DIY uncrustables sandwiches are one of the most convenient grab and go lunches for kids and adults alike. What if you could make them yourself, with the ingredients YOU want, for a fraction of the cost? I’m here to tell you that you can, and I’ll show you the best way how!
Why should you make your own uncrustables?
Uncrustables are loved by both kids and adults. They are tasty, not to mention convenient. The one factor I could never get on board with was the cost and the fact that I couldn’t choose what type of peanut butter or jelly was going inside of them.
When you make your own, not only will you save tons of money, you will have unlimited choices of the fillings inside. Store bought versions are filled with preservatives. It’s next to impossible to avoid preservatives altogether, but there are times when it’s fairly easy and cheaper to avoid them. This is one of those times.
You can even choose what type of bread to make them with. Some breads are better than others (more on that later). Think: almond butter, peach jam, and a whole wheat bread. That is one finger-lickin’ sandwich you won’t find in the freezer section of the grocery store.
Is it cheaper to buy or make your own uncrustables?
Like I already mentioned it’s so much cheaper to make them yourself. Don’t let me be the one to tell you, let the numbers convince you.
Store bought box of uncrustables from Wal-Mart:
One box costs $9.96 (Let’s just say $10 and count $0.04 towards tax-we all have different tax rates anyways) for 10 sandwiches. That comes out to $1.00 per sandwich.
Cost of Uncrustables made at home:
A loaf of bread from Wal-mart $1.46
1 small jar of peanut butter $1.74
1 small jar of jelly $2.48
Total with out tax: $4.68
With only one loaf of bread, this will make a total of 12 sandwiches.
That comes out to $0.39 per sandwich.
Let’s note that the amount of peanut butter and jelly you have was enough for 4 loaves of bread not just one. So, if you went ahead and bout three more loaves and made them all at once. That would be a grand total of $10.06 before tax! Basically the same amount of money you would spend on ONE box of 10 uncrustable sandwiches. You will have 48 sandwiches at the cost of almost $0.21 each!
Now of course you will need to buy a sandwich cutter. My favorite came from amazon, the price can fluctuate, but when I bought it, I spent $12.98.
Add the cost of the sandwich cutter to the cost of making the 48 sandwiches ONE time. That would come out to $23.04 for 48 sandwiches. Making each sandwich only cost $0.48. With the cost of the cutter that you will use over and over again, it is still less than half of the cost of a store bought uncrustable!
Sold? Yep, me too! Let’s make some uncrustables!
Equipment
Plastic wrap or sandwich bags
cookie sheet or tray (to easily transfer them to the freezer)
Ingredients
Loaf bread
Peanut butter (or any nut butter you like)
Jelly
How to make uncrustables at home?
1. Clear your workspace and lay out as many pieces of bread as you can at once. This will make your task go much faster.
2. Spread your peanut butter in a circle just a tad smaller than the size of your sandwich cutter. (I just eyeball it.) You will spread it on ALL slices of bread. You want it on both sides.
3. On have of the slices of bread scoop about 1 1/2 teaspoons of jelly.
4. Put the slices with only peanut butter on top of the slices with jelly.
5. Using the sandwich cutter press down firmly until all of the edges are sealed and cut.
6. Continue this process until all sandwiches are cut out.
7. Either wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap or place them in plastic bags.
8. Place them on a tray or cookie sheet and transfer to the freezer until they are all fully frozen. At this point you can add them all to a bag and label with the date and type of sandwich for easy reference.
Tips for successfully making Uncrustables:
Choosing the right bread
I have found that certain types of breads do better than others. You want a very lightweight, fluffy bread. If it is too hard it will rip easily. My most successful bread has been with the cheap off brand bread. I will get wheat or white. I usually like to buy several loaves when they are on sale and make my batches of PB&J then.
How to prevent leaks
Be sure that the slices are aligned so that the crust of the bread doesn’t fall in the area where the sandwich is being sealed. The crust does not like to stick together and can cause leaks if it in the space where the cutter is trying to seal the bread.
Only add a small amount of jelly. It does not look like it will be enough for the sandwich, but it tastes great. When you add too much jelly, this will cause the sandwich to burst.
Avoid soggy uncrustables
The best tip to avoid soggy uncrustables is to spread peanut butter on both sides of the bread. When you do this is creates a barrier between the jelly and the bread, keeping the bread from getting soggy.
Best way to put ingredients on your bread
For peanut butter, slightly melt the peanut butter in the microwave. put it in there for no more than 30 seconds at a time. Check to see how liquid it is and decided if it needs more time. You want it to pour off of the spoon like a thin pancake batter. Now you can easily spread the peanut butter without ripping the bread.
To easily dispense the jelly, buy the squirt jelly or place your jelly in a piping bag or thick zip lock bag and quickly squirt the correct amount on each slice of bread.
Uncrustable variations to try:
- Almond butter and peach jam
- Cream cheese and strawberry jam
- Peanut butter and mashes banana
- Nutella and banana
- Cashew butter and raspberry jam
How to thaw uncrustables
Personally, my family likes them frozen. Before we figured out we love them that way, by mistake, I would place them in the fridge until they were thawed.
I have zapped them in the microwave for 10 seconds to make it less frozen, but this isn’t the best way. Doing it like this can easily melt the inside, or make the bread crusty.
Enjoy your uncrustables with some fruit and a glass of milk.
What to do with all of the crust from uncrustables?
- Make french toast casserole
- Dice and make croutons
- Turn into bread crumbs
- Use for homemade stuffing
- Make a bread pudding
If you don’t want to do something with them right away, freeze them and make something with them later!
Pin it for later
Now that you know how much money you can save, all the varieties you can try and how to make your own uncrustables, you can give it a try! If you decide to make your own let me know in the comments below what combinations you try! I’d love to see you share yours over on instagram and tag me @littletennesseehome
How to make your own uncrustables
Equipment
- Sandwich cutter
- Plastic wrap or sandwich bags
- cookie sheet or tray (to easily transfer them to the freezer)
Ingredients
- Loaf bread
- Peanut butter or any nut butter you like
- Jelly
Instructions
- Clear your workspace and lay out as many pieces of bread as you can at once. This will make your task go much faster.
- Spread your peanut butter in a circle just a tad smaller than the size of your sandwich cutter. (I just eyeball it.) You will spread it on ALL slices of bread. You want it on both sides.
- On have of the slices of bread scoop about 1 1/2 teaspoons of jelly.
- Put the slices with only peanut butter on top of the slices with jelly.
- Using the sandwich cutter press down firmly until all of the edges are sealed and cut.
- Continue this process until all sandwiches are cut out.
- Either wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap or place them in plastic bags.
- Place them on a tray or cookie sheet and transfer to the freezer until they are all fully frozen. At this point you can add them all to a bag and label with the date and type of sandwich for easy reference.
Notes
If you enjoy making copycat recipes
You might like to try out my Prego copycat spaghetti sauce
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