Make your own homemade uncrustables frozen PB&J sandwiches part of your weekly meal prep day... And YOU control the quality of the ingredients. Perfectly portable, great for road trips, vacation, as well as packed lunches!
Homemade Uncrustables Sandwiches
My kids LOVE Uncrustables sandwiches -- and I have to admit I do appreciate the convenience of them. But at around $3.19 for a box of four, I definitely do not appreciate the price...
So I set out to figure out how to make homemade Uncrustables to stock my freezer. Sure, it's easy enough to toss some basic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the freezer, but my kids prefer their sandwiches cut, crusts removed, and sealed.
Plus keeping them from getting soggy when they're defrosted is a bit of a challenge... But I have a solution to share!
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My Favorite Uncrustable Maker
I've used the Pampered Chef Cut-N-Seal in the past, but I wasn't thrilled with the very small sandwiches and large amount of wasted bread. I spied this sandwich sealer at Walmart the other day and figured at that price it was worth a try.
Note that I found it on one of those vertical hanging holders in a random grocery aisle. I checked the kitchen gadgets sections and it was not stocked there.
While it did fall short of the one-step sealing and cutting claim, after a bit of trial and error, it easily produced perfectly cut and sealed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
NEW: I just stumbled across this round uncrustable maker online! It cuts and seals just like the square one I own.
I also found this 3-pc. sandwich sealer set that makes round, square, and triangle-shaped uncrustables. Plus it has a smaller cutter for cheese and deli meats, which seems really useful. If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think -- it has excellent review!
How To Make Uncrustables
So what's the formula for making awesome homemade uncrustables? First things first -- my secret to non-soggy thawed PB&J sandwiches.
The key is spreading a thin layer of peanut butter on both slices of bread. The peanut butter acts as a sealant, which keeps the jelly from touching the bread and prevents the sandwiches from getting soggy when defrosted.
Use about a tablespoon of jelly or preserves (slightly less if you're using honey) and keep it confined to the center of the bread. Be careful of using too much jelly -- the contents will burst through the top of the bread during the cutting and sealing steps.
I've also used this method to make peanut butter and honey uncrustables and uncrustables with nutella for my picky 6-year-old. These turned out great, as well!
Using the Uncrustable Maker for Frozen PB&J
This uncrustable maker is actually two separate pieces. I found that the sandwiches turn out the best when you cut and seal in two steps. Keep both pieces together and center them over your sandwich. Press down on the outside cutter piece to trim away the crusts and move them aside. Then press down firmly on just the center sealing piece to tightly seal the sandwich all the way around.
Larger sandwich bread loaves work best because the sandwich won't seal well if the crust is not completely trimmed off. The Brownberry Wheat slices I used gave mixed results. The center slices worked perfectly, but the slices closer to each end were just a touch too small to give a good seal.
Freezing An Uncrustable Sandwich
To freeze the sandwiches, simply lay them out individually on a cookie sheet and flash freeze them for about two hours. At this point you can transfer them all to a large freezer Ziploc bag or package them up in individual Ziploc sandwich bags.
Homemade Uncrustables Frozen PB&J Sandwiches
Ingredients
- creamy peanut butter
- jelly, preserves, or honey
- 2 loaves sandwich bread
Instructions
- Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on both slices of bread.
- Place about one tablespoon of jelly or preserves in the center of the bread. If I'm using honey, I will use slightly less because it's more runny.
- Top the jelly slice with the peanut butter only slice.
- Center a sandwich sealer over both slices of bread. Press down on the outside cutter piece to trim away the crusts and move them aside. Then press down on the center sealing piece to seal the sandwich all the way around.
- To Freeze
- Lay the sandwiches out individually on a cookie sheet and flash freeze them for about two hours.
- Transfer them to a large freezer Ziploc bag or package them up in individual Ziploc sandwich bags.
- Sandwiches will thaw on their own by lunchtime, or you can put them in the microwave for 15 seconds to thaw.
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How To Thaw Uncrustables
We make a point of making a boatload of these frozen PB&J during our weekly meal prep sessions. It saves a ton of time and money throughout the week. Now I have a freezer full of frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for easy lunches for my on-the-go kids!
They thaw easily on their own in a packed lunch or toss them in the microwave for 20-25 seconds. Plus I love that I can control the quality of the ingredients in their sandwiches versus the store bought products.
Now to figure out what to do with all of the crusts... A French Toast casserole perhaps?
Did you make this recipe?
I'd love to see how your homemade uncrustables turns out... Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!
Marianne S says
I used a rolling pin to roll out the bread before assembly and it gives it that “uncrustable” feel when you bite into it.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Great tip - thanks so much for sharing!
Erin says
I may have missed it, but where in this fabulous article do you mention the wonder bread sandwich cutter? I have the same one and these turn out perfect every single time!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Erin! I still have mine too, and it is wonderful, isn’t it? Unfortunately I don’t think they make it anymore, so I took the mentions of that particular cutter/sealer out of the post. Didn’t want to send anyone on a wild goose chase! However, I did just find this one that appears to be very similar: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/gnph4ycd8dx
Emmy says
About how long do they stay ok in freezer and have you ever done just jelly?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi, Emmy! I would say they’ll keep for at least two months or longer if they’re sealed tightly. You can use just jelly, but the bread tends to get soggy when it’s thawed. That’s why I recommend sealing both sides with the peanut butter and putting the jelly in the middle. If your child doesn’t like/can’t have peanut butter, you could try using just regular dairy butter in its place.
Beth Neels says
My kids love these things, but I refuse to pay that price! This is such a great idea! Thanks!
Catherine says
So easy to make! The little ones will love this when they visit...so great to have on hand!
Suzy says
This is such a great idea! My kids are going to love these!!
Jas says
These would be perfect for my grandkids! Store prices are ridiculous.
Heidy L. McCallum says
This recipe looks simple and to the point and I bet the kids would enjoy them. I will have to make these one day for them. Will let you know how it goes.
Justine says
This is great! My kids love uncrustables and I love anything that makes my life easier. Peanut butter & Nutella is a favorite combination in our house. ;)
Taylor says
Love this idea! So much cheaper and way better ingredients. :)
Frances says
Have anyone tried it with cheese and lunch meat with mayo or mustard on the bread? How about tuna or chicken salad?
Thank you.
Evelyn Sandra says
What fun sandwiches!
Adam Homeyer says
I don't have much room in my freezer to freeze them on a pan. Will they stick together if I freeze them in a Ziplock? Any suggestions?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Adam! I actually haven't frozen them any other way. I think I'd just layer them with some wax paper between to ensure they don't stick together, and you should be able to reuse the wax paper several times.
Jo Flemings says
I was trying to figure out how the shape making thingy was constructed and all because it looked like you could get two out it from that brand of bread. Thanks for the reply!!!
Jo Flemings says
Can I ask you why you did not cut two out of each pair of this size slices of bread?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I think perhaps they look larger in the photos than they actually are, Jo. They're approximately the same size as a store bought Uncrustable, only square.
Ale says
Hi,
With all the crusts, put all in the cake pan and toast. This will be delicious with hummus and others...
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
That's a fantastic suggestion. Thanks for sharing, Ale!
Heather says
Has anyone tried this with bananas vs. the jelly? My son will not eat jelly and loves peanut butter and banana.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I haven't tried that, Heather, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Just make sure to seal the bananas inside the peanut butter, and you'll be good!
Susan says
Any thing other than peanut butter to use to help seal? My son is allergic. In Kindie he took jam, or butter, or just cheese.
Love this idea of freezing and thawing till lunch time.
Yvonne says
Susan, My son is allergic to peanuts also so I plan on trying this with sunbutter. Should work just fine, I would think :)
Hunter says
Hi!
I love your guide! However, how do I prevent freezer burn and such? After the initial two hours of freezing, the bottoms of my sandwhiches have become drenched with water. :'( Any help is greatly appreciated!
Best,
Hunter
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Hunter! I'm not sure where the extra water is coming from. Perhaps try freezing them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet instead and see if that helps.
Amanda Collier says
I love this, but would feel compelled to make bread pudding with the scraps. What did y'all do with yours?
Maryellen says
I don't like throwing them out either! The dogs always watch me because we do PB only and they always think the crust is for them, but I just saw this idea and love it.
Maryellen says
http://www.momables.com/cinnamon-sticks-recipe/
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Cute idea -- thanks for sharing!
Catherine March says
make bread crumbs
kymmid says
I actually found mine, at DOLLAR TREE!! I had been looking for it months at WM and could never find it. I knew I had seen one hanging randomly.I just happened to walk past it at Dollar Tree and then I realized that was where i had seen it! lol
Kentucky Lady 717 says
I have never seen this at Walmart....I would love to have one....
I do have one I purchase from PAMPERED CHEF....but I find it too hard to clean after each use......so I do not use it very much.....
kymmid says
Dollar Tree in my area has them, hanging randomly in the food area!! I also put mine into baggies then into a larger bag, so we can grab n go to pack a lunch, My Ziploc is a slider bag too, so no one leaves it open!
Kristen says
I actually have this and have NEVER used it! I cannot wait to give it a try! Mu kids love these but I am way too cheap to buy them!!