Homemade Uncrustables Recipe - Cooking With Karli (2024)

Uncrustables taste just like the frozen, store bought Smucker’s Uncrustable sandwiches but cost a fraction of the price! Prep ahead and freeze to make school lunches as easy as possible.

Smucker’s Uncrustables Recipe

I can not believe it is already time to start thinking about BACK TO SCHOOL! How is summer already almost over?One thing is for sure, I haven’t spend near enough time at the pool.

Whether I like it or not, Chase is headed to Kindergarten this year. This has me thinking back to when I went to elementary school, which honestly feels like yesterday.

I was a picky eater and really didn’t eat school lunch often. I ate it every Friday (aka pizza day! They had the best pizza with stuffed crust.) and every time the Hawaiian Chicken Rice bowls were served.

Every other day I’d go to school with a PB&J. Confession: I went through a phase where I liked Peanut Butter and Sugar sandwiches. I totallyloved the grainy texture. Now, it kind of gives me the willies.

Do you need an Uncrustables Maker?

I loved the Smucker’s Uncrustable Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly Sandwiches. My mom didn’t buy them often though.Now, being a mom myself, I totally get why!Those suckers cost $1 a pop! Can you say, OUCH?

I never buy them just because of the price! Then, someone suggested I buy them for my kids to eat on the airplane when we were moving across the country and I kind of fell in love with them all over again.Chase loved them too.

That was 3 years ago and I like to think I have perfected the DIY Uncrustable. The best news yet? No crazy sandwich cutters needed!

How Uncrustables are made

The Bread used for Uncrustable Sandwiches

Believe it or not, the bread you use to make these uncrushable sandwiches really does matter!Now, I am going to say something that I haven’t ever said before in my life and I probably will never say again.

My all time favorite, ultra soft and dense Grandma Sycamore bread is not good for this.That bread is LIFE and it just doesn’t cut it here.

If you don’t have a clue what I am talking about, you are most definitely not from Utah. This is a bread that is made local in Salt Lake City and sold in all grocery stores across the state and in a few others as well. If you ever vacation or even drive through Utah, you HAVE to pick up a loaf of Grandma Sycamore’s bread.

For the Uncrustable Sandwiches, you are going to want the light fluffy bread. I used Sarah Lee’s White made with Whole Grain bread. The light and fluffy bread sticks together when pressed and it doesn’t tear when pressing the edges together.

Assembling the Uncrustable

Lay out the bread on your counter. You can make and entire loaf’s worth of sandwiches or you could make a few, it really just depends on how many you’d like.

I like to lay the bread out in 2 rows, make an assembly line and get all the sandwiches made at the same time!

Spread peanut butter on all of the bread slices.You’ll want to make sure the edges of the bread are left alone, without any peanut butter touching them. The bread will not seal together when pressed if there is peanut butter there.

Also make sure that there is a solid layer of peanut butter (doesn’t have to be thick, just make sure the peanut butter covered all of the bread) in the middle of the bread slice.The peanut butter acts as a barrier for the jelly. If the jelly touches the bread it will make the sandwich all soggy.

Next, it is time for the jelly.I used store-bought grape jelly so that these sandwiches would taste exactly like the Smucker’s Uncrustables.

You can use whatever jam or jelly you’d like. Store-bought or homemade!! This 3 ingredient strawberry jam is one of my favorites!

Spoon a small amount (probably a couple of teaspoons worth) of jam or jelly and place it in the center of the bread. You’ll see I put the jam on all of the slices of bread in the bottom row, that way I could make 3 sandwiches all at the same time.

Complete the sandwich by putting the opposite slice of peanut butter bread on top of jam slice of bread.

Use your fingers and pat down around the edge of the bread where the peanut butter on both pieces of bread meet. This will seal the jam in place.

Cutting and Sealing the Uncrustable Sandwiches

I used this Cookie Cutter to help seal and cut my sandwiches. Notice how it has a dull lip on the top of the cookie cutter where you’d usually be pushing down it. This is a 4 inch circle cookie cutter.

If you don’t have a cookie cutter on hand, don’t worry! I have a solution for you. I’ll talk a bit more about it below.

Use the flat, thicker side of the cookie cutter to seal the bread. So, basically, use the cookie cutter upside down.

I set a small plate on top of the cookie cutter and then press down on the plate with all of my strength to really seal the bread.

I figured out the plate trick after trying to push down on the sharper side of the cookie cutter and really hurting my hands! The plate really helps!

Then use a pizza cutter and cut the crust off.

I leave the cookie cutter on the sandwich and use the edge of the cookie cutter as a guide for the pizza cutter.

I place mine in a large zip top bag and toss them in the freezer!

From there they are just like the store-bought Uncrustables! Your kids won’t even be able to tell the difference!!

If you do not have a cookie cutter to use:

Slice the crust off of the sandwich so you are just left with the soft, fluffy part of the bread.

Then using the dull side of a butter knife, press down on the edges of the bread to seal the sandwich shut.

You will end up with a square sandwich this way instead of the classic circle sandwich but it will seal just as well and taste the same!

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Do your kids love Uncrustables? Mine do, too! Check out their other favorite lunch box recipes!

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars
• BLT Chicken Wrap
• Rice Crispy Treats
• Cheesecake Fruit Dip
• Pancake Mix Muffins