Palm Oil Free Bread

You’ll likely want to choose sandwich bread for your peanut butter and jelly sandwich. However, you can use any bread, and it will taste good. Sourdough bread in the grocery bakery usually doesn’t contain palm oil. Many gluten-free breads don’t contain it. You can also bake homemade bread fairly easily, even if you don’t have a bread machine.

bread for pb&j

Bread without palm oil for pb&j

Otherwise, my family’s go-to bread for pb&j and other sandwiches, French toast, etc. is Dave’s Killer Bread. They use soybean oil. I also saw one loaf by Sara Lee that didn’t contain it. 

You may look at bread labels and not see “palm oil” and think it’s palm oil free. There are lots of palm oil ingredients in bread. The ingredients to look out for include:

  • Monoglycerides
  • Mono- and Diglycerides
  • Distilled Monoglycerides
  • Ethoxylated Mono- and Diglycerides
  • Datem
  • Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
  • Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate
peanut butter without palm oil ingredients

Here are some of the peanut butters without palm oil that I buy.

Finding Palm Oil Free Peanut Butter for Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Choose palm oil free peanut butter. This is easy to do. You must read labels before buying. Choose peanut butter with only peanut butter and salt. It shouldn’t contain anything else. Some ingredients to watch out for include:

  • Palm Oil
  • Palm Kernel Oil
  • Mono- & Diglycerides

An easy thing to do is to AVOID JARS that advertise No Stir. This means there is palm oil. Also, avoid peanut butter spreads which also contain it. 

Read labels and you will find the perfect peanut butter to make your pb and j sandwich.

pb&j sandwich

Yummy pb&j sandwich

How to Make PB & J

  1. Place two pieces of bread on a plate.
  2. Use a butter knife or a spoon and scoop out some peanut butter. Spread on one side of one piece of bread.
  3. Take another spoon and scoop out some jelly, jam or preserves. Spread on the other piece of bread.
  4. Lift the slice with peanut butter and place it face down onto the side with the jelly.
  5. Eat and enjoy!

If you want a toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich, simply put the bread in the toaster or toaster oven before putting the peanut butter and jelly on the bread. 

For grilled pb&j, simply put it on a grill pan to warm the bread. You can grill the bread separately or make the sandwich and then grill each side. Careful not to put too much pb&j on the bread so it doesn’t spill over when grilling. 

Get creative by mixing together different flavors of jelly. You can also add honey or banana slices to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You can also add chocolate chips into the peanut butter. We typically enjoy it as is, with just peanut butter, jelly and bread. We use strawberry jelly or organic strawberry preserves.

Homemade Lunch

Avoiding processed foods is easy once you get in the habit of it. My son has a palm oil allergy and palm oil intolerance. We can’t rely on processed foods. This means premade sandwiches, such as Uncrustables which are premade pb&j sandwiches wrapped in plastic and ideal for school lunches, are off-limits because of the Mono- & Diglycerides in them. It’s no matter! It takes just seconds to make pb&j. 

While peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are popular for lunch, we make them sometimes just because. They are a truly satisfying snack when you want something filling and sugary. The dryness of the peanut butter combined with the sweetness of the jelly is delectable. Try toasting the bread first to see if you like it warm. You can also grill it in a panini maker or on the stovetop.

Pb&j is a go-to food in our house. The kids can learn responsibility by making these sandwiches themselves. Everyone will be excited for mealtime with this classic sandwich. Cut up an apple to serve with it, and you’re done!

PB&J from Scratch

One of the joys of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is that it’s so simple. Not to complicate matters, but did you know you can make it from scratch with homemade jelly, homemade peanut butter, and homemade bread?

Even if you try to make one, it will go a long way to being tastier! Learn how to make peanut butter yourself.

It’s really easy to make preserves, jam and jelly. See recipes for strawberry jelly and orange marmalade. I also make cherry preserves for a different take on pb&j. Homemade always tastes best!

You can make bread in a bread machine which is easy or these vegan biscuits

Did you know it’s easy to make your own peanut butter? Blend peanuts in a high performance food processor.

Love peanut butter? Try making this peanut butter milkshake or these sugar free peanut butter cookies. If you want a topping, try this peanut butter sauce

How often do you make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Do you add anything special to the “recipe”? Let us know in the Comments below. There’s no end to what you can do with peanut butter and jelly! As always, thanks for reading and for making foods at home.

peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Print

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

The delectable pb&j.... There are many ways to enjoy it. Be sure to use palm oil free ingredients for higher quality and amazing taste.
Course Lunch, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword pb and j, pbj, peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 0 minutes
Servings 1
Author Dawn Head

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of bread
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp jelly, jam or fruit preserves

Instructions

  • Place two pieces of bread on a plate.
  • Use a butter knife or a spoon and scoop out some peanut butter. Spread on one side of one piece of bread.
  • Take another spoon and scoop out some jelly, jam or preserves. Spread on the other piece of bread.
  • Lift the slice with peanut butter and place it facing down onto the side with the jelly. Eat and enjoy!

Notes

Add-in ideas:
  • Sliced bananas
  • Honey
  • Maple syrup
  • Cinnamon
  • Mini chocolate chips
Toast the bread for a warm peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You can also put it on a grill pan for grilled pb&j. Yum!
Recipe Rating